In 2016, practically everything is debated. Politics, gender equality and the role of Greek life—the list can go on forever. However one thing is always clear: Beyoncé is bae.
In 2013, Beyoncé released a surprise self-titled album. It was released in the middle of a random winter night with 14 tracks and 17 videos.
There were no debates to be had.
Then Beyoncé went on tour. 12 days after the album release at the Barclays Center in December, I saw her live. On that night, New York City was cold. Beyoncé made it warm. On that night, the city that never sleeps was buzzing. Until Beyoncé made it silent.
Back then, Beyoncé stopped the world. Just as society thought she was passing her prime, she made us hesitate and rethink.
Shortly after the night I saw Her Majesty live, Beyoncé began Project Blue Ivy and disappeared from headlines for over 18 months.
We all reacted the same.
Yet Beyoncé never slips. Releasing a surprise single filmed in New Orleans, “Formation” reasserts Beyoncé as the powerful individual she is. She embraces NOLA as its Mardi Gras festivities begin. She is Miss Carter, still invincible. And now, she's taking a clear stand as an advocate for the racial divide in the United States.
And then, she rocks the Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show. (Beyoncé owned the performance in its entirety a few years ago despite the fact that the host stadium lost power. I’m holding all causation not correlation on that one.) But this weekend she joined Coldplay on stage and, along with Bruno Mars, stole the show.
And then Beyoncé announced a 2016 World Tour.
No one does it like Beyoncé. She’s an entertainer, an omnipotent presence, a goddess, an overlord always prepared to reassert her dominance.
Her best quality is her ability to evolve and to continue to add new dimensions to her music. Beyoncé’s debut album, "Dangerously in Love," is so different from "B-Day," which is, in its own respect, different from "I Am…Sasha Fierce" and "4." The self-titled surprise album rests entirely in its own dimension of sound blends and ballads. At peak, all five albums have been the top album on the charts. By keeping her music spicy and unpredictable, we are always left longing for more.
In the real world, true surprises rarely happen. In Beyoncé’s world, true surprises have become reminders. Don’t forget about her, about her music, about her status as a musician, about her message and about the fact that “Bey” and bae are one.
