Beyoncé Just Entered Her Western Era & It’s Unsurprisingly Edgy

As football fanatics know, the Super Bowl game is always full of twists and turns, and last night’s match-up between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers was no different. While the last-minute overtime was certainly a surprise, the biggest shocker during Super Bowl LVIII happened shortly after the start of the third quarter, when Beyoncé dropped two brand new songs as well as the release date of her next album. And if that wasn't enough to get the Beyhive in a tizzy, Beyoncé rocked a metal lingerie set and a sleek cowboy hat on the Instagram promo for "Texas Hold 'Em" — the first country-fied single on her upcoming project.

While Beyoncé calmly watched the rest of the game from a suite at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the first official imagery for the long-awaited “Act II” of her 2022 Renaissance album broke the internet. As soon as the sexy photo hit the web, fans quickly noticed Beyoncé’s outfit for the “Texas Hold ‘Em” cover blended the signature disco-glam style of Renaissance with her new western-inspired aesthetic. The base of her look was classic Renaissance, as it featured a striking metal bra and a matching heart-shaped thong — a sultry co-ord that mirrors the silver separates she donned on stage at the Renaissance world tour. However, the rest of her cover attire paid homage to her Houston, Texas roots, starting with a cropped bolero-esque blazer and a luxe black cowboy hat. In true Beyoncé fashion, her look wouldn’t be complete without a few eye-catching jewels, so she accessorized with an extravagant pair of silver earrings to round out her look.

Beyoncé’s country sartorial detour may come as a shock to some fans, but loyal members of the Beyhive know the “Act II” Easter eggs began earlier this month at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. To celebrate her husband Jay-Z’s acceptance of the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, Beyoncé made an unexpected appearance at the Feb. 4 show in a custom Louis Vuitton look with lots of classic western embellishments. Seen in a photo op with Dua Lipa, the “Break My Soul” singer styled a studded leather jacket and matching mini skirt — both adaptations of pieces from Louis Vuitton’s Fall 2024 menswear collection. Leaning into the country couture vibes, she topped her OOTN with a chic bolo tie, an assortment of Cartier jewelry, Amina Muaddi platform pumps, and of course, a white cowboy hat.

While the countdown to Beyoncé’s next album continues (March 29 can’t get here soon enough), her new songs and their corresponding aesthetic will surely tide us over until then. In the meantime, channel her latest cover-ready moment with the curated edit below. Extra points if you throw on a cowboy hat.