“Beyoncé’s Lemonade is one of the decade’s best movies - Vox.com” plus 4 more |
- Beyoncé’s Lemonade is one of the decade’s best movies - Vox.com
- There's hope for a Beyoncé performance at the Oscars - CNN
- Jay Z snatches man’s phone after trying to film Beyonce dancing - Metro.co.uk
- 10 years of Beyoncé: A decade 'causing all this conversation' - The Conversation CA
- Why Jay-Z Had to Defend Beyoncé At Diddy's 50th Birthday Party - Showbiz Cheat Sheet
| Beyoncé’s Lemonade is one of the decade’s best movies - Vox.com Posted: 17 Dec 2019 05:30 AM PST  Beyoncé's Lemonade was technically an album, her sixth studio record as a solo artist. But it wasn't just an album. It was an event, a full-fledged phenomenon, a bolt of lightning on a late-April day in 2016. It sparked rhapsodies and raptures, inspired numerous other artists, and generated full-album responses. Adele broke her Album of the Year Grammy in half in tribute to the album as a stand against what she saw as its snub. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Titus Andromedon character performed a glorious homage. And James Comey sang from Lemonade during an FBI briefing, which is how you know something's really achieved full cultural saturation. Most importantly for me, though: Lemonade came with a "visual album," which was really a 65-minute art piece that's easily one of the decade's best films. A reported 787,000 people watched its hastily announced HBO premiere before it arrived on the music streaming platform Tidal, owned by Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z (whose philandering was also the ostensible target of a number of songs on the album); eventually it began trickling out to other platforms. Gutsy and gorgeous, Lemonade the film flouts genre, just like the R&B-rock-country-soul album. It's both fiction and nonfiction, mixing fantasy and dream sequences with imagery from the 1991 drama Daughters of the Dust and home videos from Beyoncé's family. It's horror and comedy, drama and romance, magical realism and just plain old magic. The film is divided into eleven chapters, each corresponding to a song on the album with titles that expatiate its arc: "Intuition," "Denial," "Anger," "Apathy," "Emptiness," "Accountability," "Reformation," "Forgiveness," "Resurrection," "Hope," and "Redemption." That's a narrative of reconciliation. And textually, the album seems to be about a relationship (presumably Beyoncé's own marriage to Jay-Z) nearly torn apart and then painstakingly knit back together. But on screen, its broader subtext becomes much more explicit — it's a narrative, really, of brokenness and reparation, filtered through the particular experiences of black women in the American South. As Ashley Ray-Harris wrote at the AV Club in 2016, every image Beyoncé and her collaborators tells a story of "the painful realities of the black female experience in America," of being betrayed by systems that take and do not give back, and of finding hope in one another to carry on. "The journey in Lemonade centers on a movement for Beyoncé — but really all of us black women by proxy — from pain toward healing and empowerment," Syreeta McFadden wrote at the Guardian. So the film's imagery ranges from the simple (an intimate piano ballad) to the fantastical (Beyoncé appears as Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of fertility) to the painfully real, as when the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner hold up images of their sons images and dare us to look away. Poetry by Somali-British poet Warsan Shire is read in the interstitial moments between songs. There are visual homages to Beyoncé's native Texas and to the culture of New Orleans, to canonical indie classics and to Yoruba tradition. It is a rich, rich text. That's a lot of what makes it so important as a work of cinema. Watching Lemonade is a stunning experience — I think I watched it four times during the first week after its release, and I wrote about its religious imagery. And it's a remarkably cohesive experience, too, given the number of collaborators Beyoncé worked with. It both hews to and challenges the auteur theory, the idea that the director of a movie is more of the "author" than the writer; in this case, there are seven credited directors, but it's unmistakably the work of one artist — Beyoncé. Yet those directors are important artists in their own right. They include, among others, the video artist Kahlil Joseph and Melina Matsoukas, whose first feature film, Queen & Slim, came out in late 2019. The avant-garde documentarian Khalik Allah worked as a cinematographer and second unit director on Lemonade; in 2019, his documentary Black Mother was one of the best films of the year. The entire Lemonade project is a great work of art on its own, and it's also an unrelentingly political one, a mode people weren't often used to seeing from Beyoncé in the past. It encapsulates many of the debates and discussions that would grow to animate the film and art worlds this decade — issues of representation on film, of who gets to control the final product, of mixing and remixing the past, of what political art might look like, of the potential reach of films by and starring black artists. By creating the visual album according to her own vision, choosing the means of distribution, and letting the work exist outside of any boxes, Beyoncé managed to make a film that's both about liberation and an act of liberation in and of itself. And she did it all while challenging stereotypes and crafting a genuinely beautiful film that demands respect and earns it. Most of the movies that showed up at the multiplex this decade are already utterly forgotten. Lemonade, I've no doubt, will outlast us. Lemonade is available to digitally rent on iTunes, and Tidal subscribers can stream it. |
| There's hope for a Beyoncé performance at the Oscars - CNN Posted: 17 Dec 2019 01:04 PM PST [unable to retrieve full-text content]There's hope for a Beyoncé performance at the Oscars CNN |
| Jay Z snatches man’s phone after trying to film Beyonce dancing - Metro.co.uk Posted: 16 Dec 2019 12:40 AM PST  Jay Z proved to be the most protective husband when he caught a man sneakily trying to film Beyonce dancing at Diddy's 50th birthday party this weekend, and acted accordingly. The Drunk In Love couple attended Diddy's star-studded birthday bash at his Holmby Hills, Los Angeles mansion on Saturday night in celebration of his big milestone. Of course, Beyonce naturally tries to keep lowkey at these type of A-list events but she struggled to go unnoticed when hitting the dancefloor. In footage filmed by a very stealth guest, Bey, 38, was seen getting down to Bobby Brown's classic hit Every Little Step alongside her pals Kelly Rowland and rapper Saweetie, while Jay Z was spotted enjoying himself nearby. But Jay Z's joy was briefly interrupted when he caught a male guest standing right next to Beyonce with his phone out, seemingly trying to film the superstar singer in a rare off-guard moment. Advertisement Advertisement Another guest filmed the Big Pimpin rapper snatching the phone out of the man's hand but appeared to return the phone after delivering a verbal warning. Kelly's husband Tim Witherspoon looked shocked at Jay Z's quick move but the rest of the group seemed to be oblivious to the incident – or pretended not to see, at least. Jay Z is giving Beyonce's bodyguard Julius a run for his money. Shortly before, Beyonce was seen sharing a sweet moment with Saweetie who was visibly starstruck with the singer. The My Type singer was clearly overwhelmed with emotion and struggled to get her words out, prompting Beyonce to stroke her arm reassuringly. Cute. Saweetie was joined at the bash by her boyfriend, Migos rapper Quavo, as well as Cardi B and her husband Offset. It may have been hard to spot Beyonce at first due to her brand new look – the Single Ladies singer has swapped her trademark blonde hair for dark brown making for quite the drastic change. The singer went all-black for the night in a strapless gown which featured a particularly daring split stretching as high as her bum and finished with stunning diamante detailing. She completed the look with a pair of long gloves and jewellery worn over them. Aside from Bey's new look, the talk of the night was Jay Z's surprise reunion with Kanye West after years of tension between the former besties. Advertisement Advertisement The Watch The Throne collaborators posed for a photo with Diddy and Pharrell, before having a quiet catch-up alone. It comes after the pair had an epic fallout a few years ago due to clashes over business and the fact Jay Z snubbed Kanye's wedding to Kim Kardashian in 2014. However, judging by their smiles they were happy to be in each other's company again. Got a showbiz story?If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Beyonce rocks dark hair at Diddy's 50th birthday party and we are living for it MORE: If you ever want to feel broke, remember that Beyoncé's daughter Blue Ivy Carter has her own stylist Advertisement Advertisement
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| 10 years of Beyoncé: A decade 'causing all this conversation' - The Conversation CA Posted: 17 Dec 2019 10:27 AM PST When the American Music Awards gave Taylor Swift the title of Artist of the Decade, TV show host Wendy Williams was likely not the only one surprised. Of this decade's pop juggernauts, Beyoncé has stood at the intersection of a turbulent political climate and a problematic celebrity culture. A look back at Beyoncé's 2010s shows that her work — radical and important — also comes with uncomfortable contradictions. Her status as celebrity and family woman has come to represent black empowerment but despite her triumphs, the singer was far from uncontroversial. 'You Know You're that Bitch When — 'The decade began rather quietly for Beyoncé who, notably, did not dominate the 2010s with hit singles. But her albums imprinted into pop history, particularly in the years after the 2011's 4. In January 2013, David Bowie released a surprise album The Next Day recorded in secret. In February of the same year, the band My Bloody Valentine released their last album on their website and, later, for free on YouTube. The surprise album drop may not have been a new invention. Yet when Beyoncé's self-titled visual album burst onto iTunes in December 2013, it forced conversations about artists bypassing traditional media and middle-men to strengthen the bond between themselves and their fans. Some stores, like Target, refused to stock the physical album in defiance. Beyoncé's legacy at the end of the decade is apparent now. Singers can garner fanbases, fame and success with little more than a Soundcloud, YouTube or Instagram account. Beyond daring business strategy, Beyoncé continued to push the creative envelope. Beyoncé was concerned with feminism. But she intensified her resistance politics when she released Lemonade in 2016 with an accompanying hour-long film on HBO. In her performances of the album after its release, Black power and Afrocentric iconography took centre stage. Notable of these was the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show, in which her performance of the anti-police brutality lead single "Formation" featured backup dancers courageously wearing the uniform of the radical Black Panther Party. Ultimately, Lemonade aligned itself with the #BlackLivesMatter movement that exploded in the middle of the decade as protests against the oppression of African Americans entered the mainstream. With its frank revelation of the infidelity of her husband, rapper Jay-Z, the album has also been hailed as a celebration of Black (female) resilience. A Black Bill Gates in the makingCriticisms of this new radical Beyoncé were parodied brilliantly by Saturday Night Live. Though some were decidedly unfair, it is true that contradictions simmer beneath the surface of her political image. How does one reconcile the centering of the African diaspora in Lemonade with her controversial 2018 Vogue interview, in which she references her slave-owning ancestor as a man who "fell in love with and married a slave"? Romanticization of the union between a white slave master and Black slave woman is especially problematic when one considers the disproportionate power dynamics between white slave owners and Black slave women during the time and the lack of agency slave women often had in such sexual relationships. Using the language of love and romance to describe such relationships between Black women and white men not only highlights Black women's lack of sociopolitical rights but seemingly clashes with her overt displays of Black feminist power. Furthermore, how does one reconcile Beyoncé's promotion of Black singers and Black women in The Gift with the theft of Black singer Ledisi's opportunity to reprise her performance in the movie Selma (2014) at the 2015 Grammys? In an industry often reluctant to give Black singers opportunities and accolades (of which Beyonce has herself been a victim), Beyonce's selection of which opportunities to give to and to take from less-exposed Black singers requires some consideration. As cultural theorist and music industry insider Kristin J. Lieb has argued, in a competitive music industry, a pop star's continued survival, wealth and fame depends on having a consumable brand. Black experience and struggle can certainly be useful commodities in that regard, especially during these politically intense times. That may or may not represent the singers' true politics. A billion dollars in an elevatorThere is a tension between Beyoncé the Black Revolutionary and Beyoncé the Business Woman/Brand in the 2010s. Her album releases are landmark cultural moments that generated conversations around feminism, Afrocentricity and artist agency. But this tension — between capitalism and liberation — shadowed Beyoncé's decade, including in the domestic sphere. At the 2011 VMAs Beyoncé ended her performance of "Love on Top" by rubbing her protruding belly, revealing her pregnancy to fans. The Knowles-Carters became one of the Black superfamilies of the 2010s. After the 2014 Met Gala, fans saw Jay-Z in elevator fight with Beyonce's sister, Solange. Fans also watched Beyoncé's firstborn, Blue Ivy, blossom and begin to participate in her mother's work. Beyoncé's child became an icon for Black empowerment for young girls. In the photoshoot for Beyoncé's second pregnancy with twins Rumi and Sir Carter, Beyoncé was staged as a pregnant goddess. The singer powerfully contradicted deep-seated cultural beliefs of pathological Black mothering famously displayed in the sociological Moynihan Report of 1965 that demonized and blamed Black mothers for the "failure" of Black families. The frenzied behaviour of Beyoncé's fans, called The Beyhive, along with Lady Gaga's Little Monsters changed fan-celebrity relationships. It marked a neoliberal turn towards intense inter-fandom competition and worship that helped lay the foundation for the today's pop fan culture. But towards the end of the 2010s, the voices of scrutiny grew louder. Like earlier criticisms of Beyonce's professed radicalism, many grew tired of the family's flaunting of their wealth and distrustful of their business endeavours. For example, the streaming service Tidal was accused of fabricating numbers of their exclusive artists (including Beyoncé). Jay-Z's 2019 deal with the National Football League despite the league's treatment of Black players and protest seemingly contradicted the family's pro-Black politics. Fans feel conflicted about Beyoncé's continued support of Jay-Z despite his famous infidelity. This tension showed in the lack of support from fans for the couple's joint 2018 album, Everything is Love. Lyrics like "Of course shit goes down when it's a billion dollars in an elevator," attempt to dismiss the tensions within the Knowles-Carter family image. And despite the continued strength of the Beyhive's support, by the end of the decade, contradictions continue to haunt the brand of the Knowles-Carters as a powerful Black family. A winner don't quit on themselvesAnd yet, the fact that Beyoncé's Black family were considered worthy of elevation and/or complex readings through nuanced critical discourse is itself an important rebuke of old anti-Black dehumanizing stereotypes. This cannot be ignored. Such is the duality of Beyoncé: a powerful Black woman working within a white patriarchal music industry in which the pursuit of fame and wealth is the goal, strategically using, yet still amplifying, narratives of Black empowerment in the mainstream. Despite the contradictions and controversies, Beyoncé's star power, virtuosity and ability to "cause all this conversation," will undoubtedly see her play an integral role in the 2020s as well. [ Like what you've read? Want more? Sign up for The Conversation's daily newsletter. ] |
| Why Jay-Z Had to Defend Beyoncé At Diddy's 50th Birthday Party - Showbiz Cheat Sheet Posted: 17 Dec 2019 11:34 AM PST Diddy's 50th birthday party was a night to remember. The music mogul celebrated his big day on Dec. 14 with some of the biggest stars in entertainment. Among the invited guests were his close friends Beyoncé and Jay-Z, who (of course) caused a big stir. At one point, a seemingly starstruck man allegedly started recording Beyoncé, which prompted a heated reaction from Jay-Z.  The situation involving Beyoncé and Jay-ZThe moment, which was captured on video, happened on the dance floor. As Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Saweetie were grooving to Bobby Brown's "Every Little Step", a man appeared to be recording the Lemonade crooner. At that point, Jay-Z approached the man and snatched his phone away. Jay-Z appeared to say something to the man, but the music muffled his words. Watch: The moment prompted a barrage of reactions on social media, with one person saying (via PageSix), "Let beyonce enjoy herself dam why everyone has keep cameras on her because she chilling dam smh should threw his a** out." "He was def warranted to do that," commented another. We all know how private Bey is and how much she likes her personal space. But some people felt that Jay-Z overreacted and quickly criticized the 4:44 rapper. "That's so arrogant," wrote another social media user. "I never liked his personality. He can't control what someone does with their phone at a party that's not his own." Another echoed that sentiment, writing, "He didn't have to snatch his phone like that he could have politely ask him not to film." As of writing, Jay-Z has not commented on the situation. But things seemed fine after he stepped in. In a photograph posted to Instagram, Bey, Rowland, and Saweetie were in all smiles. Jay-Z had another big moment at the partyAt the same event, Jay-Z publicly reunited with his old pal Kanye West for the first time in three years. The pair had a major falling out in 2016, but it seems that the men have since decided to let bygones be bygones and move on. In a video circulating social media, the "Otis" rappers can be seen smiling at each other and shaking hands. "There was no drama between Kanye and Jay-Z," a source told E! News on Dec. 15. "The night was all about love for Diddy and that was apparent. Whatever happened in the past was left in the past. They posed for pictures and hugged. They were happy to see each other and very friendly." "It was a room full of a lot of old friends and legends who don't get to see or talk to each other all that often," the source added. "Everyone seemed genuinely happy to come together for the occasion. Kanye and Jay Z chatted for a few minutes and then made the rounds." So, while there was a little drama at the party, some good things happened, too. |
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