Last summer, while everyone was busy planning their Western-inspired outfits for the Cowboy Carter tour, a real-life drama was quietly playing out in Atlanta. Just before Beyoncé took the stage at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a car break-in resulted in the theft of unreleased music and sensitive tour files.
For the Hive, the idea of unreleased Bey tracks floating around on a stolen hard drive left a lot of speculation as to what was on them? Act III? Echoville? The Formation World Tour film? While the devoted fan base may never know, and after a year of legal back and forth, there's finally an update on the person responsible.
The incident happened on July 8, 2025, at a parking garage in Atlanta’s Krog Street District. Members of Beyoncé’s team had stopped for dinner when someone smashed the window of their SUV. The thief walked away with two MacBooks and several thumb drives that contained watermarked music, setlists, and stage visuals.
The suspect, 41-year-old Kelvin Evans, wasn't hard to find. The stolen MacBooks and AirPods started "pinging" their locations almost immediately, leading police right to the suspect. After his arrest later that year, the case finally wrapped up this month in a Fulton County court. Evans took a plea deal and was sentenced to five years, two in prison and three on probation.
While the legal stuff was being sorted out, Beyoncé was busy making her big return to the Met Gala, serving as a co-chair for the event. It was a true family affair as she was spotted looking incredible in a custom Balmain piece alongside Jay-Z and Blue Ivy, who made a very poised Met debut. Seeing the Carters together on those steps felt like the perfect way to signal that the Cowboy Carter era is officially giving way to whatever is next.
Now that the theft is handled and the gala is over, fans are looking for any hint of the final chapter. The latest rumor is that Act III, the third and final part of the trifecta project that started with Renaissance, might be dropping on May 29th.
This theory actually carries some weight. The Beyhive noticed that both Renaissance and Cowboy Carter were released on the 29th of their respective months. Looking at the calendar, May 29th is the only "29th" that lands on a Friday, which is Beyoncé’s usual day for dropping new music.
Whether the new album is the rumored rock project or something else entirely, the timing feels right. After a year of dealing with leaks and legalities, we’re more than ready for some fresh music. May 29th can't come soon enough.