New Beyoncé Is Coming & Here’s What We Know So Far
Beyoncé is finally coming! The Beyhive has been patiently (and not so patiently) awaiting a new album from their queen and it is almost here. Social media has been in a frenzy all week after the “Upgrade U” singer removed her profile images from her social media pages and then on June 16, Tidal tweeted that the new Bey album was on the way.
Beyoncé
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) June 16, 2022
RENAISSANCE
July 29 pic.twitter.com/ZenmtPQM9W
The album is titled Renaissance and fans can also buy a special collectible box set on the “Bow Down” artist’s website Beyonce.com. There are four box sets in total for $39.99 and so far we know that it will include a Renaissance box, T-shirt, and CD. Renaissance is set to drop July 29 and it will be the mother of three’s seventh album not including The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack.
The frenzy for Bey continued after she dropped images from her British Vogue July 2022 photoshoot.
British Vogue’s editor-in-chief Edward Enninful shared that the superstar wanted to “play in fashion like never before” which they did for the shoot. In one photo, Beyoncé is dressed in gold sequins from head to toe, and in another one, she is giving biker chic goddess. The concept of the photoshoot became “a vision of glittering retro-futurism,” according to Edward.
He also gave a little insight into what the 28-time Grammy award winner’s new music sounded like.
“Instantly, a wall of sound hits me. Soaring vocals and fierce beats combine and in a split second I’m transported back to the clubs of my youth,” explained Edward. “I want to get up and start throwing moves. It’s music I love to my core. Music that makes you rise, that turns your mind to cultures and subcultures, to our people past and present, music that will unite so many on the dance floor, music that touches your soul. As ever with Beyoncé, it is all about the intent. I sit back, after the wave, absorbing it all.”
The oh-so-clever Beyoncé hinted at the name and sound of her album title during her August 2021 Harper’s Bazaar interview when she was asked about new music. “With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again,” she said.
“I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible. I’ve been in the studio for a year and a half. Sometimes it takes a year for me to personally search through thousands of sounds to find just the right kick or snare. One chorus can have up to 200 stacked harmonies. Still, there’s nothing like the amount of love, passion, and healing that I feel in the recording studio. After 31 years, it feels just as exciting as it did when I was nine years old. Yes, the music is coming!”
Beyoncé Releases the First Single from 'Renaissance,' "Break My Soul"
World stop. Carry on. Beyoncé released the lead single "Break My Soul" from her upcoming seventh album Renaissance on June 20. Stylized as "6. BREAK MY SOUL," news of the single dropping first hit when Queen Bey changed her bio to reflect the single's impending arrival. The song is a house-inspired dance track that features vocals from Big Freedia (their second collab following the 2016 mega-hit "Formation") and a sample of the house music classic "Show Me Love" by Robin S. Lyrically, the song seems to be the upbeat, unapologetically positive anthem that could be a mantra of self-love and personal freedom for years to come. As the singer sings, "Bey is back."
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Featured image by Mason Poole/A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images
This article was updated 6.21.22
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
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Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
Courtesy
Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy