Beyoncé created quite a splash with her latest album Renaissance following its release in late July, and it was just a matter of time since it hit No. 1. That moment is finally here, as Renaissance soared to the top of the Billboard 200 chart, with the biggest debut of a year for a female artist.
Renaissance topped the chart with 332,000 equivalent album units during its first week on the chart. The only album of 2022 that managed to have a more impressive debut is Harry Styles’ Harry’s House with 521,500 units earned during its first week on the chart.
Renaissance is also the first album of the year released by a female artist to soar to No. 1, following Adele’s 30. It’s Beyoncé’s seventh solo album to top the chart and the first since Lemonade in 2016. Following its triumph, she released the collaborative album Everything is Love alongside Jay-Z, led The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack, and dropped Homecoming: The Live Album in 2019.
Renaissance was preceded by the lead single “Break My Soul” before hitting the shelves on July 29. Its rollout was plagued by many issues, starting with a leak two days before release. Beyoncé later changed the lyrics of the song “Heated” to remove the word “spaz”. She also removed a sample of “Milkshake” from “Energy” after Kelis called her out for not crediting her.
