As Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour nears its conclusion, speculation around the third installment of her multi-part project continues to build. When she released Renaissance in 2022, the singer confirmed it was “Act I” of a planned trilogy, each installment paying tribute to foundational Black musical genres. celebrated the roots of dance, house, and ballroom; Act II, , explored country and Americana. Now, growing evidence suggests Act III may shift into rock, a genre with deep but often overlooked Black origins.

From recent visuals to past performances, there are numerous indicators that Beyoncé is preparing to revisit and reinterpret rock music through her own lens. For years, fans have theorized that rock would be the final act in the trilogy. In recent weeks, that theory has gained renewed strength.

One of the most visible hints comes from Beyoncé’s latest Levi’s campaign, “The Denim Cowboy,” which opens with imagery consistent with Cowboy Carter: horses, Western styling, and Americana backdrops. But the narrative takes a distinct turn when after a game of pool in a bar that subtly references her late Uncle Johnny, she departs not on horseback, but astride a motorcycle, long associated with rock’s cultural iconography.

In a departure from her typically Western-focused styling throughout the Cowboy Carter era, Beyoncé appeared last Halloween dressed as Betty Davis, the 1970s funk and rock artist known for her raw vocal delivery. Davis was a boundary-breaking figure who challenged the norms of the male-dominated music industry and later faded into obscurity due to industry resistance.

Beyoncé’s choice to channel Davis was widely seen as intentional, especially given the parallels to Linda Martell, the pioneering Black country artist whose voice is featured on Cowboy Carter. Both women were ahead of their time, both were marginalized by the industry, and both are now receiving renewed recognition.

However, Beyoncé’s interest in rock is not new. “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” her collaboration with Jack White on Lemonade, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance in 2017, placing her in a category few Black women have been nominated in. The nomination was met with surprise by some in the rock community, including Disturbed frontman David Draiman, who questioned her inclusion. Similarly, Jay-Z faced pushback in 2008 when he was announced as the first hip-hop headliner at Glastonbury. In response to Oasis’ Noel Gallagher criticizing the booking, Jay-Z opened his set with a guitar-led rendition of “Wonderwall”.

Given how her CMA rejection in 2016 shaped Cowboy Carter, it is plausible that these moments of genre exclusion have informed her creative direction. She has also long paid homage to rock through live performance, covering songs by The Doors (“Five to One”), Kings of Leon (“Sex on Fire”), Alanis Morissette (“You Oughta Know”), and Prince, with whom she famously performed “The Beautiful Ones.” Even on , she includes a rendition of The Beatles’ “Blackbird,” underscoring her interest in reframing classic material within a new context.

If Beyoncé’s pattern holds, fans can expect a project that not only honors the genre’s often-erased Black roots but redefines them through a contemporary lens. Given her history of genre innovation and cultural commentary, a rock-inspired Act III would not be a departure but a natural progression in an ongoing artistic dialogue.