Beyonce

Daughters of the Resurrection: For Black Women, “Lemonade” Still Feels Like Home

Beyoncé, a light-skinned Black woman wearing cornrows, poses in profile in the visual album for Lemonade
by Vanessa Willoughby
April 23, 2021 at 12:41pm
Though the album delves deep into the pain of infidelity, it shouldn’t be separated from its depiction of Black womanhood as a far-reaching community forged from shared experience.
cutouts of Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Maps” video and Beyoncé from the “Hold Up” video collaged together with three paintings: Nausicaa (1878) and Flaming June (1895) by Frederic Leighton and “Autumn Sea” (1867) by Gustave Courbet

Hold Up: When Music Treats Softness as a Superpower

by Erica Campbell
April 23, 2021 at 9:13am
“Hold Up” is a nuanced love song in which the female protagonist isn’t begging or asking for love; she’s making a clear and precise declaration. Read more »
A screenshot of Beyoncé in Black is King. Beyoncé looks regal, her expression soft and her face looking to the side. There’s a glow on the entire image.

“Black Is King” Navigates African Cultures and the Diaspora’s Imagination

by Kovie Biakolo
August 14, 2020 at 3:33pm
Black is King works because it is honest: a film of hope and belonging. Read more »
Reese Witherspoon, Yara Shahidi, and Ashley Graham with pieces from the Ivy Park x Adidas collection

Beyoncé Wrapped Capitalism in Orange Boxes and Called It Empowerment

by Najma Sharif
February 6, 2020 at 10:52am
Many people no longer consider wealth the gateway to freedom and power for Black people. Read more »
A photo from Beyoncé's "Spirit" music video. A large group of Black men wear pink outfits and olive-colored durags in the desert.

How We Adorn Ourselves: Jailyn Poindexter on Making 20 Durags for Beyoncé’s ”Spirit” Video

by Brooklyn White
July 31, 2019 at 10:44am
How we as Black people adorn ourselves is valid, as shown in the “Spirit” video. Read more »
a lightskinned Black woman wears a regal outfit on a stage

Diva Behavior: Can We Call Beyoncé a Genius Now?

by Evette Dionne
June 11, 2019 at 12:40pm
Beyoncé as an artist is also questioning a lot of things about the way we do things. Read more »
close-up of a white women who holds a bearded man's face in her hands

Back by Popular Demand: Beyoncé Harnesses the Power of Conjuring in “Formation”

by Kevin Allred
June 11, 2019 at 8:21am
In “Formation,” Beyoncé gathers ghosts to attend to history and the present, standing in for a myriad possible conjure women from various Black spiritual traditions. Read more »
a Black woman wears a Nefertiti outfit on stage with band members

Carrying the Torch: Beyoncé Embodies the FUBU Mantra in “Homecoming”

by Tamara Winfrey-Harris
April 26, 2019 at 12:28pm
Black women have long been the collectors of knowledge in the Black community. Read more »
a lightskinned Black woman in a pink sweatshirt performs on a stage with a band

“Homecoming” Homework: 7 Books to Read after Watching Beyoncé’s Epic Documentary

by Kevin Allred
April 18, 2019 at 4:15pm
Homecoming is so much more than just pop culture; it’s a masterclass on “schoolin’ life.” Read more »
Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson, LeToya Luckett, and Beyonce Knowles

BitchTapes: Celebrating 20 Years of Destiny’s Child

by Evette Dionne
February 16, 2018 at 11:29am
20 years later, Destiny’s Child is definitively the best girl group of all time. Read more »
Beyonce, Sir Carter, and Rumi

The Age of the Bumpspiracy

by Tamara Winfrey-Harris
September 15, 2017 at 9:21am
When we will stop thinking famous women are faking their pregnancies? Read more »

Pages