10 Years of “Beyoncé”

Nobody checked on me. Not nary a phone call or text. It was lunch time on December 13^th, 2013 when I finally became aware of the Beyoncé release. How the hell did I miss that? Well, I went to bed after Scandal and checked my social media accounts less frequently. Frantically I purchased and downloaded the album from iTunes and eventually it appeared on my phone. Alerts stay on now; I reject any further FOMO. Self-titled, aka Lily, is my favorite album, in a tie with Renaissance. The Beyoncé we have today, stepped fully into her light with the surprise release of her visual album, 14 songs and 17 videos. Cheers to 10 years of Beyoncé!

Let’s do a little recall. Close your eyes and remember where you were and who you were 10 years ago. Have the image in mind? If needed, give yourself some grace, I most certainly need to. A decade ago I had graduated from North Carolina A&T in May, started my first job, and was a regular twenty something mess. That chaotic period is a right of passage and now being around the same age as Mrs. Carter when Beyoncé dropped I can connect with it even more.

Beyoncé is a person. Obvious but I think people need to be reminded. She’s a person brimming with powerhouse talent, exacting vision, and limitless imagination. A person who works tirelessly, pushing herself to the brink to execute her vision. A woman, mother, daughter, wife, friend. I appreciate the ways she has opened up since and starting with Life Is But a Dream in 2013. Never oversharing, simply bringing us into her thought process and intention. With a project as personal as Beyoncé, I loved going back and listening to her speak on it again.

She emphasizes that this body of work is about embracing imperfections, honesty, and personal liberation. Growth is the key to all of these, it brings freedom. As life progresses you learn, change, and adapt if you allow yourself the space to do so. Beyoncé shared that as you grow up and learn you lose the fear of the unknown and can go to places in your mind and body that make you uncomfortable.

“Ms. Third Ward, your first question, what is your aspiration in life?” “Oh, my aspiration in life would be to be happy.” 17 seconds into the first track, “Pretty Hurts”, Bey had uttered my own life goal. I assume it is a common goal, joy is my answer now. It is more constant and is present even in the darkest times. Joy and happiness require freeing yourself from expectation. Flaws create your fullness as a person. “No Angel” smoothly owns complexities and being far from perfect. Beyoncé described flaws as the things that make you interesting. She put all her insecurities, doubts, fears, and learnings into the album. It may be quintessential for those of us in our 30s. Anyone can relate but the 30s seem like the decade where you start to come into yourself.

Authenticity has become so important to me. Arriving at the place where you decide to just be and people can take it or leave it, is so freeing. It requires honesty and in Beyoncé’s words honesty ties the record together. Earlier in her career she felt responsible for everyone’s comfort, children to the elderly. That was stifling and she couldn’t fully express herself. “Haunted” opens with tiring of the status quo and rejecting perfection. “Jealous” and “Mine” are full of raw emotion, transition, and struggle. “Heaven” reflects on the full life of a loved one and leaning on that memory in their absence. “Blue” is the pure love of a mother with the joy and grounding your child can bring. I appreciate the different kinds of rawness on each track. I feel connected to all of them, even as a childfree woman “Blue” reminds of the joy and wonder children bring to my life.

Third Ward Trill always comes through when I need music to lift myself up. She elevated herself making this album as “a woman and mother trying to get her dreams, focus and self back” after giving birth. Grown woman sexuality takes center stage on “Blow”, “Partition”, “Drunk In Love”, and “Rocket”. Each track is unapologetic and I remember how some people could not take it! Growth, authenticity, and honesty aren’t just for learning to love your stretch marks and maintaining work/life balance. They’re also for owning, living, and enjoying your pleasure. How do you think she became a mother to fifty’leven children? Beyoncé said that she wouldn’t have had the confidence to make “Rocket” years ago due to fear of what people would think. Thankfully in 2012 and 2013 she felt free enough to create her art for herself. She is not ashamed of being sexual, a mother can have a child, dreams, fun, be sexy, and live for their self. Sexuality is a power we all have.

Freedom also flows from love, be it for self or for another person. “***Flawless” also had some people in a tizzy. The “Bow Down” intro is bold and brazen. Clearly speaking to anyone working overtime to dim your light or make you doubt yourself. The remainder feels like a call to remember your foundation, where you come from, and who you really are. Be proud of you and speak your truth. “XO” and “Superpower” are for the lovers. Mrs. Carter declares, “there’s nothing more exciting than having a witness to your life”. Someone to depend on, who you can trust, who loves and respects you, it’s a powerful thing. I see these qualities in the marriages of my close friends. Their husbands and wives add to their lives, have alleviated stress, and love them fiercely. I’m grateful that my circle exhibits healthy love.

10 years later the story in Beyoncé’s head, that she shared on this visual album still stands strong. A personal fantasy, grounded in the reality of experience and honesty. She wanted to create a full body of work, to see if people still cared about music, and wanted to provide an immersive experience. She wanted nothing to come in between her, her music, and her fans. For the work to come out when she was ready to share it. No promotion, no single, absolutely no hints. Terrifying but ultimately worth it. I appreciate her for her artistry and attitude. I’ll never get enough because I’ve never been disappointed. Thank you Been-sy-ay.