Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is a superstar, and we know this. She has stunned us time and again with album releases, digital downloads and video albums. She has released songs such as “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” which won three Grammy Awards in 2009, including Song of the Year.
Additionally, she released the album “Lemonade,” an ode, a visual story of love, pride and Blackness. Lemonade received critical praise and is considered to be one of the greatest albums of all time. The album was music critics’ top album of 2016, and in 2020 it was ranked 32 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.
Beyoncé has been with me as far back as I can remember, starting as one-third of Destiny’s Child. It was clear, even then, that she stood out. And that group shaped my middle school and teen years, giving me songs to sing about love and loss.
“Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” brings the superstar to new heights. Watching the movie of the concert, I understand why we have labeled her and why she calls herself “one of one.”
She opens the show with an ode to fans, singing her ballad: “I Love You.” The crowd goes crazy. She grips the audience and performs songs from the “Renaissance” album along with some other high-energy favorites.
The most impressive attribute of the Renaissance movie was the community she built with fans. The film gave audience members an opportunity to be free to be themselves.
“Renaissance” is an ode to Queer Black and Brown Ballroom culture, and Beyoncé delivered. She left not one stone unturned. The community — queer people, Black and Brown people – felt seen and heard.
That is the magic of a good artist and a stellar album. This is the fact that people everywhere can see themselves in he music. She builds a vibe, a community and a safe world. Art, when done right, is safety, expression and love. And Beyoncé delivered.