After a widely seen post on social media suggested that Beyoncé’s highly anticipated follow-up to 2024’s Cowboy Carter was on the way very soon, with her new era would getting underway at the Met Gala next week, the singer-songwriter’s publicist has chimed in.
The post suggested that Bey’s ‘Act III’ era would kick off at the Met Gala. It also alleged that the album, which has yet to be officially announced or titled, is “100 percent complete” and would contain two “big” features. “Met Gala officially begins the era, shortly after she will announce the album and a new lead single will be released next month,” the post read.
Beyoncé’s publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure responded to the tweet to shut down the rumors. “This is unequivocally false!!” she wrote, offering no further comment.
Beyoncé is one of the celebrities confirmed to attend the Met Gala this year, and is serving as one of the co-chairs of the event alongside Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour. This will mark Bey’s first appearance at the Met Gala in a decade, previously attending the event in a latex Givenchy dress.
In addition to the co-chairs, there will also be a host committee. The 2026 members are Saint Laurent’s Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello, Zoë Kravitz, Doja Cat, Misty Copeland, Paloma Elsesser, Teyana Taylor, A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Carpenter, Adut Akech, Angela Bassett, LISA, artists Tschabalala Self, Anna Weyant, and Amy Sherald, Alex Consani, Gwendoline Christie, Chase Sui Wonders, Yseult, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Sam Smith, Sinéad Burke, Lauren Wasser, and Vogue’s own Head of Editorial Content Chloe Malle.
Beyoncé kicked off a planned trilogy of albums in 2022 with the arrival of Renaissance, which draws heavily from Black dance music history. The follow-up, Cowboy Carter, saw her pivot to the sounds of country and Americana.
The currently unannounced third installment has fans speculating that Bey could embrace rock music, and Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams was recently asked during a concert if fans could expect to see her on Act III when it arrives. “If I’m on Act III? What do you want me to do if I am?” Williams told the audience. “Girl, I don’t know if I am or not. … If I could tell anyone, it would be you right now. I just don’t have that answer. You might know before I do.”
