Beyonce Drops "Renaissance" Album, Thanks Beyhive for Ignoring Leak

It's the greatest day ever for Beyoncé's fiercely loyal fans -- not only did she drop her new album, "Renaissance," but it arrived with a big fat, personalized thank you to the Beyhive!!!

Feel the buzz, baby.

As expected, Bey dropped "Renaissance" Thursday night ... it's her first album in 6 years, and despite the fact it leaked earlier in the week, her fans rallied in a huge way for the 16-track project.

As we reported, the Queen's carefully planned rollout for "Renaissance" was interrupted when a fan in France put a few of the songs -- "Alien Superstar," "Church Girl" and "Cuff It" -- on social media.

The hive tried its best to shut that down ... threatening any fans who listened or, even worse, posted early reviews of the album. That stern defense didn't go unnoticed by Beyonce.

She wrote, “So, the album leaked, and you all actually waited until the proper release time so you all can enjoy it together,” she wrote to her dedicated fans. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” she added, thanking her followers “for your love and protection.”

While Beyonce typically drops her albums in total secrecy ... this one was different. She announced "Renaissance" more than a month before it dropped, did an interview with British Vogue and even made a rare TikTok appearance.

Well now "Renaissance" is here, and it's come with some heavy hitters behind the music -- her husband Jay-Z, Drake, Pharrell ... and many more participating in the dance-heavy collection.