On Beyonce’s 36th birthday, join us as we make a very short, almost too short, list of reasons why we love her, admire her, and think that the multi-Grammy award winner is a winner in real life too!
The Queen of Firsts
When it comes to music, and the way it is produced and consumed, Beyonce has broken old parameters and forged new ones.
In 2013, Beyonce released her first “visual album” titled Beyonce without any prior mention of it, which led to two major changes in the western music industry.
It isn’t often that a mainstream artist releases music without prior notice, and doing so seems to have worked in Beyonce’s favour: Beyonce was the fastest selling album in the history of iTunes.
It also sparked off the visual album trend.
Fighting for Women Empowerment
“Flawless,” one of the tracks on the 2013 album Beyonce, includes bits of a speech by author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
We raise girls to see each other as competitors, not for jobs or for accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing, but for the attention of men. We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are.Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Queen Bey has always strived to make meaningful music. Yes, even when it’s about a woman expressing her sexuality, as in “Partition,” it is something valuable.
Apart from the feminist undertones that are especially evident in her more recent work, Beyonce is also very vocal about Black history and culture.
A True-Born Entertainer
If you’ve seen any of Beyonce’s fabulously produced music videos, you know the woman can sing and dance. If you’ve watched the 2008 Oscar-winning Cadillac Records, you know she can act, too.
The coolest bit? Bey was born this way.
Check out this video of seven-year-old Beyonce performing at the Sammy Awards in Houston, Texas as the previous year’ winner.
An Inspiration to Working Mothers Everywhere
When Beyonce shared a picture of her then one-month-old twins, it nearly broke the internet. The twins were born a year after Beyonce’s sixth studio album, Lemonade, was released. The fifth album, Beyonce, was released shortly after Ivy Blue Carter’s birth, and was recorded in six- or seven-hour shifts, with the artist spending the rest of the time with her baby.
This is in line with what she has said about having a career while being a mother.
I have so much admiration for women who are mothers, who balance family and work. I see them and I have this word in my head — respect. I also look to learn. I see these women and I think, ‘Yes, it can be balanced, it can all work out, I do believe that it’s possible to have it all — work, a career, babies.’
A Living Legend
There’s a long list of people who’ve been influenced by Bey’s music and her body of work. Such is her role in shaping modern R&B music that all those who work in the genre borrow from her — if not in terms of inspiration, then in the way they put their ideas to work.
While Beyonce herself cites Michael Jackson, Etta James, Whitney Houston, and several other musicians as her influences, some of those who have been influenced by her are Ariana Grande, Iggy Azalea, Frank Ocean, and several others.
Ariana Grande has said that she discovered her vocal range thanks to Beyonce
Why do you love Beyonce?
Express your love for Mrs Carter and let us know in the comments below, and let’s all wish her a very happy birthday!
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)