“Then ride it with ma surfboard”…this simple yet idolizing phrase had an entire nation of
women seducing their men something ridiculous, and their men loving them even more for it.
Oh yes, here lies the power of Beyonce Giselle Knowles or (Mrs. Carter) whichever you prefer.
Or as the beyhive would affectionately say the one and only Queen Bey. So with that said is
Beyonce overrated? Why or why not?
Absolutely not. She is a force to be reckoned with. I can remember the bronze skinned
seventeen year old beauty sitting on the stoop in six inch stilettos of the set of the very first
Destiny’s Child video for No, no, no…with Wyclef John. Hair bouncing, hips moving with
attitude. Yes that was her. Who would’ve guessed she would go on to be the face of an entire
generation for almost two decades straight. She has undoubtedly been a pioneer for young
women, especially African American women. A heroine in some regard. She has the passion of
Aretha Franklin, and makes you feel her pain almost in a way that Mary J. Blige did.
So could her rare and exceptional career deem her overrated? Definitely. It is not everyday
someone accomplishes some of the dreams many people chase for most of their lives. Jumping
over hurdles people only wish they could get to. You want to talk about consistency. When
things get hard, Beyonce goes harder. When things seem impossible, she strives higher. Some
say fame can make or break you. Well this girl is a survivor. Hell you know the song!
And speaking of hit songs, musically Beyonce is in a class of her own. She is EVERY woman.
Most young women would like to encompass at least a small part of her aura. She is abnormally
normal. She is a mother. She is a wife. And she is a superior superstar, demolishing it all with
finesse. People attempt to encompass these things every day. She does it with ease.
In addition, let’s talk about her fan base which is solid and unwavering. Why? The answer is
because of her ability to be multifaceted and hit you from every angle. For example, on the
song Get Me Bodied she boldly states “I ain’t worried doin me tonight!” Every girl has had a few
of those nights in their lifetime. Her sexuality shines on tracks like Partition “I just wanna be the
girl you like…kinda girl you like…” and she gets sensual on Drunk in Love, “How the hell did this
shit happen…oh baaabay!” You can see her confidence peaking on 711 “Man this here like
rollin dice! I know you caaaaare!” I’m sure every hip- hop club in the nation has spun that one.
She takes charge on Flawless with rapper Nicki Minaj. “Of course sometimes shit go down
when it’s a billion dollars on a elevator!” Who could forget that line? But then gets sentimental
on hits like Pretty Hurts, Blue and Halo. How about some feminism on Irreplaceable and Me
Myself and I. And let’s not forget about the fellas on Dance For You and Cater To You. She
shows respect to her father on Daddy’s Lessons. What am I saying? Her ability to create impact
is impeccable. The self- awareness to understand her power and how to use it. This is one of
the many things that makes Beyoncé unique. Which in turn contributes to her longevity. Other
names that come to mind are Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Aerosmith, US and Prince.
Just to name a few. Not bad company.
With that said, Iet’s highlight what I feel was a peak moment for the Queen. Now she has
definitely crossed many barriers, and has remained steady but there was one time in particular
when that phrase “It’s lonely at the top” was all I could think to describe it. I believe this came
in 2010 when she embarked on her infamous “I AM…Sasha Fierce” tour. I remember sitting up
one night in utter amazement while watching the two hour documentary (Life is but a
Dream)/concert air on HBO. I remember thinking to myself in that instant that she was
absolutely phenomenal as she strutted around on stage effortlessly belting out hit after hit. I
thought “How could anyone get any better than this? Or any higher of a platform?” Then I
thought about the numerous awards, records broken, #1 hits and countless achievements she
had garnered up until that point. I’ll never forget one specific part of the video. Her light brown
eyes were glazed over, no makeup. Bare skin. Not even lip gloss. She stared blankly into the
camera and said nothing for a few seconds. It was as if she was finally realizing what she had
become and who she really was, in that moment it was all coming full circle. Perhaps the
realest moment of her life. I stared. At a star. A bonafide star. Then she got up and
nonchalantly began humming pitch runs again while looking at a possible outfit for her next
show. Unfazed but keenly aware. Then by the end of her two hour set, the very first thing she
did was thank everyone behind her. The band, her tour manager, her husband, and lastly her
diehard fans of course. Her hair matted, sweat brimming, barely holding up the microphone
and still trying to catch her breath, she made sure everyone on that team and anyone who had
bought a ticket was given credit before even taking a single bow. So what am I saying? That
even in her greatest of moments, she remains grounded. In true Yonce’ fashion.
Fast forwarding to current, let’s move on to her latest album titled Lemonade, that some have
deemed transparent. Others may see it as her simply crooning for publicity. To some degree I
feel this could go both ways. One could argue that she was singing in her truth, or was she
brilliantly using the media and her marriage for sales? Take your pick. I say this because Mrs.
Carter’s message will always be conveyed, the way she intends it to be. You know who knows
all too well about messages? Mr. Shawn Carter. Her better half. Yes. So you ask how could
anyone cheat on this woman? Well that answer is simple. Because let’s face it, everyone has
flaws. And in a manner that only Beyonce could, she lets you know this in the most sincerest of
ways. On her self- entitled EP “Beyonce” I was instantly drawn to the song Jealous in which she
states “I’m just jealous, I’m just human, don’t judge me.” Almost to say yes I have feelings and
a heart too though I may seem perfect, I’m really not. I feel that for a woman of her status it
was refreshing to hear her admit something so personal. Then on perhaps the most heartfelt
yet real track of the album, titled Angel, her self- confessing imperfection is even more
proclaimed when she croons “Underneath the pretty face is something complicated.” This
says, You will never see ALL of me, but I’ll show you most of me because I’m braver than many.
Fiercer than most. My light shines so bright that I won’t allow you to miss me. So is she
everything the public thinks she is? For the most part yes. But maybe sometimes no. She is
perfectly imperfect.
However, she has also mastered the distinctive ability of creating this art of mystery
throughout her career. In other words, she never wants you to see her coming. Such was the
case when she dropped the “Formation” video via Super Bowl 50 this year. Strategic, yet not
forced. Some backlash was felt, but the impact was immediate and almost indescribable.
Because at that crossroad, this woman knew exactly what it was she needed to do. To the
delight of every around the way girl from New York to Texas she had hot sauce in her bag. No
gimmicks, no cameras, no yes men. No nothing. In that second she reminded everyone of who
she really is, just in case you forgot. And that is where her true beauty lies. It’s in her knowing.
In conclusion, even if you aren’t a Beyonce fan you have to respect her talent. She keeps
coming at you. Relentlessly. She wants to know that we’re still listening. She wants to be sure
of it. The thing is, we’ve been listening all along Bey. To the Houston girl with an extraordinary
dream that is now a reality. All hail the Queen! Swag indeed.
