Vol. 4 The tale of two Beyoncé's
The Renaissance documentary gave fans a genuine perspective on Beyoncé's life on and off the stage.
Most fans -- whether they’re indoctrinated into the beehive or not -- can remember where they were when Beyoncé first announced her latest project Renaissance. Unlike past releases Renaissance was not shrouded in mystery, instead the mega star garnered excitement from fans through pre-orders and an iconic Afrofuturistic picture of her on a sparkly silver studded horse.
Leading up to the tour, many fans speculated whether Beyoncé would release visuals for Renaissance. However, that discussion seemed to quiet as the tour kicked off and people began to post snippets from the shows they attended. Since the first show, it was clear that the Renaissance World Tour was an inclusive experience. It created a safe space for fans of all ages and demographics but most importantly her core fan base, in the queer and Black communities, to feel free. Throughout the tour, Beyoncé constantly told fans “you are the visual” and after the premiere of Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé , fans finally understood why.
Two months after Parkwood Entertainment announced the film would premiere in December at AMC theaters, fans were able to relive the concert. Many fans have been seen on social media dancing and reenacting the choreography in the show, showcasing the joy Beyoncé’s music creates.
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It’s apparent part of Beyoncé’s objective for releasing the film was to give fans who were unable to attend, a chance to experience the tour. The mega star also wanted to share her fascination with the process of putting this tour together. She divulges the intricacies of the process such as the large number of women responsible for putting the stage together, giving the stage crew reflective suits to wear granting them their time to “shine” as well as the process of building stages in the two following cities as she was performing. The world tour took four years to plan and its success speaks volumes about Beyoncé’s work ethic as its director but also the tour crews’ dedication to helping bring her vision to life.
The overarching theme of the film was time. At 42 years old, Beyoncé has lived to understand how precious time is and how reminiscing on the nostalgia of the past or envisioning a beautiful future can influence creativity. After debuting almost 30 years ago in 1997, there isn’t much that Beyoncé hasn’t done. However, Renaissance did not fit the typical R&B album some fans were expecting -- because it wasn’t. Renaissance was an Afrofuturistic time capsule into the past as well as a tribute to her Uncle Johnny and the LGBTQ+ community.
In the movie both Beyoncé and her mother, Tina Knowles, spoke fondly of Uncle Johnny. Beyoncé reminisced on her experiences with him saying “he introduced [her] to decadence.” Uncle Johnny played a large role in Beyoncé’s upbringings, fashion sense and her latest house music inspired project. His presence can be felt through the album’s production and lyrics from the song Heated, “Uncle Johnny made my dress, that cheap spandex she looks a mess!” Representing Uncle Johnny inherently meant creating an inclusive space for queer people. Beyoncé brought ballroom legend Kevin Johnson to narrate both the album and the tour in addition to recreating a ballroom atmosphere. The concept of a queer inclusive space at this magnitude seems to be a nod at those who made this possible such as the Stonewall protestors who stood up for LGBTQ+ rights in New York during the 1969 riots.
Renaissance is about rebirth, the rediscovery of self and its surrounding culture. Throughout her seven studio albums, we’ve seen Beyoncé create many versions of herself. This renaissance era she’s in seems to be the happiest fans have seen her throughout her career. The music is a direct representation of her latest stage of self-discovery, it’s exciting and liberating.
As liberated as she is, the nuanced issues and microaggressions she faces as a Black creative are not lost on her. Although the tour crew is something similar to a family on set, Beyoncé still makes it clear that her production will be taken seriously -- even going as far as to doing her own research on materials contractors say aren’t possible to procure. Beyoncé also opens up about remembering to humanize herself despite being in the spotlight. While flying through an arena in a harness during the 2009 I Am …World Tour, her knee was injured. Beyoncé’s tenacious road to recovery after finally having surgery before the Renaissance World Tour was a reminder that while she is passionate about her career, taking care of herself so she can continue to be a mother and wife is most important.
During the film, the audience sees the signer’s vulnerable sides as she juggles being in the spotlight while managing her personal life as a wife and mother saying that once the show is over “that’s when [her] real job starts.”
Allowing Blue Ivy to join her on stage was also another vulnerable moment for her. When Blue Ivy was young, she faced a lot of backlash from the internet about her afro-centric features and hair texture so it was natural to see Beyoncé become protective over her. After her first show, Blue Ivy faced backlash again as people on social media criticized her dancing. Although Beyoncé was disappointed Blue Ivy had access to these social media comments, it seemingly fueled Blue’s desire to improve and her work ethic allowed her to dance alongside her mother for the remainder of the tour and become a hit with the crowd.
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Beyoncé’s creativity is opening doors for Blue Ivy and other creatives, the same way singers such as Tina Turner and Dianna Ross opened doors for her. On Beyoncé’s birthday during the September 4th show in Inglewood, California, the Alien Superstar singer told Diana Ross “there is no me without you,” after Ross sang her happy birthday. However, her success in creating a space for fans and honoring the history that influenced her does not expel her from critique.
Despite the Renaissance documentary making over $21 million dollars and debuting at number 1 at the box office during opening weekend, there has been growing concern over the choice to show the film in Israel considering the current political chemistry between Israel and Hamas. This is leaving fans divided over whether Beyoncé is at fault for not (at the very least) making a solidarity statement aligning with Palestinian people, or whether she is just operating as a business with no political stance.
In media, it’s important to be mindful of involving certain creatives in politics outside of that of the music industry. However in the case of Beyoncé -- arguably one of the most powerful artists in the industry -- it is hard to fathom her not showing political solidarity with the people of Palestine because in the past she has consistently adopted a Black feminist political aesthetic through projects such as Lemonade and Black Is King. Without addressing the intersectionality of Black feminism and other related issues such as conflict involving other demographics of people of color, the use of the aesthetic appears to be for monetary gain. Political beliefs aside, other people argue that Beyoncé is simply operating as a business woman and if people could refrain from idolizing her, consuming her capitalistic ways would be less devastating.
As people continue to unintentionally center a celebrity during one of the world's longest standing humanitarian crises’ it diminishes the severity of the situation. Debating whether Beyoncé is obligated to show solidarity does not change the thousands of people being killed or systematically oppressed in Palestine -- or anywhere else in the world. Ivie Ani, a well respected culture journalist, brought a new perspective to the conversion on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Feels like centering a celebrity— with or without critical thought— in the midst of a genocide is not distracting or non-generative; it’s just a reality,” she said via X. “And it’s naturally the most Western thing to do.”
In Other News:
P. Diddy has stepped down from his position as Chairman of REVOLT. The company issued a statement on their LinkedIn platform late last week saying, “this decision helps to ensure that REVOLT remains steadfastly focused on our mission to create meaningful content for the culture and amplify the voices of all Black people throughout this country and the African diaspora.”
Billboard is reporting rapper Polo G will be heading to court after he filed a complaint against a Netherlands based tour booking company. Polo G, whose real name is Taurus Barlett, is claiming the tour company continued to use his name and likeness to promote upcoming performances it knew would not happen due to Barlett sustaining an injury. Barlett is also alleging the company did not pay fees stated in his contract.