As a friend of mine said: Beyoncé has always been black, but now she has the influence and control to show it. Earlier this year Beyoncé released a visual album entitled "Lemonade". On the surface it seemed it was just about Jay Z’s cheating accusations but beneath that she portrayed womanism and her own blackness by traveling through space and time. I have not had the opportunity to see the Formation tour but Instagram posts have given a good idea of what the concert is like. While the music is an important part of the tour (she rocks out to rap hits like Cut It and Panda), the fashion is equally important. Beyoncé is proving on tour how much she owns her blackness with her hair. In the past, Beyoncé has gotten criticism for always wearing long, blonde, wavy weaves and wigs, which many believed was her real hair. Some black women believed it was her way of assimilating into white American culture. Occasionally she switched it up, sometimes rocking a short, blonde, wavy weave and wig and very rarely wore braids. But, on tour it is a different story.

It seems in every concert, or major city she has a different hair style! This may seem shallow or unimportant but it really is a big deal. There seems to be a suspense now; who knows what style she’ll wear next! Here’s why it matters: black women are known for constantly changing their hair. Not all of us do, but many of us follow that pattern. Many black women have spoken up about the questions we tend to get like: “is that your real hair? No! Oh” or “your hair grew so fast!” Weaves and wigs are sometimes great because they save time. Yet society has created this awful stigma against weaves and wigs as if there is something inauthentic and dirty about wearing them. I do believe there are times when they are used just to assimilate into white America, as Beyoncé did, but other times we just like the creativity of being able to switch our styles and not have to worry about damaging our hair.

As I said before, Beyoncé so rarely changes her hair, many do believe her wigs are her real hair. Well, on this current tour, Beyoncé has had 10 different hairstyles while performing. I know fan’s heads are spinning! All of the styles have been different, and they’re not just her same long wig straightened or cut into a style; they are all very unique. She has mixed up styles of braids, up-dos, and wearing her hair down. Before you check out the pictures below, I want to say that I am proud of Beyoncé for doing small things that make a big statement and a huge difference. She is older and more mature now and as a mother she is saying a lot to her daughter, Blue Ivy, about being proud not only of being black but also of being a black woman.