Ten reasons why I love Beyoncé
If the first thought that ran through your mind was to read this deep reflection only so you can leave a comment such as
But I don’t like her because of this or that
OR any other ‘buts’ for that matter
OR
She’s not THAT big a deal
then this is most definitely not for you. Your time will be better invested elsewhere.
And no, I’m not going to say I love Beyoncé because she has an accent in her one-word name, has flawless curves etc. (Or because of waterfalls *side eye*.) Even though these are part of the woman she is.
Below are the reasons why after years of watching her from afar, I began inching closer, and have ventured into a place of admiration and protective instincts regarding who Beyoncé is and what she means to black women. Not that she needed me to like/love or understand her AT ALL. Nope. She is who she is regardless of how anyone feels about her.
But without further ado, let me outline why I hold Beyoncé in such high regard:
Her work ethic
Beyoncé is known for her dedication to getting things right. Even with two babies in her belly, this woman still asked to rehearse that beautiful Grammy’s 2017 performance from last night ‘one more time.’
There is absolutely no doubt when you see her output: be it the awards performances, the colourful videos, the sold-out tours, or the numerous commercially successful and critically-acclaimed albums, that Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter puts her all in. Something that she has undoubtedly learned from Matthew Knowles and Tina Lawson and honed into her own brand of near-perfection.
Her love for her family
Bey has always been close to her family. Remember the song she made for her mummy? And how she loved to have her nephew with her? And works closely with her cousin? And is still close with DC3?
Her fierce love for her sister
I’m talking about the relationship between two sisters who have both gone through various experiences. Do you remember this song?
Those of us with older sisters will likely identify with it.
How about when Destiny’s Child featured a heavily pregnant Solange in the video for Soldier?
Beyoncé and Solange stay supporting each other.
Her business acumen
There is honestly nothing more I can add after the Harvard Business School has fully analysed Bey as a business woman.
Her celebration of her blackness and black cultures
I cannot explain the significance of Lemonade more eloquently than Ijeoma Oluo did in her piece for the Guardian.
Every project Bey works on is clearly thought through. She uses everything at her disposal to tell us stories. She creates moments which many of us treasure.
When some felt it their duty to pen unfortunate essays about Beyoncé’s recent pregnancy announcement, they displayed their ignorance on a grand scale: Beyoncé has employed imagery in her storytelling for years!
Lara Witt expounds on the significance of the imagery in Beyoncé’s pregnancy photoshoot:
And Danielle Dash seeks to know why a number of white women took such issue with Bey’s elaborate pregnancy announcement. She eloquently emphasizes the beauty of black joy whilst further unpacking several artistic references which show there were indeed many hidden messages in Her Beyjesty’s glowing photoshoot:
It is also noteworthy that Laolu Senbajo was called on to make artistic contributions to the Lemonade project in the form of traditional Yoruba body art.
And who can forget the Tofo Tofo dancers who inspired the moves in Run the world (Girls)?
For a side-by-side comparison:
Her PR
Only Bey can drop an album on us with no prior warning!
And seriously Bey’s creative team could put Olivia Pope out of business. She’s been able to build her brand so that she can do a Vogue spread without actually giving an interview.
From Hits Daily Double:
What’s noteworthy about this cover is that the standard accompanying Q&A with the subject is nowhere to be found, the piece points out. The absence of the obligatory interview “may be unusual for Vogue, whose representatives declined to comment, but it is no longer unusual for Beyoncé. At some imperceptible point around 2013 to 2014, she appears to have stopped giving face-to-face interviews…
“Daphne A. Brooks, a Yale professor who teaches a class on black women and popular music culture that includes Beyoncé’s music (she is on sabbatical, finishing a book that will, in part, discuss Beyoncé), views her inaccessibility as a hard-won privilege, a reclamation of privacy not historically accorded to African-American women. ‘She’s been able to reach this level of stardom in which she’s managed — in a way that I really think is unique even among other black women entertainers — hyper-visibility and inaccessibility simultaneously,’ Professor Brooks said.
“She called it ‘refreshing’ to think that Beyoncé’s reticence in the news media would challenge her listeners ‘to think about the art first,’ as opposed to fostering a presumption about ‘getting closer to the entertainer.’”
She wants to be in full control of her narrative, and let her be!
The mystery keeps me wanting more to be honest. And yet I fully respect and agree with how she withholds many aspects of her life from the public eye. She gives us what she wants to, and that should be more than enough.
And then there was this line from the Flawless remix:
Of course sometimes shit goes down when there’s a billion dollars on an elevator.
And just for fun please cast your minds back to that time she still hit every note with her hair caught in a fan:
I aspire to be that level of professional.
Her numerous collaborations
Whether it is being part of one of the greatest girl groups of my generation, featuring on tracks (and tours) with other artists (including her husband), Bey knows how to make the most of collaborations.
One has particularly drawn on my heartstrings: her mentorship of the beautiful and talented sisters, Chloe x Halle, who apparently first caught Bey’s attention after this video:
The sisters featured in the visuals of the Lemonade album, and went on to open for the European leg of the Formation tour.
Her stellar performances
She is called Queen Bey for a reason. Her Excellency sings live whilst delivering energetic choreography date after date, to sold-out audiences. And whether fast-paced or a more relaxed tempo, she usually gets standing ovations. Her 2004 performance of ‘Dangerously in Love’ has always stayed on my mind. That pigeon!!!
Another personal favourite:
And it would be simply disrespectful not to mention that Lemonade medley!
Her fashion sense
Only she can slay wearing endoplasmic reticulum! And yes, I loved that dress.
Everything about her styling is awesome to me.
Last but certainly not least, Her talent
This actually goes without saying. Her voice is gorgeous. Till forever, one of my favourite Beyoncé songs is ‘Me, myself and I.’ Her delivery is everything. The layer of harmonies. The ad-libs. The vocal acrobatics. The effortlessness. In fact, the entire Dangerously in Love album is a classic for me (and probably my favourite overall album of hers.)
And just for nostalgia sake, listen to ‘Temptation’ from Destiny’s Child.
It’s been captivating watching Beyoncé attain these heights over the years. Maybe because to many of us her songs have been part of the soundtrack to our lives.
Her evolution on the world stage into this woman who is loudly unapologetic about her blackness, her sexiness, and her ambition is, simply put, edifying.
To me Beyoncé is a beacon of possibility and a reminder of what can happen when true talent and passion are harnessed and focused towards a goal. Here’s to more to come from her because I suspect at some point in the future just as she has done in the past, Beyoncé will out-Beyoncé Beyoncé.
In conclusion I implore you to read this exceptional essay:
…and some people would’ve thought I couldn’t get through this without throwing some well-deserved shade. Proving them wrong as always. LOL.
