Sometimes as women it seems as if we are defined by the men that we choose to associate ourselves with. Nobody knows this better than Beyonce. Her marriage to her famous rapper husband Jay-Z has been in the spotlight for years and has been the subject of much media speculation. There was the video of the famous fight between Beyonce’s sister Solange and Jay-Z in an elevator, which was a clue to everyone that there was trouble in paradise.
Now after the release of Lemonade, we all know that Jay-Z cheated. Beyonce is not above emotion and is only human. Lemonade is one of the most powerful things I have ever seen because it speaks volumes about the nature of the human heart.
Some critics are saying that Beyonce is a “drama queen” and is “exploiting her personal life for fame.” There is something so fundamentally wrong about this that it is shocking to me.
Beyonce is a musical artist. The very nature of music is emotional. She took inspiration from her personal life and feelings and channeled it into her music. She then took her own personal struggles and put it in a much broader context of race and sex and religion. She created a stunning work of art that reflects her feelings.
Men write songs about troubled relationships all of the time and are never called overly dramatic or emotional. So why doesn’t Beyonce have that same right? Why can’t a woman create a visceral piece of art about her own personal heartbreak and not be called a “drama queen?”
Creating this album is part of her healing process. Let’s appreciate the fact that we have new songs to listen to and new music videos to watch. Let’s not criticize her for being vulnerable and letting us into her world.