Beyoncé Takes the Stage

The New Yorker Radio Hour

WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

News, David, Books, Arts, Storytelling, Wnyc, New, Remnick, News Commentary, Yorker, Politics

4.2 • 5.5K Ratings

🗓️ 4 July 2023

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This summer, the most anticipated tour (in close contest with Taylor Swift) is Beyoncé’s tour for her seventh studio album, “Renaissance,” which came out in 2022. Her previous record “was about the turbulence of [her] marriage and was in some ways a monument to marriage as an institution,” The New Yorker’s music critic Carrie Battan tells David Remnick. “Renaissance”—a homage to club music and queer culture—“is about breaking free of all of those chains. It’s about going to the club, and quitting your job and dancing and experiencing the ultimate freedom.” Battan talks through her favorite tracks on the record.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the New Yorker Radio Hour, a co-production of WNWC Studios and the New Yorker.
0:09.8	This is the New Yorker Radio Hour, I'm David Rennick.
0:12.8	Summer has its downsides to be sure.
0:14.6	Mosquitoes, sunburn, humidity, picnics if you want to know my honest opinion.
0:19.9	But there's also many saving graces and the best is music.
0:23.6	Summer is when the music festivals happen all across the country in any genre you can
0:28.2	name.
0:29.2	Joining me to talk about the main events of the summer is one of the New Yorker's music
0:33.0	critics, Carrie Benton.
0:35.0	Now, there are two especially huge tours this summer, Taylor Swift, who has taken America,
0:40.7	of course, and the Renaissance tour with Beyoncé that's already started in Europe and opens
0:45.5	here soon.
0:46.5	Carrie, what are you hearing about the Beyoncé tour?
0:50.6	The main piece of news besides the tour being very extravagant and theatrical and ornate
0:57.1	was that she seemed to be working through an injury.
1:00.8	The tour was much less physical.
1:02.6	She did not participate in a huge amount of the choreography.
1:06.6	So that was a big change.
1:08.6	She hasn't spoken on whether or not she actually is injured, but right now it is speculated
1:13.4	that she's sort of like an elite athlete playing through a rolled ankle or whatever.
1:18.1	Hmm.
1:19.1	Before we get to some of your favorite moments and aspects of the album, what is the
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