After a relatively brief hiatus from being in the public eye, Beyoncé is back and ready to remind us just what we were missing while she was gone. Not only has GQ named the 31-year-old diva “Hottest Woman of the 21st Century”, but with the promise of a Destiny’s Child reunion, a fifth solo album and a documentary coming out this month; it is clear that 2013 is going to be the year of Queen Bey! In honor of the queen’s comeback (is it still a comeback if you were never really gone?) I give you the top four reasons why I’m obsessed with Beyoncé (and you should be too!)
1. Her image is sparkling clean
Being as huge a celebrity as Beyoncé, it can be super hard to stay above the drama, but somehow she manages to do it better than most other celebs in the biz. She is certainly no stranger to rumors and gossip, but she handles them with such grace and poise it is clear why she’s earned the title of Queen Bey. Most recently Beyoncé was accused of lip-syncing her amazing rendition of the National Anthem at President Obama’s Inauguration. For a number of days the press basically tore her to shreds, questioning whether she lip-synced and consequently her ability as a singer; Senator Rand Paul even suggested President Obama should resign over the scandal. However, Beyoncé handled the situation like the pro she is, where at the press conference for her Super Bowl Halftime show, she not only admitted to the lip-syncing, citing lack of practice time with the live band, but sang the anthem live, stunning the crowd and then casually asked, “Any questions?” No Bey, no questions.
2. She has made her relationship a success
Beyoncé and Jay-Z should write a how-to book for other celebrities on keeping their love life private. How such a high-profile couple manages to keep the media out of their relationship is indeed a mystery but it is clearly the magic formula for maintaining a strong bond. The entertainment industry is constantly brimming with dramatic break ups and cheating scandals and while those are indeed entertaining, it’s refreshing to see a nice, normal couple for once. With divorce rates sky-rocketing daily, Bey and Jay give us a little hope that it is possible to meet, date, fall in love and get married, in that order. They also give us a helpful reminder that relationships are meant to be between two people, not the whole world; everyone does not need to know your business!
3. She’s a Feminist we can relate to!
Now I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve definitely had those days of cruising in the car with my girlfriends and Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable” comes on and we turn it all the way up, singing “To the left, to the left, everything you own in the box to the left!” *gestures to the left* If nothing else, Beyoncé makes you feel really good about being a girl! From Single Ladies to Independent Women, Bey’s tracks just radiate girl power. Beyoncé’s attitude towards herself and other women is one to be admired as she says, “I love being a woman and I love being a friend to other women-I think we learn a lot from our female friends.” As a young woman it‘s a very good feeling knowing that such a public figure has made female empowerment a priority, I mean she even has an all-girl band, The Suga Mamas! I love jamming to a Beyoncé track and feeling like as a woman I can do anything. After all, who runs the world? Girls.
4. That girl can PERFORM.
Beyoncé is many, many things: singer, dancer, actress, producer, wife, mother, role model, just to name a few. However, above all else, she is a performer. Now, this is just my opinion, feel free to disagree (although you’d be wrong) but there is no female artist in the industry that can out-perform Beyoncé. Who else can sing and dance like her, simultaneously and in heels? That’s right; no one. Her performance at the Super Bowl Halftime show was so immaculate it was dubbed the “Beyoncé Bowl”. A few other Beyoncé performances that left me breathless include “Ring the Alarm” at the 2006 VMAs, “If I Were A Boy” at the 2010 Grammy’s, “Girls” at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards and “Love on Top” at the 2011 VMAs. If you aren’t familiar with these performances, I am not entirely sure what you have been doing with your life but I suggest you run, not walk, to YouTube – you won’t regret it.
If you share in my obsession, be sure to get your Beyoncé fix by tuning into HBO on Saturday, February 16th at 9 p.m. for her 90 minute self-directed documentary, “Beyonce: Life Is But a Dream”.