Of all things to send the Beyhive into overdrive, a Verizon Super Bowl commercial has to be one of the most unexpected.
But that’s exactly what happened on Sunday night when the rest of the world learned what Tony Hale already knew: that Beyoncé has new music on the way.
“OK, they ready! Drop the new music,” the legendary musician says in the final seconds of the spot, which features her attempts to break the internet.
Minutes later, her website and social media accounts were updated to announce plans to drop a new album, Act II, a country-themed follow-up to the three-part Renaissance project, on March 29.
Alongside the announcement, Beyoncé released the album’s first and last tracks, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” to YouTube, Tidal, and Spotify.
The official announcement caps off days of feverish fan speculation, with rumors swirling around Beyoncé’s choice to wear a Stetson cowboy hat to the Grammy Awards.