Unreleased Beyonce music stolen in Atlanta on Cowboy Carter tour

Unreleased music by Beyoncé was amongst a number of objects stolen from a automobile in Atlanta simply days earlier than the singer’s four-night Cowboy Carter tour cease within the metropolis, authorities have confirmed.

Exhausting drives containing the unreleased songs, present plans, and previous and future set lists for her tour have been among the many objects stolen from a rental automobile utilized by the singer’s choreographer and one in all her dancers, in accordance with a police report.

The theft occurred on 8 July, two days earlier than Beyoncé’s first Atlanta efficiency. It’s going to come as a blow to the star, who typically goes to excessive lengths to stop leaks.

Atlanta police say an arrest warrant has been issued, however the suspect’s identify has not been made public.

Choreographer Christopher Grant and dancer Diandre Blue informed police they’d parked the rented black Jeep Wagoneer and gone inside a close-by meals corridor. After they returned, the automobile’s rear window had been smashed and two suitcases have been lacking, a police incident report states.

They informed police they have been “carrying some private delicate data for the musician Beyoncé” within the automobile that was additionally stolen.

That included “5 bounce drives containing watermarked music, unreleased music, footage plans for exhibits previous and future, and set listing”, the report states.

Different objects reported stolen included a laptop computer, designer garments and Apple AirPods. Authorities used monitoring data on the laptop computer and headphones to trace the place the objects could have gone, the police report notes.

Authorities additionally dusted the automobile for any fingerprints and found “two very mild prints”.

It’s unclear whether or not the stolen objects have been recovered.

The BBC has contacted a consultant for Beyoncé for remark.

The singer has labored onerous to keep away from leaks within the second part of her solo profession, after early albums like Dangerously In Love and 4 discovered their method on-line illegally earlier than their launch dates.

She pioneered the “shock drop” together with her self-titled fifth album – which appeared unannounced on 13 December 2013, full with inventive movies for every of its 14 songs.

Recorded below the code identify Lily, the album was launched solely by way of Apple’s iTunes retailer, to minimise the variety of folks with advance information.

An additional from one of many video shoots even mentioned that producers didn’t play any of the Beyoncé tracks on set to keep away from leaks.

“It was really sort of enjoyable,” they told StyleCaster. “The whole time I am considering, ‘What is that this going to be?'”

The gambit paid off.

Beyoncé turned the fastest-selling album within the historical past of the iTunes retailer, promoting nearly 830,000 copies in 72 hours.

The star has employed related techniques on each subsequent album. Songwriters who work with Beyoncé typically have no idea whether or not their contributions will probably be used till a report seems in outlets.

Submit Malone, who appeared on the 2024 track Levii’s Denims, informed the New York Instances Beyoncé despatched a consultant to his home in Utah with a replica of the track, which remained below lock and key whereas they collaborated on the lyrics over textual content.

“It was terrifying,” he told the New York Times.

Followers have taken notice of the star’s aversion to leaks – and actively tried to cease the unfold of her 2022 album Renaissance, when it appeared on-line two days early.

Beyoncé responded with a handwritten notice on her web site, saying she had “by no means seen something prefer it”.

“So, the album leaked, and also you all really waited till the right launch time so that you all can get pleasure from it collectively,” she wrote.

“I recognize you for calling out anybody that was making an attempt to sneak into the membership early. It means the world to me.”

Beyoncé is presently in Atlanta as a part of her Cowboy Carter stadium tour. She has been performing within the metropolis since 10 July and her final present was set for Monday night time.

Her husband, the rapper Jay Z, made a shock look on the third night time of her cease within the metropolis.

Choreographer Mr Grant has labored with different main musicians together with Shakira.

Dancer Mr Blue appeared alongside Beyoncé in a 2024 Tremendous Bowl advert, throughout which she launched two singles from her Cowboy Carter album, launched later that yr.

The report, which celebrates and contextualises the black roots of nation music, went on to win the Grammy Award for album of the year.