A breakaway from his previous two albums Louder Than Words (1996) and Time (1998) which had been released after a decade-long hiatus and featured chief production from James Anthony Carmichael, Richie consulted a team of new collaborators to work with him, including Walter Afanasieff, Brian Rawling, Daryl Simmons, and Mark Taylor as well as Rodney Jerkins and his brother Fred.

Lead single "Angel", a top ten hit throughout Europe, received a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Dance Recording.

It's the material on Renaissance, which is uninteresting, and Richie's voice is often out of place with the music [...] It's painful to hear such floundering work by a performer who listeners know can do better.

"[4] Entertainment Weekly critic Matt Diehl remarked that "on Reniassance, the soul slickster tries to get back on top with the help of superproducer Rodney Jerkins and by channeling Cher on the Eurodisco "Angel".

But the sappy lyrics indicate he hasn’t ended his affair with romantic cliches, and the island rhythms of "Cinderella" call to mind Richie’s own 1983 smash "All Night Long".