Beyonce addresses 'Renaissance' leak and thanks fans for their loyalty

'I appreciate you for calling out anyone that was trying to sneak into the club early', the star wrote on social media

Beyonce's long-awaited seventh album 'Renaissance' was released on Friday. Reuters

Beyonce has addressed her new album, Renaissance, being leaked in full ahead of its official release on Friday, thanking her fans for their loyalty in a statement on social media.

"So, the album leaked, and you all actually waited until the proper release time so you all can enjoy it together. I've never seen anything like it. I can't thank ya'll enough for your love and protection," she wrote.

"I appreciate you for calling out anyone that was trying to sneak into the club early. It means the world to me. Thank you for your unwavering support. Thank you for being patient. We are going to take our time and enjoy the music. I will continue to give my all and do my best to bring you joy. I love you deep."

Her long-awaited seventh studio album, featuring tracks Break My Soul, America Has a Problem, Alien Superstar and Thique, was trending worldwide on Friday morning.

The album’s composer credits include her husband Jay-Z, Drake, Skrillex, The-Dream and 070 Shake.

The album also includes a number of sampled tracks from artists including Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, James Brown and Teena Marie.

However, ahead of the album’s release on Friday, singer Kelis spoke out about her 1999 song Get Along With You being sampled for the track Energy, saying she learned about the sample “the same way everyone else did”.

Kelis also spoke out against her long-time collaboraters The Neptunes, made up of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are the credited songwriters on Get Along With You.

When a Kelis Instagram fan page announced that Beyonce’s album would feature the sample alongside a mind-blown emoji, Kelis commented: “My mind is blown too because the level of disrespect and utter ignorance of all three parties involved is astounding.”

“I heard about this the same way everyone else did,” she said. “Nothing is ever as it seems, some of the people in this business have no soul or integrity and they have everyone fooled.”

Kelis later took to Instagram to post a video, saying that her issue isn't the sample itself, but "that not only are we Black female artists in an industry where there's not many of us" and said the two singers have "met each other, we know each other, we have mutual friends."

Information about Beyonce's long-awaited seventh album had been slowly released in recent months.

In 2021, she told Harper's Bazaar the album aims to be a source of release after the tension of the last few years.

“With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love and laugh again,” she said.

“I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible."

With the album title prefaced with the words "Act I" on the art work, we can also assume more music is on the way from the artist.

This hunch is further strengthened by comments from British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, who, after hearing select tracks from Renaissance, teased that a "thrilling abundance" of music is coming our way.

Renaissance track list in full:

I’m That Girl

Cozy

Alien Superstar

Cuff It

Energy

Break My Soul

Church Girl

Plastic Off the Sofa

Virgo’s Groove

Move

Heated

Thique

All Up in Your Mind

America Has a Problem

Pure/Honey

Summer Renaissance

Scroll through the gallery below to see Beyonce's style evolution over the years