Throughout the world Beyonce is a name that is synonymous with stardom. Beyone is arguably currently the most famous woman on the planet. Beyonce rose to stardom as part of a group, Destiny’s Child, but has made a name for herself so strong that no one would ever need to refer to her using her last name. Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z have monopolized the music industry with their respective musical and production talents. Not only does Beyonce sing and produce she also performs like no other. Beyonce’s latest studio album, Lemonade, was made as a performance album. Every song has an accompanied video and there is a movie attached to the album as a whole. Because Beyonce and Jay-Z have a production company Lemonade was only available through them for several years. I remember when Lemonade came out. The album was dropped without any warnings and everyone I knew instantly freaked out and then subsequently created a Tidal account because it was the only way to get this album. This is how much stardom and capital Beyonce has; Beyonce can drop an album with no promotion and not only become the number one album in the world, but also convince millions of people to download a music sharing platform they had never had before in order to get this album.
Lemonade created a frenzy and opened up all new ways for black women to express themselves. As written in “Moving Beyond Pain” by the Bell Hooks Institute Beyonce inspired a movement of liberation amongst specifically women of color after the debut of Lemonade. Beyonce showcased a variety of different body types and life events through the visual album. Each of the women in Lemonade were empowered by their differences and gained confidence, something Beyonce wanted to inspire in the women watching her film. Beyonce reiterates this in the Elle article in which Beyonce debuts her workout line. Beyonce talks about how she wants to inspire all different types of women through movement and that is what she has sent out to do with Ivy Park.
Beyonce does not see herself as fitting in a typical mold and she does not see that as a bad thing either and I think that as a woman that is something many of us can identify with. Society typically tells women to blend in and then those women who do not fit in the ideal mold feel left out and can develop serious confidence issues that are detrimental. Beyonce wants to be a champion for those types of women and it is constantly inspiring to look at.
Beyonce is one of those celebrities that is always breaking the mold and rearranging it to be her own. There is a reason people call her Queen Bey and she deserves that title. She has not only changed the music industry but has also helped shape the positive images directed at women. I know that I personally and other women I know have gained confidence from watching Beyonce and that is a beautiful thing that all stars should strive for.