So I am going to go on the record to say,
I am not a "fan" of Beyonce.
(checks over shoulders for the instant attack from her hive)
(no seriously, I'm checking and slightly scared.)
I never express my sentiments about her outside of my home for the fear of the lashing
and subsequent stutter that stems from my walking on egg shells as if I were
talking about someones grandmother or religion.
I don't intend on elaborating extensively here, because the emotion behind my feelings
towards her is a bit layered and honestly far too complex and probably boring for one to
read. But on that same record I can say that I admire Beyonce.
Contradictory much? (blame the post- postpartum hormones)
Where does this stem from you ask? Well, you already know the answer to that.
Her recent massacre on the music distribution platform created a media frenzy that was hard to ignore. Even for me. So I surrendered...slightly.
I ventured over to youtube to view her behind the scenes and "reasons why" she
decided to launch her latest project this way. Intriguing to say the least.
One thing I never argued about when it can to Beyonce was her hustle.
To be frank, she makes shit happen. And she does it big.
I, like many, was already on Twitter following a Scandal Thursday tweet up and
watched my timeline shift to complete shock and fangirl screams as she debuts her secret album.
And as I rolled my eyes and scoffed at the redundancy of the "#BOWDOWN's and Queendom proclamations, I simultaneously proclaimed her a genius.
Yes, without even hearing a track. It was pure genius from a publicity
and business perspective.
And coincided almost perfectly with my "vision for 2014" declarations.
Don't Speak. Just Do.
aka... don't flap your gums about all the magic you are hoping to create in the new year,
Whether it is scheduled, already photographed, or paid for. Just do it and when it
is fully matured, then release it. So much can happen that could set everything you are working toward to fail. Why not eliminate the need to have to deal with the doubt of the nay-sayers, extend deadlines, or apologize about delays and just do it and let the surprise of it all be the ultimate reward.
(I'm sure there is a far better summary of all this wrapped in a beautifully packaged
Joel Olsteen or Dalai Lama quote.)
What does all this have to do with the video above.
Well, in one of the two videos Beyonce posted, she referenced her discovery of
feminists Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This was also a discovery for me.
While many of my emotions stem from very feminists like roots I thought that
I would tap into her speech. And what'll know?! The bells chimed blissfully and
articulated so much of what I have tried to say for years about the workforce,
high school, relationships, pop culture and beyond.
The correlation between Chimamanda's speech and what Beyonce was able to achieve with her debut, is showing young girls that one does not have to sacrifice their being in order to be seen and gain the respect and / or accolades that are due. Women don't have to dilute themselves nor do they have to compete or tear down in order to stand firm on their plot. But instead should inspire and unearth that which has been masked by the constant display of competitiveness and female gender thrashing on reality tv.
I'm not 100% certain this comes across clear... and yes it might be slightly soapbox-y
but hey...all in all that deserves respect.
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