After the release of her debut album, “Dangerously in Love” (2003), The New York Times penned a rather unenthusiastic review titled, “The Solo Beyoncé: She's No Ashanti”. Looking back on this headline today, you can’t help but chuckle. However, in hindsight, neither the author nor any of us could have predicted that a then 21-year-old Beyoncé Knowles was on her way to becoming one the biggest stars on the planet.
After all, no one knows this better than Beyoncé herself, as her complex journey to stardom has been almost 30 years in the making.
Affectionately known as “Queen Bey” by her loyal fanbase the BeyHive, over the past few years Beyoncé has taken the world by storm. So much so that the announcement of her most recent pregnancy prompted breaking news notifications from many of our cell phones. While the media’s fixation with her every move can be polarizing, neither her talent nor her influence are up for debate.
In an age where the internet tends to create overnight sensations at a whim, Beyoncé can’t help but feel like the last of her kind. These days, workmanship of her caliber often goes unnoticed in favor of quick clicks and tiresome fads. Whereas viral fame can thrust “stars” into the spotlight with little to no warning, Beyoncé has been patiently perfecting her craft since the age of eight.
Before they were universally known as “Destiny’s Child” (1998), the singing girl group was called “Girls Tyme”. Donning costumes designed by Beyoncé's mother, Tina-Knowles-Lawson, the girls performed locally on the talent show circuit and eventually nationally as the opening act for popular R&B artists. Still, despite their rising fame, the girls struggled to secure a contract with a record label. It wasn’t until Beyoncé's father, Mathew Knowles, quit his job as salesman to become the group’s manager that the girls successfully bagged a deal with Columbia Records.
As the frontwoman of “Destiny’s Child”, Beyoncé first arrived into the mainstream with their eponymous debut album in 1998. However, it was their sophomore album, “The Writing’s on the Wall” (1999) that cemented their status as a force to be reckoned with number one singles like “Bills Bills Bills” and “Say My Name”. At the same time, the group’s ever evolving lineup and internal disputes stirred up controversy.
After some trial and error, the group debuted their most popular lineup for their third album, “Survivor" (2001). Still, the girls were growing older and ultimately decided to take a hiatus to pursue solo endeavors. For Beyoncé, her first outing as a solo artist granted her a chance to show what she could do if left to her own devices. Her lead single "Crazy in Love (feat. Jay-Z)" was a bona fide hit which resulted in her Grammy without "Destiny's Child". While "Dangerously in Love" proved that the young star could be taken seriously as a solo artist, she was just getting started.
After the disbandment of Destiny’s Child in 2004, Beyonce’s sophomore album, “B’Day”(2006) hit airwaves with infectious hits like “Deja-Vu (feat. Jay-Z)” and “Irreplaceable”. "B'Day" was one of the many feats she would accomplish that year, as a starring role in the musical "Dreamgirls" was another career highlight.
During the rollout of her third studio album, “I Am... Sasha Fierce” (2008) , Beyoncé got off to a big start after she publicly announced that she wed her longtime boyfriend, Jay-Z, earlier that year. While “I Am... Sasha Fierce” was a commercial success, its legacy is hindered by its awkward packaging and its lack of self. Sonically, it’s easily the weakest album in her catalog by a long shot, which is hard to grasp due to the longevity of singles like “Single Ladies (Put A Ring on It)” and “Halo”. Ultimately, despite the introduction of her saucy alter ego, Beyoncé's third album is not as bold as “Dangerously in Love” and nowhere near as fun as “B’Day”.
To add fuel to the fire, Beyoncé fired her father as her manager after an internal audit revealed that he was stealing money from her “I Am... Sasha Fierce” World Tour. In doing so, she took creative control of her image for the first time in her career. The difficult decision to part ways with her father arguably served as the catalyst for her reinvention, years later.
During this time, the artist took a hiatus and traveled the world in search of inspiration. These newfound life lessons were furnished into her fourth studio album which was appropriately titled, “4” (2011). “4” was a pleasant return to form and breathed life into her recently stunted discography. Mostly recorded mostly in New York City, “4” was conceived as a throwback to the classic R&B sound of the ‘80’s. More than anything, it showcased her growth as an artist both lyrically and vocally. Not only was her sound more mature, it was more cohesive than ever before. A month after its release, she revealed she was pregnant with her first child, a daughter she would name Blue Ivy.
After a memorable stint at the Super Bowl in early February 2013, Beyoncé would unleash a body of work that would redefine her career and shake the industry to its core. Without warning, on Dec. 13, 2013 Beyoncé released her fifth studio album, “Beyoncé”. Despite not receiving any promotion, the album would go on to sell over 80,000 copies within the first three hours of its release. In the same spirit of “Dangerously in Love”, on “Beyoncé ” the star was set on making a statement. However, this time it would be on her own terms.
'Self-titled' was a tour de force that signaled an artistic breakthrough. Across 14 tracks and 17 videos, she tackled self-image, her miscarriage and womanhood. Most noticeably, this go-round, her image was more sexually charged than ever. Although the media wasted no time in pointing that out, it was apparent that Beyoncé was only person in control of her narrative.
At the time of its release, "Beyoncé" was the most ambitious and most beloved project of her career. However, her highly anticipated follow-up “Lemonade” (2016) somehow managed to up the ante. The album's companion piece first appeared as a 45 minute special on HBO and on Tidal shortly after. While the boisterous anthem, "Formation" captured the artist at her most self-assured, altogether, the concept album tackled the overarching story of how she coped with her husband's infidelity. We found the star at her most vulnerable as she channeled her woes into hip-hop, gospel and even country inspired tracks.
However, in a frame by frame replay of the 57th Grammy Awards when she lost Album of the Year to singer/songwriter Beck, Beyoncé was the center of another upset on the same stage. Despite "Lemonade" prospering as the more critically acclaimed of the two, Adele's comeback, "25" came out on top as AOTY. Although she graciously and deservedly accepted her award, even Adele was somewhat baffled. During a press conference after the ceremony Adele said, “What the f--k does she have to do to win album of the year? That's how I feel.”
In spite of everything, her most recent project, “Everything is Love” (2018), finds 36-year-old Beyoncé at her most comfortable and confident. After the difficult, but successful birth of her twins and her current world tour with her husband, there's a lot for her to celebrate. Whether she's making history headlining Coachella or opening the doors the next generation with this month's Vogue cover, like her ancestors before her, she's a 'first' in many aspects. She recognizes her legacy, and it shows.
From her humble beginnings of practicing in her mother’s hair salon to becoming regarded as a cultural icon, when you put in perspective, you begin to understand why both the Hive and even Adele ride so hard for her. For every accolade she has earned, she’s had to work twice as hard as her peers to achieve them.
Still, even after this massive turnover in her career, she still hasn’t reached her final form. But that’s the beauty in her.
Despite our countless attempts, the only person she lets define her is herself.
On The Run II Tour Breakdown
- Who: Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Supporting Acts include sister duo Chloe X Halle and producer DJ Khaled.
- What: OTR II is the the sequel to Beyoncé and Jay-Z's 2013 tour, On the Run. The tour coincides with the release of the couple's first joint album, "Everything is Love".
- When: Tuesday, August 21 @ 7:30 p.m.
- Where: Williams-Brice Stadium
- Gates open @ 5:30 p.m.
- The stadium will still be implementing the same Clear Bag Policy they use for football games. Non-clear bags larger than a clutch will not be admitted.
- Alcohol will be sold at the venue to guests 21 and older.
- Tickets range from $54.50-$325 and can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com. Each ticket includes a free six month trial of the streaming service, Tidal.
- Parking lots open at 3:30 p.m.
- Traffic in Columbia is expected to be really heavy. Six schools in Richland Country School District 1 have granted their students an early release in preparation for the couple's arrival.