( ⚠️ this is a two pages article ⚠️ / english is not my first language )
Does excellence exempt us from being seen as human?
If it turns out that I’m better than you in one or more of the areas you work so hard to master, but have difficulty learning and little success in, would you be able to be kind to me without it costing you ?
If you find me mediocre, but a number of people around you surprisingly like and admire me, will your feelings towards me change for the better or worse ?
I’m asking you these questions because it’s important for you to know which category you fall into. So, no ! There are more than just these two, but they’re the ones that correspond most closely to today’s topic. A subject that wasn’t on the agenda and that I didn’t particularly want to talk about, because it’s too specific for anyone to find anything interesting to learn from it. But I’ve mastered it, because it’s about Beyoncé. Or more precisely, her place and importance in past and present society. After almost 35 years of hard work (Destiny’s Child was founded in 1990), Beyoncé has always generated a great deal of controversy since the start of her solo career (2003). Today, I’ve decided to tell you about the almost visceral animosity this woman generates (in spite of herself) against herself.
If don’t have a social networks account, chances are you’re not aware that the singer recently launched (on February 20) her first own brand of hair care products called Cécred. Of course, as with every media event concerning her, the hype quickly gave way to speculation and a few minor polemics. In particular, concerning her marketing plan, and also her legitimacy to launch a range of hair care products. Reasonable questions from Internet users and consumers alike. However, should Cécred be seen and welcomed like any other hair care brand available in supermarkets ? Or does Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, being the international superstar that she is, only have the right to be judged on a higher-than-average scale of values ?
While these questions are interesting, and certainly major for a regular consumer, this part of the subject isn’t fundamentally the heart of the matter, in my opinion. Today, with this article, I’ve decided instead to talk about the significance of Beyoncé in our respective personal lives. Yep ! Nothing more than that !
Believe it or not, the way you perceive [Beyoncé] and talk about her reveals more about you than it does about her. This is true and valid for practically each interaction we have with other people around us. You’ve probably heard this quote from Paulo Coelho: « How people treat other people is a direct reflection of how they feel about themselves. » . And if you ask me, I tend to agree with him. Now, if talking about people around us says a lot about who we are, what about when we talk about artists we don’t even know personally and whose excellence is visible and tangible ? I’m no sociologist, anthropologist or psychologist, but I’m sure of myself when I say that the hatred an artist receives is very often proportional to them talent. So why talk about Beyoncé ? I could indeed have approached this subject through the lens of another celebrity, or from a totally different angle. But most of us know who Beyoncé is and have had an opinion about her for a long time. If I say her name, an imagery, a song or a video clip comes directly to your mind. A feeling is mechanically attached to even the mention of her first name.
You all know what I mean when I say: » Stop acting like you’re Beyoncé » or » I’m the Beyoncé of my band ! These popular expressions are self-created, and we all know what they mean!
The first name Beyoncé is in a good way associated with (not to mention music and dance) excellence, ambition, high standards and pride. These four words are intrinsic qualities sought after by many of us. However, on a much less glorious side, this famous first name and the celebrity associated with it, are linked to over-performance, plagiarism, pushiness, boasting and illegitimacy.
Everyone has their own opinion about this woman, but that opinion still has to be plausible. For example, to say that Beyoncé is overrated makes absolutely no sense.
From my point of view, her detractors are sorely lacking in coherence. They don’t show much hindsight and, above all, their contempt for the artist makes them nasty. I find it revealing of an inferiority complex for some and duplicity for others. There’s nothing deliberately vile about it, but this relentlessness has sometimes reached tragic limits.
Needless to say, I’m not talking about those who aren’t fans. I’m talking about the proclaimed haters and those who, under the guise of questionable sagacity, do their best to convince themselves that this woman is worthless.
The analyst in me wanted to take a closer look at Beyoncé. After all, at different levels, almost all of us strive for a kind of excellence. So we’re almost all susceptible to received Queen B-like remarks. So it’s always a good idea to find the how and the why.
« B*tch know B, she don’t even need a whole name » – Jay-z, Heard about Us
A DULL EXCELLENCE ?
Although her talent is real, if sometimes questioned, Beyoncé has long been subject to a conditional love from certain listeners. The Beyhive represents her most loyal and devoted fans, but fortunately her fans don’t just consist of them. However, like all celebrities, she also has her share of haters. The reasons for this dislike, cited by those who don’t hold her close to their hearts, often flirt with the absurd. For, apart from not liking her music (which is reason enough not to listen to an artist), the other factors cited are mostly unfounded and inaccurate. For example, it’s often said that she doesn’t interact with her community, that she’s cold and distant, that she tries too hard to look perfect, that she never shows her real hair, or that her politics approach or her speech are never sincere. In short, Beyoncé seems devious to most of those who don’t like her.
To date, she has released four films: 1. The Beyoncé Experience : Live (2007), 2. RENAISSANCE: A Film by Beyoncé (2023), 3. BLACK IS KING (2020), 4. Life is But a Dream (2013) – She decided to call her fourth album 4 because her fans chose to call it that way – She has released two visual albums: Beyoncé & Lemonade. These albums are much more personal than her previous ones – She regularly gives inspirational speeches to motivate black American youth (and not only them) – She and Jay-z donate a lot of money to charities ; she has also been seen distributing food to the homeless – She releases increasingly high-quality albums, and her tours are more and more incredible. In short, if this isn’t sharing, what is it called ?
I’m not here to confirm or deny this, as I don’t know her personally. Nevertheless, I can see that many of the things she is criticized for are not the same for other artists. And above all, many of those who don’t listen to her, don’t take the time to look for additional information to back up their statements, but also lie about her, in addition to being impervious to the idea of changing their point of view on this black artist, with a career spanning more than twenty years and a stable and generally positive popularity.
These same people will be the first to ask for mercy for another artist with a lesser work ethic and longevity. Why be inclined to grant clemency more readily to individuals who are clearly not on the same level as the best ? The best are where they are, because they are not as self-indulgent as regular people. And yet, being part of a tiny percentage, they are the ones who are most blamed for other people’s misfortunes and complexes – why is that ?
Why are many of these critics so reluctant to look at Beyoncé in a new light and with new feelings ? Perhaps because she’s unlike any other artist in today’s music industry, and her success and ingenuity are achievements coveted by all, but known by only a few ? What’s absurd and brilliant at the same time is that you don’t have to be Beyoncé to be as successful as her and achieve your own goals, no matter how big they are. And you don’t have to be internationally famous to be seen by your peers as being successful. This feeling is unique to each individual. However, the frustration of not making it is unfortunately something many of us have experienced and perhaps still do. Even Beyoncé had to go through it sometimes, I guess ! After all, she’s still human, although many people seem to doubt about that and don’t talk about her as such.
Is there only one right way to be excellent ? Does excellence necessarily have to be linked to friendliness, availability and impudence ? Is it a duty for everyone to be satisfied, and for the successful person concerned to give even more of him/herself ? Even parts they don’t want to reveal ? And all this bearing in mind that she has already sacrificed so much of her personal life for her career ?
INEFFICIENT COMMUNICATION ?
As you’ve seen, we’re in the age of social networks, Elon Musk, Artificial Intelligence and the 15 minutes world-famous era that Andy Warhol talked about. It’s an era that is both unifying and emancipating, because we have the opportunity to be our own spokesperson, our own standard-bearer. And on the more fatalistic side, we are both the victim and the chosen one of the consequences of our own actions. Our success depends not only on our hand, but also on how we decide to play ! Succeeding thanks to a few computer skills can lead some people to believe that there’s only one right way to do things. It’s easy to believe oneself king or queen of an empire whose stability depends mainly on a good Wi-Fi connection. An isolated event, no matter how profitable, is no indication of whether an advertising campaign is effective or long-lasting. What’s more, just because you don’t appreciate a particular form of communication doesn’t mean it hasn’t reached its target audience, or that it isn’t of high quality.
Firstly, you need to be able to distinguish between adaptability, quality and efficiency. These are three totally different things, but they’re all necessary for a successful business. And even when these three elements are properly considered, failure can still happen. But more rarely than often. In addition to a good marketing strategy, often with a large budget, you need a brand with a strong identity, imagery and a muse that the public can identify with or fall in love with.
In addition to all this, and I’d even go so far as to say that this is the most important point of all I’ve mentioned so far, you need a receptive audience devoid of any resentment towards the brand’s creator. It [the audience] has to be willing to give a try to the experience of discovery, and able to provide a proper assessment of the products on offer. As we’ve seen with Beyoncé, this is no easy task with her brand Cécred.
DOES BEYONCÉ HAVE TO BE CONTENT WITH MAKING MUSIC AND NOTHING ELSE?
It’s easier to boycott a brand of hair care products than an artist and his or her music. Why is that? Because we don’t live in a hair salon or a cosmetics store. Whereas our music library has literally taken up residence in our pocket. When the mood takes a turn for the worse, what do most of us do? We play that song that gives us immediate energy and reminds us of a happy time in our childhood. And presto! Everything is immediately better in the best of worlds.
It’s easier and longer to resist the temptation to buy materials and products that are easy to dupe. Either because we’re short of money, or because our interest hasn’t been piqued enough. But the desire to live memorable and grandiose experiences will always be stronger than anything else. That’s why even haters rush to buy their concert tickets. And that’s why even the haters rush to buy their tickets, which ends up jamming ticketmaster for at least 30 minutes.
« Monday, I’m overrated, Tuesday on my dick »
Whatever side project Beyoncé decides to devote herself to, she will always be a winner. For over twenty years she has been perfecting her art, and she does it with love, self-sacrifice, generosity and passion. These are feelings that don’t lie. A true music-loving public feels when the artist it appreciates is making fun of it or not. Even an artistic project with few sales, few honors and little publicity can still have a satisfied, loyal and grateful niche audience. Time, dedication, analysis, passion and inspiration will always be the watchwords of quality work. Talent is often obvious, and this has a way of making the less experienced recoil; whereas mediocrity tends to create numbness.
BAKIRAH 
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