Beyoncé Will NOT Be remembered

Dércio Lichucha
Nov 8 · 5 min read

Really what I mean is that Beyoncé’s music will not be remembered. This goes without saying, it is simply an opinion piece, the language may be colorful but it is more for entertainment purposes than anything else — yes, if you’re wondering, I have indeed gotten a LOT of backlash for this.

Now why would anyone write such blasphemy? Do I not know of whom I am speaking? How dare I not bow before the mighty avatar, commonly referred to as Bey.

Hold up. I’ll explain why I don’t believe her music will last but she will. Beyoncé’s music doesn’t really sell all that much. ‘Wait what?’ — is what I am predicting your response to be. Rather, it doesn’t sell enough to grant her legend status just based on her discography.

Want proof? Here is a link to a Business Insider article looking at the 50 best selling musicians of all time (or at least from the 20th to 21st century) 50 Best Selling Music Artists Of All Time. On that list you see: Elvis, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and even Taylor Swift… Do you know who you don’t see?

More proof? Here is a link to a Digital Music News article of the 100 best selling musicians of all time in that list you see: Britney Spears, 2Pac, Nirvana… Do you know who you don’t see? One word. Beyoncé.

Now, it is true that different rankings have different criteria. Some of these rankings are ‘best selling albums of all time’ others are ‘best selling singles of all time’ and yet others are ‘best selling artists of all time’ yet it is still interesting that the only source I could find that places Queen B anywhere close to the top was this wikipedia page, which places Bey just under Chris Brown. I’ll admit, sometimes these rankings do get a little confusing but we should look for consensus.

Think of music that is still played to this day. Yes, ‘beat it’. Yes, ‘Hey Jude’. Tunes that resonated not only with you parents, but with you. Funny enough, there is some relationship one can readily identify between the artists that are still played today, and their mere presence on these lists.

“Are you dumb or are you dumb! You’re talking about Beyoncé, the last living legend! Beyoncé is one of the most awarded artists of all time!”

The above statement is an almost direct quote from a comment on reddit regarding my article — I say almost direct because… the language used was much more colorful.

Yes, she has broken records but hasn’t every artist? The reason I don’t esteem her rewards as indicative of her music being played as much as Elvis in the future is because, there is a stronger relationship between being remembered and your place on the ‘highest sold albums of all time’ list than the ‘most awarded artist’ list. It is really interesting when you look at Bey’s place in list like ‘most awarded artist’s of all time’ and her absence in the top 100 of those other, more objective lists.

According to the list of most awarded artists, Bey is ranked number 3, much higher than Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, Madonna and soon even Whitney Houston but these same people are ranked well above her when it comes to overall sales.

Yes, it is true, there is no sure fire way of predicting the future, but these rankings (I place less importance on the Wikipedia rankings, of course) can serve to some avail in that exercise.

No. I don’t believe that we will be bopping to… what was the name of that song? ‘Sorry’?. Perhaps, ‘Single Ladies’, maybe even ‘Crazy In Love’. But to a far lesser extent her more recent work. When many music lovers dare to even question Bey’s validity as an artist, citing sources similar to those I’ve provided, it is straight out heresy. They are called everything under the sun but children of God (or should I say, Goddess).

But! I do believe Beyoncé herself will be remembered. She will be exalted — even more so that she is now — to the status of a symbol, an idol. Think of Marilyn Monroe. Most people nowadays have absolutely no idea that she was even an actress… I didn't either up until 2015. Yet her truest value is that of the ultimate, timeless, symbol of glamour and sexuality.

She has been almost completely divorced from her work, which in retrospect, only served the purpose of presenting her to the world, but what kept our eyes on her was that she was the physical embodiment of allure. That is her legacy. That is what we think of when we screenshot old pictures of her and use her as our phone screensaver. We don’t care about her little roles. We recognized, consciously or not, that she is a vessel for this energy.

And, a similar fate is reserved for Beyoncé. Even today when so many of her die-hard fans speak of her, they don’t mention her catchy songs as much as they do her, as a figure of female power. That is the element of Beyoncé that is most valued. Her, as a representation of what it means to be a ‘Girl Boss’, a woman who takes no nonsense from anyone. Ambitious. Determined. Regal. Beautiful.

Her rise is interesting, especially in a time where many women are struggling with their own femininity, often perceiving being too feminine as a liability for their careers and even personal lives, yet not wanting to let go of that which makes them unique from… well, men. Young women, are in this constant tug and pull between, staying quiet or speaking up, arguing or complying, waiting for a prince in shining Armani to save them, or picking themselves up from the bootstraps.

‘Is relaxing into my innate femininity inherently anti-feminist?’, ‘Am I weak If I like working in teams and don’t like doing things myself?’, ‘Am I weak if I have emotions and cry at work?’, ‘Am I giving my partner power over me, when I am actually more comfortable being a stay at home mother and being supported by him?’ Often women feel as though the only way to march into the future is to adopt both feminine and masculine traits. But how do they walk this virgin path?

With all of this uncertainty, it is reassuring to have a figure like Beyoncé that, right or wrong, seems to provide some type of answer. Beyoncé is a woman but she has ‘traditionally’ male traits like: dominance, assertiveness, authority. A sort of yin and yang, all wrapped with a sexy, fierce ribbon.

This is Beyoncé’s legacy, serving as an idol primarily for girls who want to run the world.

If you’re interested in having me write something for you or your business, please contact me on my Fiverr page. I’ve got a bunch of different options to suit different needs.

Also, Follow me on twitter, Dercio Lichucha.

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