Nialler9 Podcast: Beyoncé’s Renaissance samples black queer culture and dance music

It’s a Renaissance deep dive.

Andrea and Niall are with episode 182 of the Nialler9 Podcast, and we are going on in on Beyoncé’s seventh album Renaissance, an LP heavily and obviously inspired by black American house music, queer culture and ballroom (as well as her late cousin Uncle Johnny, a gay man she credits in the liner notes of the album for introducing her to queer sounds and subcultures).

On this episode, we delve into the samples of house and bounce music on the record, deep cuts from American dance history illuminated with producers Honey Dijon and Green Velvet among others for this Beyoncé album, that is pitched like a DJ mix.

Andrea explores the incongruity of the millionaire/near-billionaire superstar paying homage to the largely poor ballroom and queer cultural communities of the late ’80s and early ’90s while namechecking fashion brands and promoting vast opulence.

Listen to the episode below or subscribe in your favourite podcast app:

Listen on Apple | Android | ACAST | Pocketcasts | CastBox | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS Feed

See Also

Orla Gartland for big Dublin gig, EU and UK tour

• Songs played on the Nialler9 Podcast Spotify Playlist
• Support Nialler9 on Patreon and join our Discord
• Andrea’s own podcast – My Favourite Album is on season 2
• Andrea has a Ghost newsletter

Subscribe to the podcast and please leave a review on iTunes, tell your friends or commit to supporting us directly. Support us on Patreon.

Previous podcast episodes

---

Hey, before you go...

Nialler9 has been covering new music, new artists and gigs for the last 19 years. If you like the article you just read, and want us to publish more just like it, please consider supporting us on Patreon.

What you get as thanks in return...

• A weekly Spotify playlist only for patrons.
• Access to our private Nialler9 Discord community.
• Ad-free and bonus podcast episodes.
• Guestlist & discounts to Nialler9 & Lumo Club events.
• Themed playlists only for subscribers.

Your support enables us to continue to publish articles like this one, make podcasts and provide recommendations and news to our readers, and be a key part of the music community in Ireland and abroad.