Beyoncé's Renaissance Visuals Have Been Created In The Sims

Beyoncé's Renaissance Visuals Have Been Created In The Sims
Images via Emma Cavanaugh | EA

Written by 

Harry Boulton

Published 

6th Dec 2022 15:50

It has certainly been painful to be a Beyoncé fan post-Renaissance, as it feels like the wait will be never-ending for any actual music videos or tour announcements.

We might've received the "I'm That Girl" teaser, which gave a momentary glimpse of the album's intricate visual portfolio, but beyond that, it has been complete radio silence. 

However, one fan has taken things into their own hands, using The Sims and an abundance of creativity to produce music videos for a number of the songs.

3D singer and director Emma Cavanaugh has been utilising EA's life-sim to create visuals for Renaissance completely from scratch, leaving fans in awe and wondering how it has been all pulled together.

Which Music Videos Have Been Made?

Cavanaugh first put out a video for "Alien Superstar" over two months ago now, that dazzlingly situates Beyoncé in the middle of a black hole, among other similarly cosmic locales.

The disco ball horse found front and centre on the cover of the album even makes an appearance, with Mrs Carter riding it through the stars during the first chorus. It is certainly a unique interpretation of the album's third track.

"Cuff It" - which has become a bit of a sensation as of late - has also been made, with an tonne of outfit changes, and some rather remarkable choreography too. In a time when Beyoncé fans are desperate for even a drop of post-release content, Cavanaugh has swooped in to save the day.

 

While no official information has been released in regard to how these extraordinary music videos are made within The Sims, we can make a good guess. A lot of the stages that you see will likely be constructed rooms with dedicated studio lighting, and a mod like Pose Player might be used to get all of the fabulous dance moves.

It is obviously a lot more complicated than that though, with many bespoke animations and moves created for each video. With over seven years of experience, it's undeniable that Cavanaugh is a master of the Sims music video.

Has The Sims Been Used For Any Other Music?

This isn't the first time that The Sims has been used for music video purposes, with plenty of examples, especially in recent years. This is far from Emma Cavanaugh's first foray into Sims direction, having completed a number of other Beyoncé songs like "Single Ladies" and "Drunk In Love," alongside an entire Rihanna tour made completely from scratch.

Actual music videos like the one for Kelela's "Frontline" have also been made openly with the Sims aesthetic in mind, with less-than-realistic graphics giving an extra bit of fun to pop music. 

Additionally, EA themselves have also dipped into real-life music in the past, with a little bit of a twist too. You might remember the Katy Perry Simlish version of Hot n Cold" that accompanied the release of The Sims 2 Apartment Life expansion.

Japanese Breakfast also made a Simlish adaptation of their song "Be Sweet" for the Sims 4 Cottage Living pack this year. Who knows, maybe without the Katy Perry collab, we would have been spared the ever-dreadful Katy Perry's Sweet Treats expansion for The Sims 3.

Harry Boulton
About the author
Harry Boulton
Harry is a Guides Writer at GGRecon, having completed a Masters of Research degree in Film Studies. Previously a freelance writer for PCGamesN, The Loadout, and Red Bull Gaming, he loves playing a wide variety of games from the Souls series to JRPGs, Counter-Strike, and EA FC. When not playing or writing about games and hardware, you're likely to find him watching football or listening to Madonna and Kate Bush.
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