After days of speculation and online sleuthing by fans, Beyoncé used her appearance in a Super Bowl commercial on Sunday to announce the imminent release of new music.

In a Verizon ad aired shortly after halftime, Beyoncé engaged in banter with comedian Tony Hale about doing something to break the internet (referring to Verizon's 5G network). After a few playful suggestions like Beyonc-A.I. and a presidential BOTUS, she exclaimed, Drop the new music, before the commercial concluded. Soon after, Beyoncé's website was updated with the announcement of a new album, identified as Act II, set to be released on March 29.

This album seemed to be the second part of Beyoncé's Renaissance project, possibly featuring a country-rock theme, indicated by the sound and look of two new songs, Texas Hold 'Em and 16 Carriages, which quickly appeared online.

Texas Hold 'Em starts with rapid-plucked guitar and transitions into a stomping beat, with Beyoncé rhyming Texas and Lexus and singing lines like, It’s a real live boogie and a real live hoedown. On 16 Carriages, an epic ballad, guitars swell with organ-loud percussion as Beyoncé reflects on a life after losing innocence at an early age.

Both songs' visuals feature Beyoncé in cowboy hats — a callback to last year's Renaissance World Tour and a continued style signature, as seen at the recent Grammy Awards.

The Renaissance era marks a shift in communication for Beyoncé, with the new album announcement following a more conventional advertising approach compared to her surprise drops in the past. When she unveiled Renaissance in July 2022, Beyoncé described it as part one of a three-act project recorded during the pandemic, offering a place to dream and escape during uncertain times.

This album, with its 1990s retro dance theme, topped charts and was the centerpiece of her record-breaking tour last year. Beyoncé previously explored country music on Daddy Lessons from her 2016 album Lemonade, and collaborated with the Chicks for a performance at the Country Music Association Awards, which drew mixed reactions but was staunchly supported by her fans.