Oh, Beyoncé.
By now, all of you must have gathered that we love the Queen. Indeed, didn't we coin the term 'The Trinity' for B, Lady Gaga and Princess Brit? Everything about the woman just kicks ass; from her singing, dancing and performing ability, to her generous heart and obvious love for her family and friends; Beyoncé is indisputably one of the most humble people in the industry and one of the greatest artists of the last few decades.
So we decided that, in place of our usual ARTICLE and in B's honour, we are going to tribute her greatest achievements and show just why we love her so much.
Beyoncé is one of very few artists of our generation who are on the fast track to legend-dom. She was a founding member of Destiny's Child, the biggest selling female group of all time; has sold over 100 million records worldwide; won 16 Grammys; has 9 #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100; was Billboard and Rolling Stone's female artist of the decade; and has cowritten and produced some of the biggest songs of the last ten years.
In addition, she is a championed humanitarian, founding the Survivor Foundation with her family and fellow DC member Kelly Rowland for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina; conducted food drives during The Beyoncé Experience tour; and, most recently, opened the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center at the Brooklyn Phoenix House, to which she and her mother, Tina Knowles, have pledged to donate $100 K annually.
But those facts alone aren't what make Beyoncé so great. Even without them she would still be one of the most electrifying performers ever to grace the stage. Her ability to entertain a crowd with a stripped back set and little to no explosions and other gimmicks often employed by other artists, is almost unmatched. Whenever and wherever she graces the stage - particularly in the last year - she receives multiple standing ovations and is publically lauded by her peers.
But you don't need us to tell you that. You don't need us to tell you just how good she has become; just how much she has grown artistically in a few short years. We'd rather show you. Below is a timeline of sorts of our some of her most stand-out moments...
1997:
Destiny's Child - No No No
We didn't know it then, but this song marked the debut of one of the greatest groups of all time. And one of the best video openings of the last twenty years.
However, at the same time, sure they were very good, but they weren't outrageously so. There are other black girls of similar age who could have outsung and outdanced them. What set them apart was their work ethic and their ingrained discipline.
2000
Destiny's Child - Say My Name
Line up changes aside, Say My Name was the turning point of Destiny's Child's career. It was when people realised that DC weren't just a one hit wonder; that they were hear to stay. Their improvement between their debut album and the incredible follow-up The Writings On The Wall was both noticeable and noteworthy. And the fact that this song was one of the best of the last decade didn't hurt either.
2000
Destiny's Child - Independent Woman (Part I)
One of the most iconic points in Destiny's Child's career. It gave us DC 3.0 - a vast improvement on version 2.0 with guest star Farrah Only-Here-For-A-Minute Franklin. Beyoncé, Kelly and Michelle debuted a brand new, more adult look, in fabulous dresses and showcased more complex choreography. Their vocals had improved to such an extent that, at that point in time, there was no other group who could match them. This was - in our opinion - the true debut of Destiny's Child in their present, record-breaking, Rolling Stone-covering form.
2002
Jay Z ft. Beyoncé - 03 Bonnie & Clyde
Again, we didn't know it then, but this was the coming-out of one of the most famous couples in music history. With a heart-thumping beat, Jay's slaying of the verses and B's unmistakeable vocals, this was one of the best songs of '02 and B's first solo hit.
2003
Beyoncé ft. Jay Z - Crazy In Love
The birth of Beyoncé as we know her now. It is almost impossible to comprehend the improvement she underwent between Survivor and her first solo record, Dangerously In Love. Crazy In Love has to be one of the greatest debuts of all time; the infectious beat, insane trumpets, B's soaring vocals and the now infamous booty-shake, she took over the music scene and left a permanent mark on the industry.
Just A Few Months Later
Beyoncé - Crazy In Love (2003 MTV Video Music Awards)
In our opinion, this was B's coming out performance. This was her showing everyone she was here to stay. And they must have realised that because the audience gave B her first solo standing ovation. The whole performance slayed; from the iconic coming-down-from-the-ceiling beginning to Jay's emergence and that LIFE of an end ('eh, eh, EH!'). 28.08.03 at approximately 20:30 is cited as the moment in time when almost every other female artist's career was either damaged or completely destroyed.
2004
Destiny's Child - Lose My Breath
The return of Destiny's Child. Despite many whispers that the group would never reunite due to Beyoncé's solo success, our girls did just that with a triumphant return. And, once again, they had upped their game. That infamous strut at the start and end of the video, the outstanding choreography, their impeccable vocals; it just showed up every other (lesser) artist in the game.
2005
Destiny's Child - DC Medley (2005 World Music Awards)
This was the greatest performance of DC's career. From start to finish, they showed just why they are the best female group of all time. Those unmistakeably perfect vocals, the stunning choreography, that killer of an end when B caught the spirit and the three women sing acapella - life on every. damn. level. It was almost too much to take. By this point, they were just so good it was unreal. And their journey from No No No to this point was vindicated by that end pose and the incredible standing ovation.
Absolute perfection.
2006
Beyoncé - Deja Vu
We hadn't even considered the possibity of B getting even better than she was during the Destiny Fulfilled world tour, and then she came with this. It could be said that prior to B'Day, B was just 'the hottest female artist of the moment', but not after this. Forget about the track with its killer beginning, kick-ass vocals, pounding beat and classic production; the video, with its stunning cinematography, beautiful visuals, insane styling and Beyoncé's now infamous dust-dance is what truly marked the birth of an icon.
Later That Year...
Beyoncé - Deja Vu & Irreplaceable ('06 World Music Awards)
In our opinion, these performances displayed just how far B had come to perfection. First, the unforgettable Deja Vu showcase, where B slayed the choreography and live vocals and got the show off to an impossible-to-follow start. But, much as we love that performance (and it is one of our favourite Beyoncé performances to date), Irreplaceable is really what stood out for us. Simply put, she looked as if she was living her dream up on that stage. The sheer joy on her face, the smiles, the laughs, the twirling around; it was beautiful to watch.
Deja Vu
Irreplaceable
2008
Beyoncé - Single Ladies
What can we really say about this that hasn't already been said? The dance craze of the decade. This marked B's return and was her official coronation as 'Queen B'. The first time we saw this video, we watched it seven times in a row. We couldn't look away. Even now when it comes on TV, we never change the channel.
That whole video was pure Sasha, but that grin at the end? Beyoncé through and through
2009
Beyoncé - At Last (President's Inaugural Ball)
This is one of the most iconic points in Beyoncé's career to date. Singing for President Obama and Michelle Obama as they danced at the inaugural ball is an achievement that can never be taken away from B. And you could see in her eyes how much it meant to her.
These videos and performances sum up just how far Beyoncé has come in just thirteen years; the achievements she has, the records she's broken, the awards and accolades she's won, the performances she's slayed. They all lead up to this point. Her 29th birthday; so young and yet she has accomplished so much. And, yet, even at this point in her career she works just as hard - if not harder - than she ever has. She still has that hunger and passion that orginally pushed her to become what she has.
As we always say, there are stars, there are superstars, and then there is Beyoncé.
Happy birthday, B.
www.twitter.com/tha_phoenix
This almost made me cry! Good Job!! I love her so much! =(
ReplyDeletelove it :D and love her :D
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