As most of us are aware, Beyoncé released her surprise, self-titled album on December 13th. Within hours her album topped charts in countries around the world. With no self-promotion, no warning, and no agenda, Beyoncé simply dropped the preverbal mic and walked away, leaving us with 14 songs and 18 music videos. While this is common knowledge to everyone who hasn’t been living under a rock for the past two months, many are shockingly unaware of the 5-part video that Beyoncé posted within the following weeks. This series began with Part One: The Visual Album, and ended with Part Five: Honesty. Within the videos, Beyoncé explains everything from why she posted the album with no warning, to her career, to feminism and being a mother.
Part One: The Visual Album, Beyoncé explains the reasoning behind her album, and how important it was that she made it purely for the fans and herself. She also explains why she released the visual album overnight without forewarning.
Part Two: Imperfection, Beyoncé discusses her message of not aspiring for perfection, but be humbled by it. She also expresses that we shouldn’t allow perfection to define us.
Part Three: Run ‘N Gun, Beyoncé goes more in depth about how much prep, or lack of, went into her music videos. She tells audiences that she went in with almost no plan and no permit and shot her music videos organically without a rigid script. The directors from her videos also offer their insight and opinions on their experience shooting the videos.
Part Four: Liberation, explains how Beyoncé struggled balancing being a mother and remaining the artist/performer she has always been. She explains how she felt less like herself after giving birth, and after adjusting to motherhood she feels she has hit a point where she can live for herself again while still caring for her child and being a wife.
Part Five: Honesty ends the series by showing us how Beyoncé is one of the few artists whose music grows as she does. Beyoncé explains how she always felt stifled by who was listening to her music, and how they were going to judge her. Now, she finally feels comfortable enough to start singing about a wider range of things pertaining to her life as it changes.
The album and Beyoncé herself have moved past the need for hype or promotion and through these videos we see how. Beyoncé lives for herself, and does not let the words “mother” or “wife” define her life. She defines them herself and incorporates them into her life as she deems them fit. Within these videos we realize that even if you cannot relate to Beyoncé’s music, you can relate to her experiences as a strong woman and a human being.