From the moment Beyoncé blew bubblegum in Crazy In Love to when she smashed cars with a baseball bat in Hold Up, she’s given us some of the most iconic music videos in pop.
Her videos for Lemonade were especially powerful, celebrating Black womanhood and strength. But then, she suddenly stopped making videos. Her last two albums, Renaissance and Cowboy Carter, have no visuals, leaving fans confused.
In a rare interview with GQ magazine, Beyoncé explained why she’s stepped away from making music videos. She said she didn’t want visuals to “distract from the quality of the voice and the music,” according to BBC. The singer felt that with today’s focus on visuals, her recent albums needed to stand on their own. She explained that these records, which honor the contributions of Black musicians to genres like house, disco, and country, are rich in history and need time to be understood without the distraction of videos.
For Renaissance, Beyoncé felt the live concert experience was more important than filming music videos. The album, released in 2022 during the pandemic, was meant to provide an escape for listeners during tough times.
The tour and the film that followed became a way for her fans to come together and heal. As Beyoncé told GQ, “The fans from all over the world became the visual.” BBC highlights that her Renaissance World Tour was one of the biggest draws in 2023, alongside Taylor Swift.
This interview, which also promoted Beyoncé’s new whiskey brand, is her first in years. She rarely gives interviews anymore, preferring to write personal essays or connect with fans on social media, according to BBC.
In GQ, she also talked about protecting her family from the media, emphasizing that she works hard to keep her personal life private. She said, “No amount of money is worth my peace.”
The article also touched on a recent snub from the Country Music Awards. Despite Cowboy Carter becoming the first album by a Black woman to top the US country charts, it didn’t receive any CMA nominations.
BBC reports that Beyoncé’s father, Matthew Knowles, criticized the CMA organizers, suggesting racial bias may have played a role.
However, Beyoncé herself was quoted in GQ as being proud that her country music experiment gained worldwide recognition.
BBC goes on to list some of Beyoncé’s most unforgettable videos, such as Single Ladies and Formation, which highlighted decades of Black history and culture. While her shift away from making videos might disappoint some fans, it’s clear Beyoncé remains focused on delivering meaningful, impactful music.
Credit : BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjw3jlpxez7o