The time has come, Bey-hive: Beyoncé has released her first solo studio album since 2016's Lemonade, which brought us the banger that is 'Formation'.
Renaissance arrived earlier than expected: Kiwi music fans usually expect to hear new releases around 4pm on a Friday, but being the gracious queen she is, B dropped the album at midnight - so New Zealanders were among the first in the world to hear it.
Our very own Shaz-Dog from Edge Afternoons - a huge Beyoncé fan - got amongst it immediately, and of course, had some thoughts about the new direction it goes in.
"The album is really cool because it goes back to more dance-y Beyoncé, it's quite camp, there's a lot going on," she said.
"What I really like about it too is it's completely unpredictable - from the very start til the very end you're like 'oh, that wasn't something I was expecting.'"
Beyoncé hasn't done a traditional album release for such a long time, Shaz added, so the fact she was even coming out and promoting Rennaissance was a big deal.
Ahead of the release, Bey shared a message about her latest project, which is dedicated to her children, her husband, her family, her Godmother Uncle Johnny and "all of the pioneers who originate culture and the fallen angels whose contributions have gone unrecognised for far too long".
This three-act project was recorded over three years during the pandemic,” Beyoncé explained.
“A time to be still, but also a time I found to be the most creative.”
"My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking."
As for choosing a favourite track, Sharyn said there are "a lot of dance bangers" and some "absolutely incredibly numbers" but her and Eli from the breakfast show's favourite is 'Church Girl'.
