‘Act II’: Beyoncé drops new music, announces album after Super Bowl commercial
New music FILE PHOTO: (L-R) Kacey Musgraves and Beyoncé attend the 66th GRAMMY Awards on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Beyoncé dropped two new songs and announced her "act II." (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy) (John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording A)
By Natalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
We now know why Beyoncé wore a big white cowboy hat at the Grammys.
Beyoncé was featured in a Verizon commercial where she attempted to break the internet, but to no avail. At the end of the Super Bowl spot, she said, “OK, they ready: drop the new music,” leading many to wonder if she was actually releasing new songs, The Associated Press reported.
She then posted an Instagram video that teased fans with “act ii” coming on March 29, accompanied by an acoustic guitar playing and Beyoncé singing “This ain’t Texas/Ain’t no hold’em/So lay your cards down down down.”
It is the second of three acts she announced in 2022, Billboard reported. The first was “Renaissance,” which was her seventh solo album and debuted at the top of the Billboard 200. The album included two songs that became top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, “Break My Soul” and “Cuff It.”
The “Renaissance World Tour” grossed more than $579 million.
This isn’t the first time Beyoncé, who hails from Texas, swerved into the country genre. Her 2016 album “Lemonade” featured “Daddy Lessons” and a Chicks remix. She also performed with the group at the Country Music Association Awards, The New York Times reported.
Beyoncé attended the Super Bowl in Las Vegas with her husband, Jay-Z, the AP reported.
Photos: Beyonce through the years Here are some memorable photos of Beyonce through the years. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 1998: Destiny's Child performs at halftime of the New York Giants vs. New York Jets game on August 20, 1998, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 1999: Destiny's Child, LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Robertson, Kelly Rowland and Beyonce Knowles, at the 13th annual Soul Train Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1999. (Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2000: Destiny's Child at the 2000 Source Hip-Hop Music Awards. (SGranitz/WireImage via Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2001: Destiny's Child attends the 2001 Radio Music Awards at the Aladdin Resort and Casino on October 26, 2001, in Las Vegas. (Jason Kirk/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2002: Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child pose backstage during the 44th annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center February 27, 2002, in Los Angeles. (Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2003: Singer Beyonce Knowles performs onstage during the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards at Ocean Terminal on November 6, 2003, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2004: Singer/actress Beyonce Knowles poses backstage after winning five Grammy Awards in the press room at the 46th annual Grammy Awards held on February 8, 2004, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2005: Singer Beyonce Knowles arrives at the 77th annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theater on February 27, 2005, in Hollywood, California. (Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2006: Rapper Jay-Z and singer Beyonce Knowles perform onstage at the 2006 BET Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on June 27, 2006, in Los Angeles. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2007: Singer Beyonce Knowles arrives at the 64th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton on January 15, 2007, in Beverly Hills, California. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2008: Singer Beyonce Knowles performs onstage during the 2008 American Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on November 23, 2008, in Los Angeles. (Vince Bucci/Getty Images for AMA)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2009: Singer Beyonce Knowles arrives at the 81st annual Academy Awards held at Kodak Theatre on February 22, 2009, in Los Angeles. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2010: Singers Beyonce Knowles (left) and Rihanna backstage during the 52nd annual Grammy Awards held at Staples Center on January 31, 2010, in Los Angeles. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2011: Singer Beyonce arrives at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on August 28, 2011, in Los Angeles. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2012: Beyonce Knowles attends the "Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations" Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2012, in New York City. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2013: Singer Beyonce performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013, in New Orleans. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2014: Jay-Z and Beyonce attend the "Charles James: Beyond Fashion" Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2014, in New York City. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2015: Beyonce and Jay Z attend the "China: Through the Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015, in New York City. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2016: Beyonce, Chris Martin of Coldplay and Bruno Mars perform onstage during the Pepsi Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show at Levi's Stadium on February 7, 2016, in Santa Clara, California. (Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2017: Singer Beyonce during the 59th Grammy Awards at Staples Center on February 12, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2018: Beyonce Knowles performs onstage during 2018 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival Weekend 1 at the Empire Polo Field on April 14, 2018, in Indio, California. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2019: Beyonce Knowles-Carter attends the European Premiere of Disney's "The Lion King" at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on July 14, 2019, in London. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2020: Jay-Z and Beyoncé attend the Pre-Grammy Gala and Grammy Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Sean "Diddy" Combs on January 25, 2020, in Beverly Hills, California. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2021: Beyoncé accepts the Best Rap Performance award for "Savage" onstage during the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at Los Angeles Convention Center on March 14, 2021, in Los Angeles. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Photos: Beyonce through the years 2022: In this handout photo provided by AMPAS, Beyoncé performs during the ABC telecast of the 94th Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Los Angeles. (Mason Poole/AMPAS via Getty Images)