Beyonce will be releasing new music in 2021, but won’t hit the road for a tour in support of it, according to a report in The Sun. The R&B star will instead focus on virtual performances for now, supporting her album by performing for fans on screens rather than in person.
“Beyonce and her team are currently mapping out a plan to create a virtual live show to showcase her new music in 2021, now that she can’t tour because of COVID,” says a “source close to the superstar” per The Sun. “Bey has been touring since the late Nineties and was planning a large world tour in 2021 before the pandemic took hold. Following the success she had with Lemonade , and Disney film Black is King, she started writing and recording feelgood tracks inspired by new artists like Dua Lipa and The Shindellas.”
“With a new feelgood record on the way, she plans to celebrate it with a virtual show that fans can watch at home and she has made it clear she’s prepared to pull out all the stops to make it a real spectacle.”
If reports of a new record are accurate, it would be the first solo performance by the singer since Lemonade was released in 2016. She and husband Jay-Z toured together throughout 2018, with the On The Run II tour frequently landing among the best-selling tours of the year. Her Black is King film received widespread critical acclaim upon its release in the summer of 2020. It was the 14th-most watched streaming video on demand for 2020, according to Variety.
There has been no official announcement of touring or virtual performance plans from Beyonce’s camp as of Tuesday morning.