ADVERTISEMENT
Saturday, January 28, 2023
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
Involve Africa
  • Home
  • All African News
  • Politics
  • Technology
  • Entertainment News
    • Travel
    • Tourism
    • Arts
  • Finance
    • Food & Agriculture
    • Business & Economy
  • Crypto News
  • Energy & Environment
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All African News
  • Politics
  • Technology
  • Entertainment News
    • Travel
    • Tourism
    • Arts
  • Finance
    • Food & Agriculture
    • Business & Economy
  • Crypto News
  • Energy & Environment
No Result
View All Result
Involve Africa
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Home Arts

She’s That Girl: How Beyoncé harnesses surprise and reinvention to stay at the top

Involve Africa by Involve Africa
July 30, 2022
in Arts
0
She’s That Girl: How Beyoncé harnesses surprise and reinvention to stay at the top
585
SHARES
3.2k
VIEWS
https://web.facebook.com/involveafricanews?_rdc=1&https://twitter.com/involveafricanews


For Beyoncé fans, the agonising wait for a new album is over. After a month-long rollout, including the release of lead single “Break My Soul” in June, the US artist has officially dropped her seventh studio album, Renaissance. When she revealed the title of the project last month, she stated her intention that it would serve as a safe space for her creativity, free from judgement. “A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking,” she said. “A place to scream, release, feel freedom.” Across 15 tracks, she shows us exactly what she meant. A sizzling concoction of ballroom, disco, house and soul, Renaissance is a celebration, with no weepy ballads in sight. From the opening track, “I’m That Girl”, Beyoncé tells us: she’s grown, she’s liberated, and she answers to no one but herself.

The album might signify the dawn of another era for the 40-year-old pop force. But more than this, Renaissance’s launch is an example of how Beyoncé’s creative choices send ripples across the world. Despite a last-minute leak making the album available early for those who just couldn’t wait, the majority of fans held on until the clock struck midnight on Friday 29 July. A Beyoncé experience must be authentic, of course. Within minutes, the album shot to the top of the charts and united social media timelines in a way only a Beyoncé release can. Whether you’re a super fan, or more neutral to the Bey phenomenon, it’s undeniable that she has a unique grip on the public’s attention. And it’s not loosening any time soon.

You might also like

An important Afro-Atlantic art show falls short at LACMA

Continued strength of African art market in 2022

Telling the stories left out of history books: Catch celebrated photographer Deborah Willis at the Norton Museum

For those steeped in the Beyhive, there’s little debate over the moment that Beyoncé’s power became an undisputed fact. The journey started in 2003 when a hiatus from Destiny’s Child gave her the space to launch as a solo artist with Dangerously in Love. Later down the line, the release of “Single Ladies” from her I Am… Sasha Fierce double album made the phrase “put a ring on it” an indelible part of engagement announcements. But the moment that truly signalled Beyoncé’s future as pop’s reigning queen came on the morning of 13 December 2013, when the then 32-year-old released her fifth album on iTunes. Simply titled BEYONCÉ, the record came complete with music videos, collaborations and merchandise – and without warning.

At that time, the idea of surprising the world with a fully fledged project, promotion-free, was novel. Album rollouts were carefully planned affairs, with singles uniformly teased out as a taster of the whole project. Artists were expected to tout their product to the world via interviews, magazine covers, live performances and TV spots. BEYONCÉ was a game-changer, and its release generated over 1.2 million tweets in 12 hours. Beyoncé’s fellow stars, including Taylor Swift, Eminem and Drake, have since used the same method to deliver albums in a way that generates as much debate – if not more – than if they’d embarked upon the traditional album campaign. By 2015, Friday had become the globally agreed-upon release day for new music – the success of BEYONCÉ is widely credited for impacting that decision.

Her love of a good surprise continued with “Formation” in 2016. Not only was this song and video first spread across the internet via an unlisted YouTube link, the content itself proved to be something that demanded immediate attention. With lyrics such as “I love my negro nose and Jackson Five nostrils”, a video filled with references to Black Southern culture and footage of police officers raising their hands in a “don’t shoot” motion, “Formation” was the first time Beyoncé had actively incorporated Black experiences at the forefront of her creative output. A viral SNL sketch about “The Day Beyoncé Turned Black” poked fun at the outrage from conservative onlookers – of course, her race has never changed, but “Formation” was a departure from the largely non-politicised work she’d delivered in the past.

Then Beyoncé squeezed a few more lemons and made Lemonade, the 2016 visual album that tackled themes of infidelity, defiance, anger and forgiveness while drawing attention to the specific generational issues faced by Black women. Perhaps most shocking of all were the personal stories woven into the record, including hints that Beyoncé’s husband – rapper and business mogul Jay-Z – had been unfaithful. For a woman who had – and continues to – keep her private life just so, this was an extraordinary glimpse into her life behind the scenes.

Beyoncé in artwork for her new album ‘Renaissance’

(Mason Poole)

She might have gone six years before releasing another solo album, but Beyoncé has hardly left the cultural discourse since. There was Everything Is Love, her joint, reconciliatory album with Jay-Z. Her spectacular 2018 Coachella headline slot, which incorporated a brass band and traditions from the US’s historically Black universities and colleges, was nominated for an Emmy after its release on Netflix in 2019 under the title Homecoming. Then, The Gift saw Beyoncé collaborating with African artists for an eclectic album to tie in with the live-action film The Lion King. In 2020, Black is King provided the sumptuous visual compilation to go with it and, like the projects that came before, had the internet dissecting songs and scenes for weeks on end.

Nearly three decades into Beyoncé’s career, Renaissance shows us yet another facet of this bold, incomparable artist. Despite years of politics and angst being key features in her work, her sexy side is front and centre this time around. Predictions of what “Church Girl” might be about go right out the window when she commands us to “drop it like a thottie”, while she celebrates her growing assets (both ass and cash) on “Thique”. House music is the beating heart of this new record, and the sampling of queer icons such as Big Freedia, Ts Madison and Honey Dijon gives the record an energy that’s distinctly joyful and assertive. It’s just the first part in a planned trilogy, so one thing’s for sure: Beyoncé’s power won’t be waning any time soon.



Source_link

Previous Post

How America got its groove back in Africa

Next Post

Good microbes from South Asia to South America

Involve Africa

Involve Africa

Related Posts

An important Afro-Atlantic art show falls short at LACMA
Arts

An important Afro-Atlantic art show falls short at LACMA

by Involve Africa
January 28, 2023
Continued strength of African art market in 2022
Arts

Continued strength of African art market in 2022

by Involve Africa
January 28, 2023
Telling the stories left out of history books: Catch celebrated photographer Deborah Willis at the Norton Museum
Arts

Telling the stories left out of history books: Catch celebrated photographer Deborah Willis at the Norton Museum

by Involve Africa
January 27, 2023
Sanwo-Olu, others to receive Asian-African award
Arts

Sanwo-Olu, others to receive Asian-African award

by Involve Africa
January 27, 2023
Palacios Debuts Femicides Exhibition, Trains Young Artists How To Transform Data Into Art  
Arts

Palacios Debuts Femicides Exhibition, Trains Young Artists How To Transform Data Into Art  

by Involve Africa
January 27, 2023
Next Post
Good microbes from South Asia to South America

Good microbes from South Asia to South America

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

What GPS trackers revealed about Cape Town’s baboon troop movements

What GPS trackers revealed about Cape Town’s baboon troop movements

May 30, 2022
How To Report 2022 Mega Backdoor Roth In H&R Block (Updated)

How To Report 2022 Mega Backdoor Roth In H&R Block (Updated)

January 28, 2023

Categories

  • All African News
  • Arts
  • Business & Economy
  • Crypto News
  • Energy & Environment
  • Entertainment News
  • Finance
  • Food & Agriculture
  • News Videos
  • Politics
  • Technology
  • Tourism
  • Travel

Don't miss it

Bitcoin Sellers Exhausted, Accumulators HODL – Bitcoin Magazine
Business & Economy

Bitcoin Sellers Exhausted, Accumulators HODL – Bitcoin Magazine

January 28, 2023
Sergey Lavrov to Choose between Illusions and Reality for Africa
Food & Agriculture

Sergey Lavrov to Choose between Illusions and Reality for Africa

January 28, 2023
Black Cowboys Ride into History at the African American Museum in Dallas – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
All African News

Black Cowboys Ride into History at the African American Museum in Dallas – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

January 28, 2023
Core Scientific files motion to sell over $6M in Bitmain coupons
Crypto News

Core Scientific files motion to sell over $6M in Bitmain coupons

January 28, 2023
Yaa Pono drags Sarkodie in his new song “Yard”(WATCH)
Entertainment News

Yaa Pono drags Sarkodie in his new song “Yard”(WATCH)

January 28, 2023
Bottomline Africa: Reproductive Health Bill
News Videos

Bottomline Africa: Reproductive Health Bill

January 28, 2023

Social Bar

Welcome to involve Africa The goal of involve Africa is to give you the absolute best news sources for any topic! Our topics are carefully curated and constantly updated as we know the web moves fast so we try to as well.

Categories

  • All African News
  • Arts
  • Business & Economy
  • Crypto News
  • Energy & Environment
  • Entertainment News
  • Finance
  • Food & Agriculture
  • News Videos
  • Politics
  • Technology
  • Tourism
  • Travel

Site Links

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Recent News

Bitcoin Sellers Exhausted, Accumulators HODL – Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Sellers Exhausted, Accumulators HODL – Bitcoin Magazine

January 28, 2023
Sergey Lavrov to Choose between Illusions and Reality for Africa

Sergey Lavrov to Choose between Illusions and Reality for Africa

January 28, 2023

INVOLVEAFRICA.COM

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All African News
  • Politics
  • Technology
  • Entertainment News
    • Travel
    • Tourism
    • Arts
  • Finance
    • Food & Agriculture
    • Business & Economy
  • Crypto News
  • Energy & Environment

INVOLVEAFRICA.COM

What Are Cookies
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT