The past four years of Beyoncé’s life have looked like this: in 2022, she dropped the first act of her album trilogy, Renaissance. In 2023, she toured it. In 2024, she dropped Act II: Cowboy Carter. In 2025, she toured it. If this is the pattern she's sticking to for her third and final act, then in 2026 we can expect the next album, followed by a tour in 2027.

With each album in the trilogy, Beyoncé is paying homage to the Black origins of different genres – she did it first with Renaissance and dance music, followed by Cowboy Carter and country music. For Act III, it’s widely speculated that the 44-year-old singer will turn to rock and roll, which was born in the US in the early 1950s, stemming from 1940s rhythm and blues (R&B). 

There have, of course, been other theories: some people think Act III could be a Destiny’s Child reunion album (especially after Kelly and Michelle made a surprise appearance at the last stop on her Cowboy Carter World Tour); others think it might be R&B, and earlier this week, Bey’s support for Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl even promoted reggaeton rumours.

Of all the theories swirling around, my least favourite is that whatever Beyoncé releases next will be her last album, followed by a farewell tour. If there is any truth to this, I’m quite happy for her to prolong Act III for as long as possible. As for what it might sound like, so far, the most solid evidence points to rock, potentially dropping towards the end of May. Allow me to explain...

BEYONCÉ IS A HUGE TINA TURNER FAN

Beyoncé has long cited Tina Turner, the queen of rock and roll, as one of her greatest inspirations. The pair performed “Proud Mary” together at the Grammys’ 50th anniversary in 2008, which Beyoncé described as “literally a dream”. When Turner died in May 2023, Beyoncé was in London on the Renaissance World Tour and paid tribute to her idol on stage, telling the crowd: “If you’re a fan of mine, you’re a fan of Tina Turner, ’cause I wouldn’t be on this stage without Tina Turner.” She continued to reference Turner during the Cowboy Carter World Tour, wearing her own versions of Turner’s iconic outfits and even a t-shirt bearing the singer's face. 

To dig a little deeper, Tina Turner released her most successful album, Private Dancer, on May 29, 1984. She was 44 years old, which is the same age Beyoncé is now. Four is famously Beyoncé’s lucky number – there’s her album 4, her birthday September 4, Jay-Z’s birthday December 4, her daughter’s name Blue Ivy (like IV, the roman numeral for four)... I could go on. The date of May 29 is also significant because the previous two albums in the trilogy both came out on the 29th day of the month – Renaissance on July 29 and Cowboy Carter on March 29. What’s more, it was announced last year that Beyoncé is due to co-host this year’s Met Gala, which takes place on May 4 – timed perfectly for album promo, though I predict it will have already been announced and we’ll already have a single (or two) before then.

SHE SENT GIFTS TO JACK WHITE & TOM MORELLO 

In 2024, Jack White of rock duo The White Stripes took to Instagram to thank Beyoncé for sending him a large bouquet. The accompanying note read: “Jack, I just wanted you to know how much you inspired me on this record. Sending you my love, Beyoncé.” Given the timing, it’s most likely that she was talking about Cowboy Carter, but what if she wasn’t? The last time Beyoncé and Jack White worked together was on “Don’t Hurt Yourself”, a single from Lemonade, which is arguably the most rock-sounding Beyoncé track to date. What if she was thanking White for inspiring an album not yet announced…?

Also in 2024, Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello posted a picture of his mother, activist Mary Morello, holding a signed copy of the Renaissance vinyl. Bey had sent the record to Mary to celebrate her 101st birthday, but maybe it’s a hint of a Rage Against The Machine collab to come. 

SYSTEM OF A DOWN ATTENDED HER TOUR 

In July last year, Serj Tankian, lead vocalist of heavy metal group System of a Down, was photographed attending The Cowboy Carter World Tour. Bey even posted the images on her website. Was this simply a random night out for Tankian? Or could Act III go full heavy metal? We already know she’s a Slayer fan – she posted a photo wearing the band’s merch in 2016. 

WAS THAT SISTER ROSETTA THARPE’S GUITAR? 

Rock and roll was created by Black artists, even though they only make up 35 per cent of the musicians currently listed in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (which makes the genre prime material for Beyoncé’s ongoing project of reclamation). The likes of Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Fats Domino were among the early pioneers, alongside Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who is dubbed the godmother of rock and roll. 

Last weekend, Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, shared a video of Sister Rosetta Tharpe performing “Didn’t It Rain” in 1964. To the side of the video, we see an image of Tharpe holding her National Triolian nickel-plated steel guitar, which she played during the late 1930s and early 1940s. As spotted by Beyhive sleuth @lorebreakers, Bey was pictured carrying a similar style of guitar during her Cowboy Carter tour promo last year. 

BLACKBETTY.COM 

Up until recently, if you Googled blackbetty.com, you’d be automatically redirected to beyonce.com (I know, having tested it many times). Now, you’ll discover that the domain is for sale – meaning either we were on to something, or there’s been a name change. It’s been widely speculated that Act III would be called Black Betty, a reference that goes deeper than Ram Jam’s 1977 hit of the same name. 

“Black Betty” is thought to have originated as a 1939 work song by blues singer Lead Belly, although some sources believe it dates back even earlier. The term “Black Betty” can refer to multiple things: a bottle of whiskey, a whip, a musket, a prison transfer wagon, or, more recently, motorcycles and fast cars (remember when Beyoncé attended the Las Vegas Grand Prix last year?). 

It’s no secret that Beyoncé loves an alias – we’ve had Sasha Fierce, Cowboy Carter, Miss Honey Bee, Yoncé – could Black Betty be her next? 

THAT VALENTINE’S DAY MERCH DROP

Just like when we heard “Rocket” for the first time or watched the “Partition” music video, the Beyhive blushed again last week when Beyoncé dropped a Valentine’s collection featuring nipple tassels and faux-leather chokers. The “Bodyguard choker”, as it’s called, came with the tagline: “A little rock n roll with a whole lotta sexy”. Make of that what you will. 

THE LEVI’S AD 

After a year-long campaign with Levi’s, Beyoncé’s fourth and final ad for the brand got the Beyhive buzzing. In the advert, which is titled “The Denim Cowboy”, she arrives riding a white horse (like the Cowboy Carter album cover), but leaves on a white motorcycle. Not only are motorbikes deeply entwined with rock music (just look at Prince’s Purple Rain album cover), but “Black Betty” is also a popular name for them.

Meanwhile, we have to credit her 2022 British Vogue cover shoot. Beyoncé has previously said that Cowboy Carter was originally meant to come out before Renaissance, meaning Cowboy Carter would’ve been Act I and Renaissance would’ve been Act II. But post-pandemic, she decided the world deserved to dance and swapped the order. For British Vogue, she appeared on the cover riding a white horse (Cowboy Carter), followed by an image of her sitting on a disco ball (Renaissance), followed by a final image of her dressed all in leather, riding a motorbike (Act III). Was she telling us all three genres back in 2022? 

SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A ROCKSTAR 

15 years ago, in 2011, Beyoncé became the first Black female solo artist to headline Glastonbury festival. “I want you to know, right now, you are witnessing my dream,” she told the crowd, “I always wanted to be a rockstar”. If our calculations are correct, Bey will be touring Act III in 2027, when Glastonbury makes its grand return following a fallow year. If this trilogy has been building up to her retirement, then what better way to go out than by headlining Glastonbury in 2027? Wild speculation, maybe, but you heard it here first.