Beyoncé announces new album ‘Act II’ and shares two new songs

The surprise release came after the star teased new music in a Super Bowl commercial. Beyoncé has announced details of a new album, ‘Act II’, and released the first two songs from the upcoming record.

The star appeared in a Super Bowl commercial that premiered during the game tonight (February 11) for Verizon, in which she attempted a series of “firsts” in a bid to prove she could break the internet provider’s service. As the advert ended, she tried one last move: “Drop the new music.”

Moments later, a video was posted to Beyoncé’s Instagram, announcing the upcoming release of ‘Act II’. The clip showed her driving a taxi with the license plate “Texas HOLD’EM” as a yodelling song played on the radio. The video continued to show local people gathering in front of a billboard with an illustration of the star and the same words on her license plate.

The superstar also released two new singles – the banjo twang of ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ and the slower, softer, but still country-tinged ’16 Carriages’. “I got art to make / I got love to create,” she sings on the latter. “On this holy night / They won’t dim my light.”

The new sound for the star follows fans speculating that she was making a country album. ‘Act II’ will arrive on March 29.