Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, has shared an unexpected hint about the star’s upcoming musical release.
During this year’s much-anticipated Super Bowl Sunday broadcast (11 February), the Renaissance artist revealed that the second act of her musical trilogy would be released next month, during an ad for the data network Verizon.
Soon after this, the 42-year-old singer dropped two new singles: “Texas Hold ‘Em”, a line-dance party track, and a sentimental country ballad called “16 Carriages”.
Among the many people celebrating new Beyoncé music online was Knowles, who posted a picture of her eldest daughter wearing a cowboy hat on Instagram.
Promoting Beyoncé’s new music, Knowles wrote in a caption: “I have loved this record for years, now so happy that you guys get to hear. It’s amazing. It’s on Tidal right now!”
Fans were quick to catch the hairstylist and fashion designer’s reference to the song, “16 Carriages”, being several years old before making its way to the public, and shared their shock in the comments section.
“Yearsssss??? It’s been in the vault mama tina?!?!” one surprised fan wrote.
Similarly, another supporter added, “YEARS!?!? And you’ve been holding out on us like that? I see where we stand,” adding a laughing emoji.
“Mama Tina always gotta rub it in our face that she get to kick it with Beyoncé,” read another amused comment.
However, some other fans were not as surprised at the news of the track being recorded years ago.
“Y’all Beyoncé told us she wrote all three acts over quarantine… yes years lol act III is probably done too!” wrote one fan, while another added: “Not y’all being shocked at Beyonce sitting on music lol.”
In “16 Carriages”, Beyoncé sings about the various sacrifices that she has made for her career, as well as providing insight into her family life.
Some lyrics refer to the earliest stages of her life as a performer with Destiny’s Child, with lines such as: “At 15, the innocence was gone astray / Had to leave my home at an early age / I saw Mama prayin’, I saw Daddy grind / All my tender problems, had to leave behind.”
Both new songs indicate that her upcoming Renaissance: Act II album will be in the country genre, a significant departure from the house-infused Act I, released in 2022.
Texas-born Beyoncé has teased her interest in making country music in the past, particularly with the inclusion of the track “Daddy Lessons” on Lemonade in 2016.
Notably, she released a remix version of the track, featuring The Chicks, after they performed together at the 2016 Country Music Awards.
