“Everybody already know, don’t come around me saying nothin’ about Beyoncé, because you got one time to say something out the way negative, and I’m gon’ be ready to fight.”
@leecircus_. “title”. TikTok, uploaded by @leecircus_, 30 Dec. 2024,https://www.tiktok.com/@leecircus_/video/7454359692991597867
TikTok user @leecircus_ posted a video saying:
“Everybody already know, don’t come around me saying nothin’ about Beyoncé, because you got one time to say something out the way negative, and I’m gon’ be ready to fight.”
While I don’t know Lee personally, he essentially explained my exact feelings towards Beyoncé and her haters. As my top artist on Spotify for 2024, Beyoncé spent ample time on my heart, mind and ears. I thoroughly enjoyed her 2024 album, Cowboy Carter, and had a listening streak of 99 days. My roommate thinks that’s idolatry – I just think I have good taste.
I’ve been a Beyoncé fan since I can remember. My mom would play Destiny’s Child all the time – “Emotions,” “Survivor,” “Independent Woman,” just to name a few. I was introduced to early Beyoncé albums and songs, and of course, every Gen Z kid remembers “Single Ladies” and “Run The World (Girls).” I think subconsciously, I’ve always categorized Beyoncé as a beacon of Black female empowerment, and as I got older and listened to her later projects, that fact still remained accurate.
Her HBCU-inspired Coachella performance, her soundtracks for The Lion King: The Gift, songs from her joint album with Jay-Z, and the iconic project, Lemonade, all served as reminders of not only her musical talent and artistic prowess, but commitment to the uplifting and self-confidence of women.
Although I had heard so many of her songs and albums, I had listened to bits and pieces and re-discovered the projects over and over again. I was never old enough to know when a new project had dropped, nor I was able to listen to it in its entirety. In 2022, when she dropped Renaissance, I remember listening to it all the way through in my bedroom the summer before my senior year of high school. With its influence from ballroom culture, disco-techno-funk sound, and sparkling, silver, sequined visuals, the album completely enthralled me. It solidified my appreciation for Beyoncé as an artistic genius.
The criticism of Beyoncé has always felt very trite to me. Some say she can’t sing, others say she is too old or not entertaining, or maybe too political and bold with her musical choices. She is often compared to popular artists in this generation, most commonly, Taylor Swift. I personally don’t think that’s even a justified comparison – the two make completely different music and therefore attract different audiences.
Others make more aggressive assumptions. Some say she is demonic, obsessed or involved with the illuminati, that she was responsible for Aaliyah’s death, or that celebrities and artists have to acknowledge her in speeches in order to remain “safe.” Rumors are still circulating to this day that she did not actually carry her first daughter, Blue Ivy, and that she has had cosmetic surgery, or has sold her soul to the industry.
I’m not exactly sure what makes Beyoncé so deserving of these rumors and accusations. Maybe it is because of her outstanding commercial success, her ability to remain relevant and attract audiences for over 20 years, or just the fact that she is an extremely talented and confident Black woman.
She currently holds the most Grammys in history – 32, and has been nominated the most times – 99. She has always had the ability to sing live and dance at the same time, has a vocal range that can hit Arabic scales and rap, and can create music in any and all genres. Many regard her as the best performing artist since Michael Jackson, an assertion that I can agree with.
Whether you like her or not, objectively, Beyoncé is a great performer. There is a reason she has performed for Obama multiple times, Aretha Franklin, at Kobe Bryant’s televised celebration of life, etc.
That being said, I am still in possession of critical thinking skills and can acknowledge when Knowles does something wrong or in poor taste. I understand that she is a billionaire; I understand that not everybody is going to be completely satisfied with her actions or choices. For me, however, it is worth noting how vocal she is about political issues, world events, and representing Blackness in all aspects of her music and performance. I think that deliberate choice she makes is probably what upsets people the most.
When it comes to being Beyhive, I take my responsibility very seriously. While I don’t always have the funds to see her in concert every other year, or wear my natural hair enough to be in need of her Cécred line, I will always be a fan of her artistry and evolution as a performer. I will forever be in awe of her ability to make socially relevant music that bends genres, and break records while still remaining elusive and mysterious. That being said, I understand that she might not be everyone’s cup of tea. And, while I respect the freedom of that choice, as Lee said:
You got one time.