This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Pitt chapter.

Singer. Songwriter. Dancer. Producer. Fashion Executive. Philanthropist. Mother. Someone with whom I am happy enough to simply be categorized in the same species.

Beyoncé Knowles is a woman of many titles. Yet, the title that often goes unheralded is one that fits her as stunningly as the Rubin Singer leather bodysuit she wore for Super Bowl XLVII—role model. Most celebrities are people you would never wish for the youth in your life to emulate. Nonetheless, it is a time where the younger half of our generation isn’t growing up on Wonder Woman and Wheaties’ boxes celebs, but on child stars gone bad and serial dating and identity-confused singers such as Taylor Swift.

So, it comes to be that Beyoncé is the fittest women for the job: the queen for the throne. As her royal subject, allow me to explain how Beyoncé Knowles is setting out to change the music industry and empower female youth throughout her kingdom. All the singles ladies, put your hands up in salute of our majesty, and get ready to discover just a few more reasons why you should pledge your allegiance to the throne.

Reason 1: “The Suga Mamas”

If you were able to rip your eyes away from Beyoncé’s shimmying, lip-licking form during last Sunday’s Super Bowl, you may have noticed the interesting group of women lucky enough to share the stage with the star. They were Beyoncé’s 10-piece all-female band, “The Suga Mamas.”

Beyoncé and her ladies have had a longer relationship than most Hollywood marriages; they’ve been performing together since her tour, “The Beyoncé Experience,” in 2007. The 10 women are all uniquely beautiful, but that’s not what landed them the opportunity to perform in front of 108 million people at the Super Bowl. Each has undergone an extensive audition process. The majority of the members are classically trained and educated from the best music academies across the country. In short, they weren’t chosen simply because they are the best female musicians, they were chosen because they were the best musicians period.

With the harsh truth of women only representing 36 percent of people working in the record industry, as reported by “Creative and Cultural Skills,” Beyoncé’s all-female band screams: “Look! We are out here! We are qualified! We kick ass!” When asked about what caused her to go solely for female musicians, Knowles said: “When I was younger I wished I had more females who played instruments to look up to. I played piano for like a second but then I stopped. I just wanted to do something which would inspire other young females to get involved in music so I put together an all-woman band” I don’t like to think about a world where Beyoncé is even more musically talented; my mind can’t handle it. However, my feeble mind can handle the extreme admiration I feel towards Beyoncé for mentoring more females to fill her 5-inch heels and reach out to youth. However, I’m slightly miffed. Where was Beyoncé to teach me how to play piano when I was young? Still willing if you are offering Beyoncé (I love you).

One last thing- the ultimate cherry on top- when “The Suga Mamas” aren’t performing or practicing with their queen, they find time to teach improvised jazz classes to younger music students. Feel free to go somewhere and think about everything you aren’t doing with your life.

Reason 2: Songs that Give Listeners more than something to Dance to

While Taylor Swift, someone who actually refers to herself as a role model for her audiences, is singing songs about crying in the corner and wearing her ex’s clothing, Beyoncé is making it clear that she is a woman who stands for none of that nonsense. I don’t mean to be a Taylor Bash-er, but Beyoncé is one of the best female role models of all time. One of the best role models of all time! Kanye West jokes aside, Beyoncé makes an effort to be involved in the writing process of her songs and uses them to promote self-worth, highlight gender double standards, and remind men that women are the real rulers of this world. Besides, why wear a guy’s crummy, old sweater when you can live with the knowledge that designers are battling it out to get you to wear their latest fashion (or at least pretend that they are).

Let’s dissect three of her hits to further establish why Beyoncé is the most powerful role model of today for young women.

“If I were a Boy”- The video accompaniment of this song gives Beyoncé an excuse to don a tight fitting police uniform, which is reason enough to make me love it. On a deeper level than my intense girl crush, holy damn shit. Have you really listened to those lyrics? Beyoncé calls out men and society for the atrocious double standards against women. The song closes on the lyrics, “…but you’re just a boy,” an excuse that acculturation has taught us to use to brush away all of men’s wrongdoing. Men, if you’re reading (shout out to male Beyoncé fans), you should be offended, too, that you are perceived as being ill-equipped to be held responsible for your actions. All the while, Beyoncé does this in a sexy, hazy way that works in a manner of not offending women who don’t necessarily identify themselves with the feminist cause.

“Best Thing I Never Had”- If you haven’t blasted this song and cried into ice cream over that one jerk who really wasn’t that hot anyway (what was I thinking), I don’t know how much I can relate to you. “You don’t deserve my tears/I guess that’s why they aren’t there” summarizes all a girl needs to hear after getting slighted. Take advice from the queen who has never let a man disrupt her rule; it’s the best advice you ever had (I’m punny?). Enough said on the manner.

“Run the World (Girls)”- I could stop my description on how this song furthers Beyoncé as a role model after stating the title alone. But, I won’t. “I’m reppin’ for the girls who taking over the world/ Help me raise a glass for the college grads” This is exactly what young women need to hear. Not some song about how he loves me because I’m a “bad bitch” or some living in the moment, “YOLO” crap. With music being such a large part of our lives, girls need to hear things that reflect reality. The title may allude to a flimsy, girl-power type of deal, but Beyoncé quickly dispels that image as she sings with demanding force for guys not to even think of stepping to her and adding the casual hint of the word “mother lover” in her ending chorus (the less polite version, of course).

Like a vast majority of female college students, I wake up everyday wishing I were Beyoncé. I’m sure if I told her this, she would tell me all about loving myself and how I shouldn’t want to be anybody except me, but I still dream; there are worse things to aspire to be than being a super-talented, super-gorgeous, super woman with presence that even threatened to overshadow Obama’s during moments at his own inauguration. It’s bedtime for me now—here’s to hoping we all wake up bootylicious and married to Jay-z. Fingers crossed.

God Save the Queen B,

Danielle Fox

Research Sources:

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/beyonceknowles/girlswhoruntheworld.html

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/beyonceknowles/bestthingineverhad.html

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/beyonceknowles/ifiwereaboy.html

http://www.beyonceonline.com/us/bio#ixzz2K5hqRsSj

http://www.blogher.com/beyonce-her-all-female-touring-band

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/beyonc233-a-pop-phenomenon-that-all-women-can-be-proud-of-2303668.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/where-are-the-women-to-rock-the-music-industry-2009515.html

Photo Credits

Beyoncé and Bibi: http://25.media.tumblr.com/c049f4fe21e747aab024f0bf51876ab2/tumblr_mhq3r4X9ah1qz9qooo2_r1_500.jpg