Beyonce

Although, I have not heard a lot from Beyonce in recent years, I feel as if she is currently undergoing a resurgence. Beyonce has seemed to have been a staple in modern music and her music career has dominated popular culture for the past decade plus. Becoming active in the music business form 1997, I feel that Beyonce has been very well known. With hugely successful hits such as “Single Ladies” and others, Beyonce has rocked the socks of off R&B, hip hop, and pop music for years. Although lately I seemed to have felt a slowing of her music career, I think this is just my shift in tastes. Beyonce has become a household name (well not literally, but you know what I mean). Not just anyone can be called by their first name and be recognized for their fame. Beyonce is amongst a group of select musicians such as Cher and Madonna that are easily recognizable by a simple word.

So how has Beyonce become so successful? Personally, I think her musical success lies in three main categories: her powerful voice, her insane stage presence, and her versatility. These three aspects combine into one amazing female artist of our time.

Let’s start with the vocals. Her voice is so powerful and strong that it simply carries her songs all the way through. Even if she has hip beats and sounds peppering the background, her voice is the centerpiece of her music. She is capable of throwing in insane vocal ticks and fluctuations and create with her voice. While not nearly as in control of her voice as, say, Joni Mitchell was, Beyonce has sheer passion and power in her voice. I also sense a lot of the times, especially in her pop/hip hop hits, a level of attitude. A great example of this attitude shining through would be “Single Ladies”. This is such a well known song, that I’m not even going to bother posting it on the blog. Starkly contrasting this attitude, however, she is able to meld her voice into a fabric of purity. A great example of this would be when she sung at the Presidential Inauguration. While there was speculation and criticism about lip synching, I still think that her voice is outstanding and moving. She sang the national anthem better than I’ve heard it performed in a long time. Feast your ears on the following:

Now, this takes us to our next major aspect: her versatility. After such a heart-felt and passionate song, Beyonce is able to (seemingly in the next breath) go to a much more “attitude filled” music set. She is able to sing a soft R&B vibe, our national anthem, or even a crazy hip-hop tune. No matter what she does, she is capable of bringing it to life with her outstanding vocals. Compare the above video to the following, which was her performance at the Super Bowl. Her songs are so drastically different that its hard to remember that it’s the same artist! Check it out:

Now after just watching a few minutes of this, you get to see how much stage presence she has. Beyond the extravagant light show, wild get-ups, and dancers, Beyonce ultimately brings it all together into one commanding performance. She has learned the ability, not only to sing, but to entertain. I feel that this is vital for present day audiences because, otherwise, they will become bored. She brings a fiery punch to her music that awakens the audience and makes them want to hear her music. I think this commanding stage presence enables her to ability to rock out! While she might’ve overdone the risqué outfit a little, her ability to grab people’s attention and use her attitude to hold it is pretty fascinating.

Beyonce has proven herself as a very successful artist. She has made a significant impact on music by adapting to an ever changing musical society.