Just days prior to Beyoncé's four-night engagement in Atlanta as part of her Cowboy Carter tour, authorities have verified that unreleased music by the singer was among the precious items pilfered from a vehicle in the city. According to a police report, these stolen treasures included hard drives harboring unreleased tracks, tour blueprints, and detailed set lists spanning her past and upcoming performances. The theft took place on July 8th, mere days before her anticipated Atlanta debut.
This incident must have dealt a heavy blow to Beyoncé, who is renowned for her meticulous efforts to thwart any premature disclosures. Atlanta police have issued an arrest warrant, although the suspect's identity remains shrouded in secrecy.
The rented black Jeep Wagoneer, utilized by Beyoncé's choreographer, Christopher Grant, and one of her dancers, Diandre Blue, became the target of this audacious crime. The duo had briefly stepped away to indulge in a nearby food hall, only to return to find the vehicle's rear window shattered and two suitcases vanished without a trace, as detailed in the police incident report.
Within those suitcases lay "five jump drives," packed with watermarked music, unheard melodies, intricate show footage plans, and cherished set lists, according to the report. Other high-value items stolen included a laptop, designer attire, and Apple AirPods. Authorities leveraged tracking information from the laptop and headphones to chart the potential whereabouts of the stolen goods, while forensic experts dusted the vehicle for fingerprints, uncovering "two very faint prints."
Whether these stolen items have been retrieved remains uncertain. The BBC has reached out to Beyoncé's representatives for comment.
Throughout her solo career's second phase, Beyoncé has gone to extraordinary lengths to thwart leaks, following the unauthorized online appearances of her early albums like Dangerously In Love and 4 prior to their official release dates. She revolutionized the music industry with the "surprise drop" of her self-titled fifth album in 2013, which emerged unannounced on December 13th, accompanied by artistic videos for each of its 14 songs.
Recorded under the alias Lily, the album was exclusively distributed through Apple's iTunes store, drastically minimizing the number of individuals privy to its contents beforehand. An extra from one of the video shoots revealed that producers refrained from playing any Beyoncé tracks on set to forestall leaks, recounting, "It was actually kind of fun. The entire time I was thinking, 'What is this going to be?'"
Her gambit paid dividends as Beyoncé swiftly became the fastest-selling album in iTunes store history, amassing nearly 830,000 copies within 72 hours. She has employed similar strategies for every subsequent album, often keeping songwriters in the dark about their contributions until the record hits shelves.
Post Malone, who featured on the 2024 track "Levii's Jeans," shared with The New York Times that Beyoncé's representative delivered a locked copy of the song to his Utah home, collaborating on the lyrics via text under tight security. "It was terrifying," he confessed.
Beyoncé's fans are acutely aware of her aversion to leaks, actively combating the premature spread of her 2022 album, "Renaissance," when it surfaced online two days ahead of schedule. In response, Beyoncé posted a handwritten note on her website, expressing her astonishment and gratitude, "So, the album leaked, and you all actually waited until the proper release time so you all can enjoy it together. I appreciate you for calling out anyone that was trying to sneak into the club early. It means the world to me."
Currently, Beyoncé captivates audiences in Atlanta as part of her Cowboy Carter stadium tour, having performed in the city since July 10th, with her final show scheduled for Monday night. Her husband, rapper Jay-Z, made a delightful surprise appearance during the third night of her Atlanta residency.
Choreographer Christopher Grant has collaborated with other music heavyweights, including Shakira, while dancer Diandre Blue appeared alongside Beyoncé in a 2024 Super Bowl commercial, which premiered two singles from her Grammy Award-winning Cowboy Carter album, celebrated for its exploration and contextualization of country music's black roots.
