I have no opinion one way or the other about her, but my overall impression is that other people have always been pulling the strings. |
I don’t think she has a sense of what she wants outside of awards. She’s been a trophy horse since childhood for mama and papa and now her new papa Jay Z who has been with her since she was 16. |
It’s hard to overstate just how overrated Beyonce is. There’s so much better R&B or pop female singers out there that are truly talented vocalists and songwriters with more timeless or compelling music, but the problem is they don’t have the looks of Beyonce . |
I took “overproduced” as a reference to the album and its numerous writers and producers. No one expects musical artists to do all the non-musical things like tour logistics, choreo, and costumes. I’m sure artists have a vision but they’ll need experts in those fields to carry it out. We don’t truly know Beyoncé’s involvement in her albums because she doesn’t do press or promote any of her work. Artists need to campaign for Grammys like actors campaign for Oscars. Taylor Swift didn’t promote Reputation and it received zero nominations despite being one of her better albums. Beyonce has actually done better than Taylor with the silent approach but it’s not surprising that Beyonce hasn’t won the top prize. |
I miss Rihanna’s music. Pop hasn’t been the same with Taylor and Beyonce and Ariana Grande . |
Agreed. I think she had a better sense of self and personality when she was younger. It's all but gone now. |
I hope one day the Academy awards Rihanna an Album of the Year (even if it’s pure trash ) just to see Beyonces head explode |
Maybe, but the entire point of the album was explicitly stated in several parts of the album. She is taking Americana songs and redoing them her way and adding a little bit of rap/r and b to them. That is why the I’s in the album are all double. It is take two. Nothin' really ends For things to stay the same, they have to change again Hello, my old friend You change your name, but not the ways you play pretend American Requiem Them big ideas (Yeah), are buried here (Yeah) Amen It's a lot of talkin' goin' on While I sing my song Can you hear me? I said, "Do you hear me?" The album exists to make a protest statement about race in America. If you want to see it as an award grab, you can, but it can also speak deeper than just that. After I listened to the entire album, I agree that a lot of it is overproduced, but I do like the idea that a female pop star has something more to say than just “Here is my diary. I’ve been hurt by men can’t you see! Why doesn’t anyone help me?” She covered you all who hate her in smoke town: Now for this next tune, I want y'all to sit back, inhale And go to the good place your mind likes to wander off to And if you don't wanna go, go find yourself a jukebox Thank you |
Hot take:
Beyoncé has been famous and living a privileged life thanks to Jay Z since she was a teen, and therefore hasn’t experienced any real struggles or racism. Yet she must double down on such things to create connections with and ultimately manipulate her fans. It’s all fake. She really hasn’t lived or experienced much of anything. She’s just a pop star, really. |
Or, another perspective: She's a complex woman with ideas in her head who, yes, is privileged, but is also intelligent and an analyst and putting out more ideas into the world then all the other pop music superstars put together. She's playing checkers (intellectually) while Taylor and Ariana are playing chess. |
Wendy Williams summed it up when she said Beyoncé sounds like she has a 5th grade education. She isn’t deep. And you glossed over the key point: she uses a fake persona to push a narrative through lyrics that just isn’t authentic. Even worse: she’s fanning the flames of racism despite having never endured it. Why? Because it’s a way to manipulate and make money. And here we are…a divided society. |
Authentic? 1997 called. They want their descriptor back. Who is under the impression that any pop stars are authentic. |
Ugh, no. She truly does not come off as a deep thinker. Husbands puppet for his race bating, yes. |
This. Quite simply, marketing the image she so carefully created with her dh in control. Nothing genuine in those songs or lyrics. Except lemonade but I often wonder if that was true because I do not see dh letting that out for public consumption. |
Ooooohhhh burnnnn. You know, some people have been canceled for appropriating “facts” that aren’t real. She has created a false narrative and brand based on hardship she has never faced and racism she hasn’t endured. Even worse: she doubles down on this foster division. But go ahead and celebrate it if you like. Starlets need sheeple-stans. It’s fun, but don’t pretend it’s deep. |