Beyoncé proves she is just getting started three decades into her career
Illustration by Kirsten Sturgill.
Breyana Stewart, Contributing Writer
Taylor Swift broke the internet on Oct. 12 with just one Instagram post.
“I’m so glad I’ll never know what my life would’ve been like without @beyonce’s influence,” the global pop star captioned a video of the two of them at the premiere of her concert film.
She reminded us of one important fact: Beyoncé is the blueprint.
This summer, I was fortunate enough to attend the shimmering house of chrome that is the Renaissance World Tour. Throughout the entirety of the two-and-a-half-hour exploration of her creative genius, her vocals never wavered, her energy never tired and her star power never shined brighter.
While inching my way through the swarm of fans at the end of the show, all I could think about was how lucky we all were to be able to experience Beyoncé. There will be generations that learn about her illustrious career through biographical films and stories from their parents, but we are fortunate enough to witness it in real-time.
Selling over 200 million records worldwide and winning over 500 awards, Beyoncé’s influence has permeated multiple generations. The effervescent superstar has spent the last 25 years cementing her legendary status and reminding us that she’s nowhere near finished.
In July 2022, Beyoncé released her critically-acclaimed seventh studio album, “Renaissance.” The musical masterpiece, which was hailed as a “love letter to the Black queer community,” won the singer four Grammys in February, crowning her the most Grammy awarded artist in history.
The dance album spawned a record-breaking, highly-revered world tour of the same name, which grossed $579 million, making it the highest-grossing female tour of all time. As if that wasn’t enough, the monumental tour also generated a $4.5 billion boost to the American economy.
Despite her impressive accolades, her impact exceeds numbers. Beyoncé is often credited with being the pioneer of surprise album drops following the unsuspected 2013 release of her self-titled fifth studio album.
Confident in her vision and her fans’ capability of showing up for her, Beyoncé defied the norm of a Tuesday release and opted for a Friday drop instead. This brave strategy eventually played a role in the national recognition of Friday album releases.
Beyoncé’s bold career tactics have proven that the singer can and will do things on her own terms, and by doing so, she has given a voice to muted communities.
Beyoncé made history as the first Black woman to headline Coachella in 2018. She used the historic moment to uplift Black culture in front of 125,000 people and created her own homecoming with dancers and musicians drafted from historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs. The tribute event was soon coined as “Beychella,” and it promptly earned her the title of the “greatest star of her generation” by The Guardian.
Beyoncė’s unwavering commitment to her craft has inspired generations of pop stars and earned her nods of recognition from musical greats such as Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.
Along with Taylor Swift, influential pop stars like Lizzo, Adele and Lady Gaga have also offered their gratitude to the icon for carving a path for their successes.
For almost three decades, Beyoncé has upped the ante for what a successful career looks like, and she has proven time and time again that impact stems from both passion and authenticity.
We’ll have the opportunity to experience her genius once more with the upcoming December 1 theater release of “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.”
The intimate concert documentary will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the elements of the world-renowned summer tour and will undoubtedly remind us once more why Beyoncé truly is one of one, number one and the only one.
