Beyoncé has shared the cover artwork for her new album “Renaissance,” due July 29. The image sees her posing regally atop the silhouette of a luminous horse. In a note accompanying the artwork, Beyoncé wrote:

“Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world. It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving. My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration. I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are.”

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With the “Renaissance” title in mind, fans have speculated that the image is meant to pay homage to John Collier’s 19th-century painting “Lady Godiva.” Some have also pointed out its resemblance to a photograph of Bianca Jagger on horseback at Studio 54.

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A little over a week ago, Beyoncé surprise-dropped “Break My Soul,” the first single from her forthcoming seventh solo studio album. The track channels ’90s house music beats over a sample of Robin S’s 1993 hit “Show Me Love,” and features vocals from Big Freedia. “Renaissance” is said to feature both dance and country-leaning tracks, although it remains unclear whether the country songs will appear as a separate album, or as part of the first edition of “Renaissance.”

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Beyoncé has released four albums since 2016’s “Lemonade,” although none of them are full studio solo albums. In 2018, she dropped “Everything Is Love,” with her husband Jay-Z under the name the Carters; in April of 2019, she put out “Homecoming,” an album of her explosive 2018 headlining performance at Coachella; and that summer she followed with “The Lion King: The Gift,” a companion album to the Disney film that featured several new Beyoncé songs (a deluxe edition of that album featuring three additional tracks was released a year later).

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