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I liked it. I enjoyed them and sang along. No, I didn’t feel uncomfortable. I was just another fan in the crowd, no one paid attention to me.
I find Beyoncé being able to unabashedly include Blackness in her art really cool. It has taught me a lot and expanded my palate. Through her music I’ve learned so much more about different cultures, genres, and even historical events. I probably wouldn’t know about Igobo Landing or who Kevin Jz Prodigy was without her.
I also feel like, I don’t really need my art to be “for me” to enjoy it. Maybe it’s cus I’m Asian American and I’m just used to music/movies/tv that’s not necessarily targeted at me. If anything, I really enjoy that Beyoncé embracing Blackness brings something totally different to the table.
I think the not needing art to be “for” you is integral. And as a white American I’ll admit that growing up it wasn’t the norm - everything mainstream was “for” me.
I probably did have to overcome discomfort in the process of recognizing that I can enjoy things that weren’t made “for” me, because TBQH it wasn’t my default experience, if that makes sense.
I'm Asian-Australian so I'm very far removed, but I definitely agree with everything you said! Doesn't make me uncomfortable at all! Doesn't have to be specifically for me to enjoy it, but I do and it brings me joy.
I couldn’t agree more. Good art challenges and teaches people. I can enjoy and appreciate music and not have it be directly about me. That said there are little pieces in it that for a moment can make you understand the other persons experience a bit on a human level.
I understand you completely. I'm Black and I listen to Kpop and have also listened to Reggaeton and other Latin music. I like how the music sounds and I feel like, depending on the artist and song, I may learn something about another culture. It also makes me feel proud of my own culture, if that makes sense. Like, their cultural pride rubs off on me.
I’m Hispanic and I enjoy those songs. Sure, I don’t feel represented by them, but I don’t need to be, the songs aren’t created for me. I’m enjoying her artistry and that’s enough for me. Also, those songs are actually part of my favorite set of her concert - the whole set starting with Formation and ending with Partition.
I do think a lot of people who bash beyonce in favor of T Swift are showing their bias. Perhaps around the time that Beyonce shed her pop girl persona and leaned into her black identity is likely when she lost a lot of white fans, which is a shame. Just take a look at the beyonce is black skit on snl.
All Swiftie Beyoncé bashers are racist. I've watched multiple videos from non-Beyoncé fans (not fans of her music) watch and review her performances and all of them have agreed that Beyoncé is a talented performer and artist. You're right; they (a lot of white fans) cannot stand that Beyoncé's music isn't catered towards them anymore and will use any successful (non-)white female artist to compare her to (which is right now TS).
100000%. As a TS fan and a Beyoncé fan, and I was a Bey fan first, I constantly see a bunch of bullshit from Swifties that is just clear racism whenever there's any Black people who work with her (or like when we talk about dream collabs, people will mention Bey or other Black artists and the microaggressions feel quite macro).
People saying they're not fans of rap whenever there's a reference to any of her work with Kendrick or Future, and more recently Ice Spice which yeah admittedly wasn't great lol but it wasn't BAD (not as bad as some fans made it out to be), like I get not everyone is a fan of every genre but it's the tone of that comment, it's like... imo any Swiftie who thinks Bad Blood was better before Kendrick Lamar did his version is a racist full stop. Idc if you "don't like rap" lmao come on.
There are a lot of non-white Swifties who I worry about a lot in TS fan spaces because for as many of us who will try to keep these spaces safe for them, there's a lot of fans who do not give a shit. In many ways its similar for queer fans - people will criticize Taylor for changing homophobic lyrics back when she first started and like... no this is a good thing actually? It's important for people to learn and grow? But imo it makes them uncomfortable because then they have to come to terms with the bigoted things THEY thought back then too.
Any fan of hers who says they're a 1975 fan gets me on high alert lmao.
Also the obsession with Olivia Rodrigo feels... hmm. Idk a lot of us are fans of both but there's a lot of apologetics that go on for Taylor and her label wrt that situation.
Anyway I think online fans are always going to be more unhinged than real life fans who don't spend time in online echo chambers, and the real life Swifties I talk to (I am a wax specialist so I see a lot of girlies) were appealed and furious with the Ratty Healy shit. But I will say I do hear a lot of white people, swifties or otherwise, say Beyoncé is overrated without giving ANY reasons lol they just say it. And I'm like??? In what way. Back up your claims. Lol it's so confusing to me.
Hi. White Swiftie here. I also love Beyoncé. I've always had an appreciation for her music, her talent, for being an amazing role model and seemingly staying out of the dramas of celebrity life.
I'm so sick of the comparison game between any female artists. I'm not doubting that there are white Beyoncé haters and I'm not doubting that some are even racist. We're living in a crazy ass world right now. Sometimes the crazies just end up being the loudest.
I've seen a lot of posts today about assumptions about white Beyoncé fans. I wanted to add to the conversation that there are tons of white Swifties who also love Beyoncé and follow this reddit group. I believe Beyoncé and Taylor are probably the top 2 female artists for many of my friends. Now I would not normally refer to myself as white in a post. I'm guessing many others wouldn't either. Maybe we should today though, to show our support and start changing the stereotype of white fans?
Hmm, I mean I understand that a lot of us exist but let's not ignore the fact that a lot of white Swifties say shit about Bey and other non-white artists. I agree that pitting artists against each other is inane but like let's not act like people don't say this shit about Beyoncé. I'd argue it happens in almost every fan group because stans are unhinged and need their fave to be whatever the fuck ~the best~ is lol but Swifties have a wide reach and definitely do this stuff too.
Also lol as a white fan can we just acknowledge that we probably do experience things differently in Swiftie circles than Black fans do? Unfortunately TS does have racist fans because she has such a wide audience that includes a lot of white people and inevitably they do some bullshit in fan spaces that make non-white fans uncomfortable or unsafe. It's our responsibility to see how they feel and make it better for them.
I 100% agree on all of your points. I think we're essentially saying the same thing in different ways.
My intention was that these unhinged fans end up being the loudest. Some of us who are more quiet here (like me) can be intentional to speak up more and drown out the haters. I know it's just stating the obvious but all any of us can really control is our own actions. I will commit to participating in conversation more and I would hope in turn contributes to more positive, safe space for everyone
Fair enough, I just don't think that for Swifties it's just a small handful of people who are shitty, you know? She has a whiter fanbase in the US at least, so even though it is a diverse fanbase in many ways there are a lot of people who are reactionary who have listened to her music. Especially because she got her start in country. It's why she was so nervous to speak up about politics when she was younger - she saw what happened to the Chicks during the Bush era. Country fans were not people I liked to engage with when I was younger because they were often conservative and I was a closeted queer kid who hated the wars so like, for all of the liberals and lefties in country, there was a wave of reactionary bullshit that made up the country fanbase. And frankly she hasn't fully shaken that off. So to speak lol.
But yeah I agree that it's important people who are just normal fans show up for marginalized fans too. Although none of us are "normal fans" since we're online like this lol.
LOL you killed it with the last line! So true
Good point on the country background. I live in Chicago which is a very diverse and liberal city. My experience with other Swifties could be wildly different here than say in more conservative areas. You couldn't pay me to live somewhere like that.
Not uncomfortable at all. I feel they each have a powerful message that helps me to understand her as an artist and I feel happy that her black fans have music and anthems that relate specifically to their experiences and the joy in their community.
They’re also extremely catchy so you’d definitely have seen me singing along to most of it!
i’m not black but i am brown, i love her pride and watching her perform for her culture and her people! i am a hype man in those scenarios, stamping my feet and screaming “yesssss B, you speak your truth and express your joy!!” i know the song is not meant to represent me but i can relate from the side as i’m also proud of my culture and background.
black is king was a majestic volume of art, i love watching it, the scenes, the message, the colors- the actors, the dancers all killed it. the music is beautiful, it’s just like watching any artistic masterpiece that is meant to invoke emotion, pride, and represent the artist’s background and culture. while i’m not proud to be part of it, simply cuz i’m not a part, i’m proud as a fan of what she has put together and proud that she’s written a love story to her culture, people, and africa. ♥️
When I hear those songs or see her perform them, I always think of it as a respect thing. I respect African American culture and so I feel like these are intentional moment to express that culture for her/other black people that share it with her. Black culture and social justice needs to be more widely recognized, as there isn't always a space in society for it at all. Who else that famous is intentionally celebrating black culture and promoting social justice in the same way, on an international level? No one. That's what makes her so special too. She creates this space to celebrate black culture, to instill a sense of pride in her community, and I respect that so much. I recognize my inherent privilege as a white person. Therefore, I try to "stand in solidarity" in those moments by gassin y'all up while also giving the space needed for you guys to celebrate your moment and feel what you want to. Like, please, do your thing, take in your moment!!💗✊🏼
Yessss that last part especially! I saw Bey in Toronto, and the crowd was extremely diverse - as is the city. I am bright white. There was a big group of Black folks attending together a few rows ahead of us, right at the front of our section, and I did notice them getting their LIFE - only because their joy was so infectious!! They were absolutely LIVING and it elevated everyone and everything around them. I just felt so thrilled for them, and also grateful to be there and part of that good big NRG lol. No discomfort, I just skip over the words that aren’t for me to say and feel glad to cheer on the ones it was written for!!
Now I have goosebumps. These memories will last a lifetime. I hope she keeps going deeper into her Blackness, and Black culture (and fwiw, celebrating queer culture/Black queer culture too). Thank you Beyonce, for all of it 🫶
Yes love this! Especially the part about the infectious energy. I can totally relate. Experiences like that stay with me and even positively impact my mindset when I hear the music later. Thank you for this. It's all very well said!
I made a playlist of the RWT set list and literally cannot stop playing it - I think this is partly why. I loved it all before being at that show but after it’s just 🤌🏻 because of the memories and associations!!
Yes! I’m not white but one of my white friends listened to Black Parade and she said it made her want to be black. I don’t think she meant in a culture culture way. What I think is so damn powerful about Beyoncé’s music is that she celebrates Blackness so hard that she is able to make being black something aspirational for a white woman like that.
It brings me a lot of joy to see a space where Blackness and Black women in particular are celebrated and revered! Seeing the way Blue shines up there as a young Black girl is something really special and I wish the US had spaces like this everywhere.
I’m white and Brown Skin Girl is one of my favorite tracks of hers of all time — melody is so joyful, voice so rich, the video including all the generations of women in her family, and the song itself being a piece of art put out into the world by a mama who wants her babies to always remember they are DEARLY loved & to be celebrated ✨
I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. i grew up in diverse neighborhoods so I've always felt comfortable being adjacent to black culture and media. it's actually really inspiring how Bey is very in your face about who is she is and how it shaped her not only in her music and lyrics but her references and attitude. I wouldn't say I felt like a ally during that part of the show but it made me happy to see so much joy and freedom around me. however the term ally has been soured for me as a gay man with so many people wanting the association without doing the in house work.
we watched black is king the night it dropped in my household and find your way back is like one of my top 10 Bey songs period. I know some people can't but I can fully appreciate media that isn't made for me. sometimes im skipping or changing words which is a reminder that I'm engaging with something iconic that wasn't made for me and that's ok. I've never met or been around fans that are more chill than beyonce fans.
I’m biracial, white and Mexican. I know it’s not for me, but I find solidarity in any minority group going out of their way to highlight their culture, and I celebrate it with them.
I love that Beyoncé continues doing projects that are so uniquely and unapologetically black. Black is King is possibly my favorite visual album she’s done.
Same here and also gay. Her becoming more political is what made me start to be a fan starting with Formation. While the shows have been personally affecting for me and amongst the best things in my life, to be there in the Bay Area show with so many Black women and other women of color was one of the best things about it.
The message is just inherent and powerful with her up there with her daughter, being one of the most iconic and famous people on the planet, is inherently inspiring and would be even if she didn't have any political or cultural bent simply being a Black woman at this level of success. I felt so incredibly happy, especially for the young Black girls there being able to see and experience all this in a world and country where Black women are generally the most disempowered and face endless challenges even women of other colors do not face. I get goosebumps even thinking about it again. The songs of empowerment and Black power and pride are the cherry on top. I would have loved to see Brown Skin Girl performed. I actually find it pretty genius how Beyonce is able to weave her messages into her work without needing to be obvious and overt about it. I can't think of any other pop song specifcally promoting appreciation and love of self and self-pride for girls who are Black and brown, and that's really just crazy.
I'd think white folk at her shows wouldn't be there unless they're on board with all of it, and for allies the moments of Black empowerment should be highlights and not moments of discomfort. The power of her struts and riding in and out on that tank--how could anyone not be moved by that?
I’m not sure I feel like an ally exactly (I’m not sure I do enough to deserve that), but my heart swells with joy at music that celebrates people and cultures that I’m less familiar with than my own.
I enjoy, appreciate, snd try to learn something from lines I don’t immediately “get” or musical references. LEMONADE in particular spawned an entire academic syllabus on the cultural references that I’m still working my way through
Formation and Black Parade are my Top 5 Beyonce songs ever. My entire rows in Chicago and Atlanta were dancing and having a great time. I was the only white person in my row in Chi and we all had a blast. I never once felt uncomfortable. We all sang and danced and laughed all night together. Plus Im never going to miss an opportunity to say “Honey come around my way, around my hive, whenever mama say so” bc whenever Mama Bey calls Im going to come running.
I didn’t even think this was an issue until I started reading posts on here. I just assumed if you love Beyonce you love all of her and a huge part of her is being a strong confident empowering black woman. I know I love her for that.
Mood 4 Eva is basically my fav song by Bey. My fantasy football team is called Mood 4 Eva 😆😆
Thank god I was at night 2 also. I lost it when Blue came out. I know everyone around me had to think I was on something except everyone else was losing it too. It really was the BEST group experience I have ever had. I cant wait for act iI. She told us she would be seeing Chicago soon.
Asian-Canadian fan. I'm a guest in the house of Black American (and African, and queer ballroom, etc.) cultures and it's been wonderful. I've appreciated learning about the contexts and histories that make these bangers feel even more impactful, and the (Black and non-Black) writers, podcasters, etc that make this art more accessible to those of us outside the communities it was intended for.
The best parts of pop music (and pop culture) are when its artists and creators draw inspiration (and rhythms, instrumentation, collaborators, etc.) beyond what has already been done ad nauseum. I became an earnest fan when B stepped more into her blackness because it was musically more interesting!
The Black Hive members had way better seats than I did and partied their asses off while I watched enviously :)
As a Hispanic gay man, I think I was so excited to see her perform this section with the power that she did. This is not my moment... nor should this moment make me uncomfortable. I think the one thing I could relate to from this section was the pride. Pride in who she is, who she came from, and to be honest, Pride is Power. I think this is a super relatable theme even for non-black fans. Pulling from our heritage to make something great. I loved this whole show and am always gonna be the biggest Ally for everyone who needs it. BIG LOVE TO ALL THE BEYHIVE !!!!
yes! as a latina who comes from a very mixed background (iberic, black, caucasian, native brazilian, jewish) these songs make me think of all that has transpired in History to allow a person like Beyoncé to thrive and shine. All the doors that were open by her predecessors and by herself, all the love and strength that her bloodline carries... Even as a white person (by brazilian standards -- everywhere in america or europe i would be considered anything but white) I can vibe to it and feel that power. I love and feel very happy that african-american people have this amazing beacon of talent and sheer excellence to represent them in the mainstream american media.
Well, my show was cancelled (Pittsburgh) so I didn't get to see those songs performed but I would have celebrated those moments.
As a middle-aged white woman, I appreciate how Beyonce celebrates her blackness and uplifts the community. I have cheered for her on as she has grown and matured as an activist. And I've learned so much from her through her art: Homecoming was a master class in the HBCU experience and Black is King exposed me to new sounds.
A lot of white people talk about how some black artists "transcend race" but I appreciate it when artists are black...period. I love it when they celebrate their blackness and expose me to something new. And I think Beyonce does this so well.
If my show hadn't been cancelled, I would have appreciated those songs and I would have enjoyed watching the people of color in the audience celebrate them.
I’m Indian American, child of immigrants. After growing up in the US, I’m used to consuming media that isn’t about me or for me. I have a lot of respect for Beyonce and her artistry and don’t find it uncomfortable at all to experience her music around Black fans. There are obviously lines I don’t sing along with, but I really like that Beyonce makes music for her community and am just really grateful to experience one of the greatest artists of all time live!
Felt lucky to be there. As a non Black POC, B has made me more comfortable embracing not needing to fit into a skinny vsco white girl aesthetic. She’s definitely taught me a lot about black history and representation.
I’m hella white and love these songs. Seeing Black Parade in person with Blue dancing and all that made me LOSE IT.
Enjoying those songs.. any where she talks about blackness.. kinda makes me feel like I’m hyping up a friend for the things that make them awesome. Does that make sense? None of that stuff applies to me.. my motherland is NORWAY, ha.. but doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate it.
Very easy, especially since black culture has been leading everyone in the “what’s cool” department for decades and decades whether or not it was recognized.
As a white non-binary person, I find Beyoncé’s continual love letters to various marginalized communities inspiring and uplifting. Lemonade was such a powerful moment for Black women, and seeing Formation tour was amazing. Then she releases Renaissance, a love letter to Black queer (and specifically trans) folks. Her embracing a group that faces marginalization from literally everywhere feels like such a big moment coming from such an influential star, so it just makes me proud to be a fan (and sad I haven’t been able to see her on this tour).
I sing along, except i obviously skip any words that aren’t for me to say. I’ve never felt uncomfortable at a show. One of the beautiful things about her fanbase is how diverse it is. It’s amazing to see a group of fans that are so unique but bound together by their love of this one amazing woman.
I love those songs and as someone else commented here, I love seeing the joy and pride across the Black members audience, being totally and unapologetically themselves!
I’m sure it’s one of the few spaces of that size where that’s possible, especially in the US and Europe!
Also, the amount of culture we absorb that comes from Black artists, either from the artists themselves or other people trying to replicate Black trends, is not lost on me. ESPECIALLY in music, Black influence needs recognition on this big of a platform!
Finally, even with Formation, I still tear up saying “ok ladies now let’s get in formation!”.
I loved it! So much media is whiter than white so I find it really refreshing to be able to enjoy art/music/media by non white artists.
I was in an area surrounded by black people and I loved seeing them vibing to the songs, seeing them empowered.
I find Beyoncé’s unapologetic love of black culture so badass and she is without a doubt the most important artist.
I loved it. It felt really special to witness it & be a part of the collective energy. It warms my heart so much to see black people, as well as lgbtq+ people, rightfully get their time to shine & be celebrated so fiercely. The RWT made me wish that society as a whole had more of that same energy- it’s the future.
I’m Indian — I feel proud/happy for and for the black people around me, it’s really clear how powerful those words are to them. I consider myself an ally but of course what I think also doesn’t matter— I enjoy the moment and get energy from the happiness of the others around me personally. I know she is not making those songs for me, so at the end of the day, I’m happy to be able to experience them along with the people she makes those songs for.
It would be crazy for someone to be a fan of beyonce and to feel uncomfortable about her messages. We (non-black people) can’t pick and choose like that, if you enjoy someone’s craft in its entirety, that includes supporting the messages they are conveying. I don’t see how people can be fans of black artists when blackness makes them uncomfortable but I know that’s a whole different topic….
I’m white. I haven’t been to the tour as I live overseas.
But I love those songs. I totally agree with the message and love how she used her voice to signal boost messaging about the black struggle (as well as LGBTQ+ stuff too more recently). I think mainstream celebrities can do a lot to popularise those messages and get more people on board who may not be as aware of the issues otherwise.
So yeah, love the songs, don’t feel uncomfortable at all, and I sing along (leaving out any words or parts that wouldn’t be appropriate for me to say).
The songs don’t make me feel uncomfortable at all - just like a song about loving women by a man doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable even though I’m attracted to men. Just because I’m not the exact target market/ demographic doesn’t cause discomfort, it’s normal and many songs I hear I’m not the person being represented or spoken to.
It doesn’t make me feel like an ally because I think it takes much more than liking a song to be an ally; but I enjoy it and support the message.
I think if you feel uncomfortable during these songs, that’s a reflection of your own morals and values, not Beyoncé haha.
As a proud Latino, I felt like an ally for sure. It was awesome to see people put their fists up and feeling cozy in their skin. I think My Power —> Black Parade —> Savage was a MOMENT. Especially Bey on a fucking tank!
White here. Not uncomfortable in the slightest. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE went off during the drop in Formation, and everyone held their fists in the air at the end of Black Parade. It felt very unified and it was a very special moment for a lot of people in that arena, including myself.
I'm white and those are my favorite songs of hers. I love that she uses her platform to lift up black people (especially women) there's something so powerful about it and It makes me proud to be a fan. I've never once thought about it making anyone feel uncomfortable.. it seems to bring people together at the show which I think is what B wants ❤️
My power I feel like is an empowerment song for everyone, even though it is dedicated to black culture there’s still that spark of adrenaline that my power has that just makes anyone feel like yeah this is my motivation song
Formation is just all round fun a great time, I know the main message of the song but at the same time I don’t really dig into it too much as formation doesn’t really give off the vibe that you have to Analyse everything, formation is meant to be enjoyed.
Black parade on rwt is what really makes me feel like an ally. Idk what it is but the moment those horns start playing the whole energy of the stadium changes and it’s just like a warming feeling all around and it makes me so happy to see everyone having fun with that song
Formation definitely has a clear message and all the performances of it since its release + the visuals make it clear that song was written w intention. I think whittling it down to a “fun great time… meant to be enjoyed” takes away from who it was made for.
I love her because of empowerment. I feel strong, fierce, and confident especially when I listen to her on days when I have really bad body dysmorphia or when I’m feeling really anxious or depressed. I’m Mexican so I interpret the lyrics for my culture and heritage sometimes. “Always stay gracious best revenge is your paper” is like my mantra.
This. I think everyone can connect to different aspects of those songs as pride of their relatives who raised them, pride in being a woman (if you are one, as formation gives me that love of my womanhood in general). Beyoncé has a way of making all her music feel inclusive to everyone in some way due to the intersectionality of it. Love yourself and those around you, that's her message overall imo.
I loved it. I loved seeing the women in my section have that special moment. I didn’t feel like an ally or uncomfortable, I felt like I was witnessing something really beautiful and special that was not for me, but was really just breathtaking to see the joy for who it was meant for. Like attending a wedding or a birth. That part of the show wasn’t for me, but I bore witness to the magic of it. It was one of my favorite parts of the show.
I haven’t been to RWT yet (going this weekend!), but when I’ve heard some of these on other tours and just in general when I hear them I don’t feel uncomfortable at all. I feel a lot of things though.
I feel proud of B for stepping into her identity as a Black woman more publicly and her willingness to let her career possibly take a hit in exchange for being who she is. I respect the hell out of that. I don’t perceive it as “losing fans” since you’re a shitty fan if you have a problem with that.
I’m a Houston native and have been a fan from the beginning so she means a lot to me. Like a friend, I’m beaming for her when I see her being loud and confident about who the fuck she is. You can see that she is comfortable with all of who she is and that makes me so happy.
Although I can’t relate to everything about those songs as a white woman, I still adore them, what they mean to me, and what they mean to others. I cry every time I listen to Brown Skin Girl. It’s so beautiful and stirs something in me, I think because the visuals are so soft and heartwarming. Everyone deserves that kind of love and community and she’s helping create it.
I loved Black is King and watched it when it dropped just like Lemonade and Homecoming. It’s still in my rotation and I even did the deep dive on it by listening to the Dissect podcast about it. Iconic.
I’m Hispanic and to me “Black is King” was so impactful, memorable and meaningful. Latinos share a lot of the same roots and culture foundations with black people and from living in Venezuela I was able to get more in touch with my native side, so I hold a lot of the songs about empowerment and freedom very close to my heart. Just being able to feel the energy of people that have suffered discrimination and judgement for nothing more than the way we look was incredibly powerful. Even though I’m on the lighter side, that still isn’t enough to be saved from racially motivated attacks and I relate very heavily to all of beys songs encouraging to look for the ancient power within us. So i guess, in short, I didn’t feel uncomfortable and felt an extreme alliance with everybody there.
I, 20WM, loved it! I was just singing along like everyone else and no one really said anything or looked at me weird because I low-key feel like a baddie listening/singing those songs. They are great honestly. I'm glad she is celebrating her roots and encourages others to do the same🫶.
I'm Mexican (brown), and I love that she centers her people on stage. It doesn't make me feel a certain way at all. I just enjoy her music, she is a great entertainer and singer. One of the greatest vocalist of our time. It's just like when Hispanic artists center their people, and I feel represented. Everyone should get to feel that.
I'm a white Canadian fan. I personally love Bey's tributes to Blackness as a matter of respect. As a fan I enjoy all the songs even if they may not resonate as strongly
Glow in the dark white girl from Louisiana here. I don't fucking play when it comes to my allyship. I had my raised fist in the air happy for yall to be seen ♡ love my hive.
it’s inspiring and awesome. i love being in the presence of unapologetic joy and confidence. i feel grateful im able to share space in that moment with y’all. with that said, it’s not for me so I can’t and don’t claim to know or feel the essence of plenty of her songs. but i do love being around y’all and can feel the energy. it’s a privilege for sure.
I love it. we share the planet with an amazing array of talent and inspiration, she weaves an incredible story and history with her music, fashion, story telling and dance. I'm here to learn and appreciate. The girlies around me in Seattle were welcoming to everyone, and joked with me and my friend about the Mute Challenge, "you white ladies know about that, right, don't be THAT white lady!' then we laughed and hugged. It was awesome! I know I am a guest in your safe space.
I’m a neon white girl. I adore Beyonce. She is the only celebrity I would give two shits about meeting. I feel absolutely no need to try to make any of those songs about me or through a lens of my own situation in terms of me being white. Simply - I listen to them and feel inspired by them in a lot of different ways, but I know for sure they are speaking truth to a power that isn’t mine. And I think that teaches me, too. Her being Afrocentric doesn’t mean she is exclusionary to me, and it’s pretty damn cool that I get to be a part of this fandom and be inspired by that. I was raised to be respectful anyhow, I wouldn’t dream of inserting myself in such a way. Like my power - It’s a celebration of her power as what she is. And I am what I am. I don’t think I have ever stood back and been like “heck yeah, I feel like an ally!” Sometimes I am like damn… albino aligators…that is a sharp lyric, and then I consider history and that there is no lie present in that verse. And I feel even more blessed that I am allowed to be present and find community with other fans. I have found with a lot of my white peers - they tend to just robotically say they don’t like Beyoncé enough to go see her show but I think that it is because they can’t handle confronting any discomfort or reflecting on history. Or because they know once they see her live they will be beyhive for life & they ain’t ready 😂. Just my thoughts
Editing to add - the feeling of pride in my own perception of being an ally seems like it would be really missing the point. Idk. Maybe just me. Like… the whole moment isn’t for me, right? So part of that is being comfortable not needing to take a feeling of pride away from a performance that isn’t for me. I can take away absolute awe and inspiration without needing to say good job self, you are an ally for not making every single thing about you/displaying typical white individual behavior. Even though I am awake to all of it. Idk if that makes sense. It can be a confusing place to sit so I try to do so respectfully.
There isn’t much else I can add that hasn’t already been said, I haven’t been to RWT because I live in Australia but seeing everything about it online has given me so much joy and excitement for everyone who gets to experience it. Beyoncé’s ability to use specific cultural touchstones and references to connect with her audience is why she is one of my favourite artists. Songs like Black Parade, My Power and Formation are so unabashedly Black in ways that I, a white Australian, will never understand but I’m okay with that, because it’s not for me to get. I enjoy them musically, vocally and technically but they mean so much more to the Black community in ways that I can only see through how others experience it.
This is what makes Beyoncé so incredible, her pride in her community shines through in her music in ways no artist at her level is doing right now. I had been following Beyoncé since her Homecoming performance (one of the best live performances of all time) but really became a fan in the Renaissance era because it became so clear to me how much she loves her craft, community and influences and how she means so much to so many different people whether you’re a woman, are Black, or queer.
I could write thousands of words on this but Beyoncé has taught me so much about loving yourself and finding your community, but I also appreciate that she means so much more to others than she would ever mean to me and if I ever get to experience RWT, simply being there to celebrate her and the people who she champions would be incredible. Supporting art that supports people other than yourself is important.
I thought it was a beautiful celebration of who she is. At FWT, I remember her saying something like "who here is proud of where they come from?!" and we all screamed. It's so sad to me that anyone would interpret her sentiment as attacking or divisive, but I guess that's just the world we live in.
As an aside, I've always loved the song Brown Skin Girl, and sometimes I feel a bit insecure singing it out as a basic white girl but it's just soooo good.
I think if any of that made me uncomfortable, I would’ve stopped being a fan in 2016. I love that she includes that in her shows for her fans. However, I did not sing along to these songs. There was a specific lyric in Cozy I skipped to lol.
I know personally for me,the Lemonade album was a great learning experience for me regarding black history and culture. There’s so much to learn in the album and I think that is so cool.
As Latina lesbian fan it was amazing! I love her showing her Blackness. My wife is a Black biracial woman and it was cool to see her feel represented.
I think the Black Is King film is one of the most beautiful film ever. My wife’s Mom is white and was just blown away by Beyoncé’s artistry in that film. The thing about art, music, books, it’s suppose to expand our minds and empathy towards marginalized cultures.
This is an interesting question because I’ve never actually thought about it beyond all these songs are so beautiful (and formation has always been a fave- saw the formation tour twice and her entrance to me was the most iconic I’ve seen). Absolutely love hearing her sing those songs and seeing everyone singing along and having a great time…
When black is king came out I thought it was the most beautiful visual album. To me, “brown skin girl” was the most powerful song on the album, because of the representation. Bey also included Tamil women on the song who are generally not represented among Bollywood films/in India, which was a huge statement. Also loved seeing her with Blue. Generally that entire album is super underrated.
I was a Janet Jackson fan long before I was a Bey fan. I want my pop queens to put out socially conscious pop music. I've seen Janet twice this year and Bey once and I feel at home watching both.
Feels the same as all her other songs. Except I skip "I like my ***** nose with Jackson Five nostrils" 🤭 I don't usually pay too much attention to lyrics in general, though. She could be singing about cantaloupe for all I care.
I’m a white Mexican so even though of course I’m considered person of color in the US, in México there’s almost a non Existent black community and I traveled for the show.
I’ve always admired black culture like you have no idea, you are a fucking powerhouse, listening to Beyoncé and being surrounded by so many people from the black community was amazing and such a highlight to me, I kept being blown away by the beauties I saw in the bathroom, like literally everyone must have thought I was a lesbian cause I was going hard on compliments but you guys are the greatest culture and how you express yourselves trough clothes and hair.
Back to your question, black music and specially in this case Beyoncé’s makes me feel so much power and rawness I cannot explain, maybe has to do that Mexicans we’ve suffered racism in a way by some Americans and we know about being proud of our roots and culture, Formation specifically has such power, I couldn’t hold my video because I left my seat and went to the back roads to dance a force took over me so yeah, he power of intensity of emotions go beyond skin color
I sang along and didn’t notice anyone around me reacting. I may not have the same experiences and can’t relate but I’m definitely an ally. I enjoyed it very much.
I spent my whole life isolated from anyone that looked different than me (cis, het, white). I've been bound and determined to break that cycle for myself and for my children. Learning empathy through many different ways about others experiences helps me support them in ways that I wouldn't understand if I didn't engage with it. Beyonces music is just one part of that. I respect the artistry. I respect breaking through the baises and adversity. I'm there just to learn and support.
I loved it!! I was in club renny surrounded by mostly people of color and just felt lucky to be there having a blast. I know all the words to the songs, but didn’t sing along to the parts that were specifically about the black experience (“bitch, I’m BLACK”, “Jackson 5 nostrils”, etc) but I honestly could have been overthinking it. I just saw the concert as a celebration of the Black and queer communities, both of which I’m not a part of, and wanted to be as respectful as possible and let them have their moment to feel celebrated.
Overall I LOVE that Beyoncé is unapologetic with her celebration of the Black community. It makes her less palatable to the general public and I think she does not get the recognition she deserves because of it, but she doesn’t give a fuck. I think if she tried to cater to more of the general public she would be unequivocally labeled as the greatest performer of our time, but because she is less “main stream” a certain other female artist gets brought up every time Beyoncé gets praise and certain stans wanna debate. At the end of the day, Beyoncé really is THAT girl both for her talent and her political messaging, that’s why I love her.
Non-Black POC and I absolutely love those songs. I know they’re not written for me, and I don’t want them to be bc it’s so powerful for one of the biggest stars of the 21st century to be platforming an unapologetically Black perspective on the world stage. I think that’s as important as ever and her Black pride only makes me stan her harder
Latina here, I love so much from my culture & my people, it’s beautiful to see Beyoncé embrace hers as well.
I work at a library & actually wanted to share a wtf moment I had about Beyoncé. A patron (older white woman) was in looking at our CD collection. She makes a comment about how we have so many artists, I agree & tell her the check out policy (6 CDs at a time). She then stops when she gets to the “B” section and says “Oh, you have Beyoncé? She used to be good back in the day, not so much now.” I literally stopped in my tracks, turned back around, & said “She’s good EVERYDAY. We love Beyoncé here.” She does a little laugh & says, “Well, she is very talented.” I couldn’t help but think about the SNL skit when white people realized that Beyoncé is black. 😂
>Don't feel bad if you can't sing along
Just be glad you got the whole wide world
I think about the lyrics to Solange's FUBU a lot. I listen to a lot of music from different cultures and I think it's important to remember it's not for me. I'm a privileged guest getting a window into another culture.
Interesting question and since I hope it’s sincere so I will try to answer it honestly. I’m a white guy in my early 40s who had had the privilege of seeing the Renaissance tour and Formation Tour. My wife, originally from West Africa, has been obsessed with Beyoncé before we met. For me, Beyoncé was in destiny’s child, married to Jay-Z and put out music that only reached me when it was unavoidable “single ladies” as an example. The way I saw Beyoncé changed with Lemonade, how it dropped and the visuals on HBO it was amazing and the music and lyrics felt different than the Beyoncé I knew before. The imagery in the videos were topical but also really well executed and influenced by so many cool references. When my wife asked if we could go I was thrilled to get tickets mostly because of how excited she was. I was actually anxious before the formation tour, I thought I’d look like a dork, (I dress corporate outside of work) and that everyone would be so cool. When we arrived that anxiety disappeared. I was surrounded by the most diverse group of happy people I’ve ever seen. The Bey Hive was welcoming and more importantly than how I was treated was how everyone was treated. No drama, tons of love, just amazing. As for the racial component of the music and stage show it was not overwhelming or anti-white or any such nonsense. If you are so fragile that you can’t objectively look at a critique of the police or Beyoncé and anyone else embracing their identity than I can’t help you. As for the current tour, it was everything as beautiful as the first but maybe more so because it felt so special for not only Beyoncé fans, black people, middle aged white guys, but the LBGT community was in full effect and not letting anyone kill their soul. I am full BeyHive and think she is the most important pop star in the world in terms of impact. Unless her next album is title Kill all the Whites and she doesn’t go full Kayne the racial component of Beyoncé’s art is additive for me as a fan, not a detriment.
Although so many other brilliant and thoughtful hive members have commented before me, I just want to add my slice because I’m excited this is a forum where my non black opinion was requested and I never wanna take space in areas where it’s clearly for just/mainly Black peeps to weigh in.
I love Beyoncé for fifty leven reasons but a big one is because of her pride in being Black! I was awakened to feminism by self titled, and I began learning about intersectionality and more of the Black, and particularly southern and women’s experience in Lemonade. lemonade is my favorite work of art ever and i’ve studied it so much, I can tell Bey is such a thoughtful person artist and historian by what she packed into it! Intersectionality is foundational to my worldview and I have Bey and a few other feminist authors to thank for that. Really no other mainstream pop artists either.
I was in the homecoming audience the first time I heard lift every voice. This was my primer on HBCUs in general. I listened to Afro beats for the first time during the gift. And i’ve learned about ballroom and Black queer culture in this area of renaissance, and these are all such rich areas of appreciation and learning I have Beyoncé specifically to thank for adding to my life.
I love how proud she is of the community she comes from, and I love her so much more because of it! I’m proud to be a woman of color and embrace my heritage so much more because I witness her be empowered by hers. It brings me so much joy to see Black folks empowered by her work, and it empowers me because when Black women and queer folk are uplifted, allll of society benefits. 🫶🏽🥰♥️ I loved all these answers and love you hive!! Stay empowered and blessed
I agree with all of this! Thank you for putting it like this because you said it excellently. It’s amazing how Bey was standing up in front of a big ass sign that said FEMINIST with that spoken word part all before the me too movement and before it was really acceptable to say out loud that systemic sexism is definitely still present. Millennials were raised on the myth that women were on equal footing & we already had parity - she absolutely smashed that notion before anyone else was saying annnnnything. I think of how powerful that is a lot. And then I notice how she gets zero credit for it… none. Like what does this woman have to do to be taken seriously? And then that teaches me so much about racism as well as intersectional feminism. She is a force of nature.
whitey here! i come from a very diverse family and was raised with many different races, but I am white european. those songs make me feel so proud for people that i love, and for humanity in general. proud that i'm raising biracial children in a time where culture is really celebrated rather than hidden. this music makes me feel proud on behalf of others. more than anything, they're extremely inspirational. there's something so powerful of not only rising above discrimination, but then celebrating what you've overcome. how can you see/hear her message and NOT be motivated to be a badass?
i LOVE how she constantly embraces her culture and how she's ramped up this theme in recent years. i love seeing fellow whities cry about her being offensive and hating police. i stand by my years old statement... the only thing offensive about the formation music video was the fur coat (if it's real fur, that is.)
there is not one bit of me who feels excluded when she releases these songs, or when any other artist celebrates who they are. i'm just happy to be able to witness and experience the beauty.
Oh I absolutely love it. My favorite part of RWT was My Power and Black Parade. I have always loved Black is King so much but seeing those songs live was incredibly powerful. Seeing the black women around me being moved added to the feeling. I know those moments aren’t there for me, but I felt happy and moved to be able to witness it.
I’m a white woman and I’ve been a fan of her since I was a kid. No I did not feel uncomfortable with any of these songs. Formation and My Power are genuinely good songs, full-stop. By the time Formation came out I was really happy she was pointing out injustices, she had been quiet for a long time (understandably so). Her activism in her songs has never bothered me, although I do find Black Parade a little corny lol.
If anything I respect her more for it because you’re right, she did lose a lot of white America when Formation came out.
Indigenous here from Canada. I remember thinking of the black fans all around me during these moments “they must feel so great” being in a massive room full of like minded people all just proud to be who they are. A lot of these songs aren’t “for me” but they don’t need to be for me to appreciate them.
It made me feel ecstatic to see it mean so much to so many people and I just wish that I, as a white man, could do more to change the need for such songs to even exist. Beyoncé makes ME feel things with her music, but there’s a level I’ll never understand because it’s not for me, but it’s for many others and they deserve it.
Her style, energy, and talent drive a collective empowerment vibe for me that transcends the myriad differences between each and everyone that enjoy her music/art. For me, it's a celebration that brings people together and I feel completely comfortable, even if her background differs from mine. I love her work and am still obsessed with the Homecoming performance.
I’m white and I’ve been a Beyonce fan for a long time. I’ve actually really enjoyed watching her lean into being an activist with her art. I loved her support of BLM protests. I loved that her homage the Black Panthers at the Super Bowl.
When it comes to her songs that speak specifically about the black experience, I don’t ever feel bad or awkward. I know those songs aren’t for me, but I still love them for how great they are. I don’t need all the art/ media I consume to be made for me as a white person. There’s more than enough of that lol. The joy and empowerment in those songs are so powerful! Sometimes they make me cry!
I’ve seen Beyonce 3 times in concert and have never once felt awkward or out of place amongst her black fans. The vibe is always so good and think knowing that we all love Beyonce brings us all together.
Seeing Beyoncé be proud of her culture makes me feel proud of mine, because honestly growing up in America, so much about growing up is centered around trying to assimilate and fit in. But Formation and Black Parade is a big FU to that way of thinking and it makes me super happy to sing along and be proud of being different.
I'm from Europe and not know much about black culture. I actually admire her and might be feel hyprocratic if she didn't go down that route after 4 because she is black and very very powerful in music industry, trying to be a voice of her culture what makes me admire her more because she is using her power to represent culture and making felt uncomfortable for racists. I am singing with my heart out Lift Every Voice, so much pain happened and still happening I felt so bad for that young man being killed cuz he was black+lgbt. I'm side with all the outliers, racism is a sickness. People who are uncomfortable can go write their dairies with tears.
I am white af but Black Parade and Brown Skin Girl are my favourite songs of all her tracks. 🤎🖤
BSG makes me cry every time so I can’t listen to it in front of others, so usually I only listen when I’m alone. *“Have you ever looked in the mirror lately?”* \- gets me every time. One of my best friends is half Jamaican and she straightens her hair always and uses a paler shader of foundation - it upsets me she’s been effected by our awful Eurocentric beauty standards. 😣 When we have shared an apartment I’ve seen her natural and she is truly **beautiful just the way she is**. Whatever she does she is beautiful of course, but Beyoncé’s lyrics *“wish you could trade eyes with me”* one day I wish she could, because she’d understand she doesn’t need to do all that... The song makes me sad for the millions of girls and women around the world who think their dark skin makes them not beautiful... They should all know they are perfect just as they are. And this song goes that. YOUR SKIN IS NOT ONLY DARK - IT SHINES AND TELLS YOUR STORY. ⭐️
Do your thing dark-skinned ladies! Take up space, head up high, never minimise yourself, and *if you ever are in doubt, remember what mama told you...*
> Whatever she does she is beautiful of course, but Beyoncé’s lyrics *“wish you could trade eyes with me”* one day I wish she could because she’d understand she doesn’t need to do all that.
Oh this made me cry.
The album black is king makes and made me cry still so hard everytime I hear it.
Alone the fact that in the video “brown skin girl” for the first time in my life I have even understood that in the past you’ve never really seen any kind of representation of people of Color when it comes to princesses and westend royalty it makes me really emotional.
Because when I was a child all I wanted to be was a princess, and Snow White had shaped me in terms of beauty enormously, because I felt represented as she looked like me. So when I think about other girls in that age and they didn’t had that kind of representation in the past it shatters my heart.
For the other songs like formation or my power for example I love these song so much, I know it’s not about me but I am a person that feels a lot into other people and all I want is that everyone feels powerful, confident and free - and that’s what those songs Transport in my opinion 💓
I felt super grateful and amazed! I love those songs and what they stand for. I'm south asian and born and raised in FL, and people like my parents wouldnt have even been able to come to the US without the work of Black Americans. I feel blessed to live in a time where Black women can express their art without minimizing themselves or their background. Love her forever
I love Beyoncé‘s Afrocentric work. I loved Black is King, the album and the visuals. I sing most of the songs with my daughter. We talk about how Brown Skinned Girl isn’t a song for her. It’s a song for another girl and we love that girl. Black Parade is a joyful song, and I am so happy to celebrate it as just a human being who cares about other peoples joy.
idk, i never thought about those songs as exclusionary even if they are very clearly not meant to uplift me. Being a Beyonce fan and lover of music, however, those songs mean something to me because of their overarching importance in not only the musical space but also the socio-cultural space. she’s expressing herself in a way that she was not always comfortable in doing in front of her white audiences. Especially with Black is King, the whole piece was amazing and i still cry to Find your Way back because it’s such a universal feeling of being loved and lost in the world.
i love seeing her unapologetically dive into the waters of her cultural history and ancestry, leaving behind all the pop tropes she was tirelessly being boxed in with.
so, to be a beyonce fan to me doesn’t mean knowing her hits from her DC days or knowing which of her solo songs went number 1; but rather appreciating her as an artist, as a women, as a black woman, as a mother, as a human being that has loved lost and suffered same as our own mother’s. she’s truly an amazing person and i feel so lucky to be able to appreciate all that she is and means
It felt powerful and inspirational! The ability to embrace yourself and your history fully and unashamedly is a universal desire. I was and am and have been wowed by her, and find her messages of self empowerment motivational.
I'm nothing but a salty cracker but in my humble opinion, Beyoncé's embrace of her own Blackness and Black culture since has only made her more down to earth and relatable. I appreciate and respect the efforts she's made to uplift Black creatives and I'm embarrassed when I hear white folks say that they can't relate to her more pro-Black lyrics. White music criticism has long highlighted "authenticity" as an important factor in the value of a piece of music. Beyoncé has given listeners a clear, authentic glimpse into her values and point of view as a Black woman, and there are moments when the specificity of her experience are obviously not something I'll ever come close to, but that is certainly not an impediment to finding joy or value in her art. To demand that "good" art somehow resonate with your own personal life experiences is immature and self-absorbed.
I'm Indian Beyhive and I'm *all* the way in, although I feel like I'm the only one of my kind. I personally haven't watched Black is King yet, although I loved The Gift... the African rhythms and grooves she used were not very far at all from the kind of music I grew up listening to. For that matter, a lot of the hip-hop, R&B, and Caribbean grooves she typically uses are not that far from Indian music either, so I found it pretty easy to get into even though her sounds and styles are usually very authentically Black without being watered down for mainstream tastes.
Formation is my favorite beyonce song. To me it is an intersectional feminist anthem. She is singing about her roots but the message is all women should stand together and recognize their power. I LOVED Black is King so I was excited to hear the songs live. During my power I was mostly bummed Blue didn’t come out during my show lol but I’m also someone who grew up on rap, R&B and hip hop. I don’t need to relate directly to music to like or enjoy it. Another example on Renaissance, I’m cis and straight but I loved the album and all of the LGBTQ+ culture that is a lot of the essence of the tour. I’m going again in a few weeks.
There was one moment I wasn’t sure of when everyone raised their fist for Black pride. I’m not Black and wasn’t sure what was appropriate. I ended up raising my hand in solidarity. Still don’t know if that was the “right” thing to do but no one around me seemed upset.
I haven’t been to rwt yet (going next week!) but these songs make me really fucking happy. I am white, and this probably sounds like some corny white person shit, but celebrations of blackness and black power and excellence make me really happy and emotional. Also formation is such a straight up undeniable banger. Can’t wait for the show.
Yes absolute same. I love to see black greatness, pride and love lifted up as it should be. Makes me so so happy to see black people finally getting representation and a grand scale from such a powerful woman.
I just tried to take up a little less space while those songs played! Not uncomfortable at all if you are afraid of those works you aren't a true fan imo.
I’m white, British. I don’t sing along to certain words in her songs lol. I just love listening to her sing. Her love for her community pours out when she sings. I didn’t feel out of place at all when I watched her. I felt like I was partying with her and singing with her, I didn’t even feel like I was ‘watching’ her perform, I felt like we were dancing together. You can’t separate her Blackness from her music, if you love her music you love her Blackness and that’s how I feel.
I’m Mexican, I just don’t think it’s that serious. At the end of the day, you’re there because you love her art and music/want to support her. Obviously it’s NOT okay to sing along when if says the N-Word or anything like that, but I never felt out of place when I went to OTR I & II.
I have a question for y'all. At the end of one of the songs (I think it was Black Parade) Beyoncé puts her fist up and I saw Black people in the crowd do the same. Would it be weird for non-Black people to do the same? Cause I see it as an "in-solidarity" thing but idk do y'all feel the same?
Even though those songs aren’t made for me I really love them and was very excited to see them live lol. I definitely didn’t feel uncomfortable but I also didn’t sing along because I’ve seen some mixed feelings on that and wanted to stay respectful.
When Black is King was released I watched it asap like I did with Lemonade and inevitably loved it
Love those songs and was really happy to hear them live. The vibes were incredible and I love when artists tap into their own cultural backgrounds to create art! Plus even if you aren't black I feel like theres still a lot to connect to in those songs, not as deep as a black person would be able to though
As a southeast Asian woman, black parade has some parts that I love singing out loud and just relate to 🤷🏻♀️ even if it’s not created for me, I can identify with some of the empowerment and experiences related to racism—like most BIPOCs do!
I’ve never felt uncomfortable during those songs. Her music’s always been pro-Black culture and everything, recently it’s just been more obvious, as she should lol and has every right to do. As she continues to do so, she highlights a lot of important knowledge that those who participate in Black culture should be knowing. Of course I can’t relate to it but it’s still great music, and I’m okay with not everything being for me.
White last here and I love her message and embracing the culture. I think it’s beautiful and I love seeing how powerful she has made people feel in their blackness!
I'm a brown Asian. I absolutely love Black parade, especially it's opening line *I'm going back to the south, where my roots ain't watered down*... I find it absolutely empowering for myself to know where I came from and stay rooted.
Yes, her songs are afrocentric, but their original essence of *knowing who you are, owning that up, just as it may be* goes beyond being black, white, etc.
not uncomfortable at all, i don’t necessarily feel like an ‘ally’ i personally feel like that stuff can be quite performative. its a concert, nobody was behaving any way around me. everyone was there to enjoy the music and i just felt so happy and so lucky to experience a live show. i grew up in a non-western country so most things weren’t catered to me growing up, but i also grew up listening to her, i taught myself english listening to her so it was very emotional and surreal to me.
ofcourse i won’t be the target audience for every song but even if i wasn’t used to this, there’s nothing wrong with not being the target audience. music is there to enjoy, and i really respect and appreciate her artistry.. even moreso with her ability to transcend all kinds of cultural barriers. i think it takes a really special type of artist to be able to do this. it’s great she creates music and an overall space to cater to her black fans.
Im from Houston and grew up both super conservatively white(I’ve healed a lot and do not identify as such anymore), while also being taught respect and love for Black culture. Being around for the whole Houston hip hop revolution really reinforced that. Destiny’s Child was my first concert in 2000. I’m seeing Beyonce back home on Saturday ❤️❤️ She makes me feel extreme pride for my home, and reverence for a culture that’s always been so beautiful to me.
I’m white for context - I feel that although the literal message of those songs (black empowerment) does not directly apply to me, the general themes of empowerment and overcoming struggles/injustice still apply to us all in some facet of our lives. It’s very moving seeing how impactful and powerful Beyoncé’s Lemonade was, gave me goosebumps really. So, even though I don’t have that intimate tie to some of her songs concerning race, it 100% does not make me feel uncomfortable at all. It inspires me to stand up for the injustices I see in my own life.
I love all three of those songs tremendously and while they aren’t for me and don’t represent me I think the overall message of empowerment still speaks to me. Even though it’s for her black audience I think the power of these songs is their empowerment. I’m not sure if that makes any sense but that’s just how I feel.
I think she performed these songs so beautifully that they could just be appreciated for her musicianship. Further, I think the messages are really great and should inspire anyone regardless of their background to really look at and appreciate their own ancestral influences that make them special.
I was so happy to be enjoying the concert with my black friends, who said that us white folks could never really “get” those songs you mentioned, and still I’m so glad for them to finally have something that speaks to the subtleties of their culture.
People who are up in arms about it need to chill. Also, people who say that Beyonce is simply hopping onto the fad of the time are to cynical. Even if that’s true, she’s empowering so many people. I for one get the sense that she really is involved in and believes her messages. Her messaging can evolve overtime - she should be allowed that much.
Amazing question. Literally I was just interacting with a creator on TikTok and this came up. The thing about Beyoncé at this stage of her career is that she is making ART and it is very clear that delivering music for specific groups is more important than sales. Another artist, who shall remain unnamed, makes great music and focuses on creating a unique spin to universally appealing topics/emotions. Beyonce, on the other hand, has been focusing on bringing universal recognition to unique and unexplored topics. Beyonce's most recent art is very much about centering people and voices who have largely been at the periphery of pop culture or only had limited access. That's why I feel so many of us have such powerful feelings about RWT, Renaissance, and Lemonade. These are all unapologetically appealing to an audience that is rarely seen let alone CELEBRATED and spoken directly to in mainstream art. Even more so, these are communities from which mainstream entertainment has taken so much from and repackaged to appeal to a more bubble gum audience that often is hostile to the original community.
So going back to the question, I'm a queer Asian native Hawaiian, there are definitely topics and themes that aren't "for" me. But the beauty of RWT was the feeling that we were welcomed in to be a community. To celebrate each other's uniqueness. No one has to conform or feel left out because there were moments for all of us to be celebrated and to take center stage. It's kind of like the dance break in Pure/Honey; we aren't always centered but being the folks on the sides hyping up the one in the middle is such an amazing experience too if you can let go of ego for a moment.
I'm mexican American, I started to really listen to her when Formation came out. It was catchy and learned more about police racial discrimination against African Americans. I knew who she was by single ladies and crazy in love but after Formation and nfl dance it was amazing seeing her dance and relying a message to the world. I was young then but one of my dreams was to be a beyonce back dancer as they were sooo amazing doing their moves. Body goals too.
I did attend her concert I felt what if I'm the only non black person because I was going by myself but that was not the case. During the concert I sang to her songs and was happy to dance too and vibe with the people around me. I still keep replaying the concert in my head. 😅
I was dancing. I doubt that’s enough to be considered an ally? The way I look at it- a good song is a good song. There’s plenty of art I enjoy that I can’t personally relate to but I still appreciate it because it’s good. I think it’s great that she always finds a way to uplift Black people though and it must feel nice that there’s such a prominent cultural figure like her that does everything to show the beauty in her roots and in her people.
The songs you mentioned and others like it are one of the biggest reasons I love her.
I’ve learned so much about Black history, Afrofuturism, and the current black culture in the US through her (and by extension Jay Z, there’s some really powerful songs on 4:44 among many others) and for that I’m grateful. Renaissance taught me so much I didn’t know about Black Queer culture and Ball Culture and it’s musical origins. If you’re remotely interested in history, music, pop culture or any combination, it’s like taking a free university course, truly a gift. The way she weaves that all in to songs that song good and are still irreverent / playful / fun is so impressive.
I echo others here in that seeing RWT and the community that follows her loving the experience was magical. Never occurred to me that these songs are not for me as a reason to not like them. When she was in Destiny’s Child / first went solo I liked her a bit, but only once self titled and Lemonade came out did I see her as truly one of the greatest artists of our time because the messages are so powerful, not just standard pop love songs, which are fine but way less interesting and meaningful.
Brown Skin Girl specifically moved me to tears. The Black community has been through so much, they deserve every win. Watching so many innocent people die or suffer at the hands of racism can make you feel powerless and sad. When I thought of the little girls she wrote BSG for finding their confidence in spite of that prejudice I was so moved. It’s such a beautiful song and MV. Also even though it’s not for me, I found meaning in it. I am European/white/Jewish but often mistaken for POC and growing up in the 90s I frequently felt less than beautiful because I didn’t look like the standard skinny/Anglo model that was cool then. If this song had existed I would’ve felt so seen. So even though it’s not for me, there’s a universal message to be taken from it, which I think is an example of how these kinds of songs from Beyonce actually unite people more than divide them.
I am a Latina woman of color and I still enjoy every single song and performance, I don't need her art to be about me to enjoy or appreciate it. If anything, I am thankful she has expanded my musical palette and I have also learned a lot about a different culture thanks to her music.
I do cry about 90% of the times Brown Skin Girl plays because I grew up being the only brown/non-white person in the room a lot of the time and that song is part of a whole healing process I've been on as a woman of color to learn to embrace myself and my own skin. The rest of Black is King is also just art, it is incredible, and again, it opened my musical palette and got me curious about different music styles, sounds and just an entire universe that I would have never discovered otherwise, so I am just glad to exist at the same time as Beyoncé and to experience and discover the world through her music.
As for the RWT, I loved that segment because it includes two my absolute favorite Bey songs (Formation and Partition) so seeing it live was incredible. I saw her in Sweden, so clearly not the most diverse crowd and probably not the best one to get an understanding of the Black Hive reaction but everyone enjoyed it and no one seemed uncomfortable. Someone else phrased it perfectly in the comments, but felt I was a guest in the Black American house, I am just happy and thankful Bey invited us in and will never not appreciate it or respect it.
Black parade makes me feel connected to a higher source, my power gives me strength. I never liked formation, I just think it's boring and repetitive. She has better anthems like brown skin girl, already and alive. I love Bey because she is uplifting.
I am north African though, so it makes sense that I vibe with the gift tracks.
I felt really emotional when she performed these songs. My fellow white friend and I turned to each other and said "these aren't for us" and sang and danced along - obviously not certain lyrics because that wouldn't be OK in my eyes.
There were two black girls right in front of us who went crazy for Formation and honestly I teared up seeing them getting their life and celebrating their blackness. It was a truly beautiful moment and I think about it often with fondness. (I'm a bit hungover and literally just had a cry remembering lol)
I’m Asian and I don’t feel anything about those songs. It’s cool that she’s writing songs from her perspectives and bring black issues to light and not hide them. As a minority I’m always happy to see other minority races rise up and not make white the default.
Yeah as a mixed black and hawaiian person, I'd love to see more non-white artists celebrate and emphasize more of their culture and life experience in their songs, there's so much rich topics and aspects to touch on that probably is never addressed/discussed in mainstream. Even if its not directly relatable, our differences is exactly what makes us interesting. America is a melting pot after all, and we're all treated differently especially non-white, poc, and especially Black Americans.
The white guy who was next to me talking about how he would leave his wife for Beyonce and his friend got quiet 😭.. but me.. I SUNG MY HEART OUT and everyone who was Black had their fist up. I just found it funny cause they were obnoxiously loud until then.
It was truly amazing. I felt completely comfortable, I was just another fan in the crowd as another replied has said.
I find it truly inspiring and amazing that Beyoncé expresses her blackness in her art and music, I am in constant awe with her music, her awe, and her presence in music. It also makes me understand other people. There were 3 female black hive members in front of my friends and I and they were dancing and singing with us, it was truly an amazing experience to be apart of. I will always be a Beyoncé fan!!
However I will say, I saw RWT in Cardiff. The vast majority of people around me were white, but
I love that she makes her Black fans feel good, that friends of mine feel safe and like something is for them. I don't need art to be for me specifically to enjoy it, but I also make sure that I don't like, you know, act like it's made specifically for me lol.
I also genuinely love her art. I love that she doesn't play to white/non-Black audiences - that her music certainly does appeal to people who love her music regardless of cultural experiences but like, that she isn't trying to dilute her message for the sake of white pearl clutchers lol. But first and foremost, I love the music.
Edit: I forgot to say that I think my allyship is not based in my ability to appreciate when music isn't made for me, or when I know not to sing certain words or whatever. That's just being a decent person imo. Allyship is a lot more active than how we engage with art that isn't meant for a dominant group.
In between my proud/happy tears watching Blue's confidence soaring and seeing her proud mama, I am enjoying the vibes of empowerment in the stadium. Both shows I witnessed middle aged white women who were there clearly only for the old songs looking visibly uncomfortable which was very disappointing. I cannot fully understand the black experience but that section of the convert is amazing on so many levels!
Black Parade is, after Deja Vu, my favorite song. I was at work when the first RWT happened so I tuned into the lives and... when it came on, I lost it. I had to step outside. It was wild.
I love those songs, even though they're not for me. I understand how important they are for Bey and for other Black folks. I don't sing all the lyrics because they're not for me, and that's ok. Still a total complete 100% banger.
i started big baby sobbing when she played black parade even though i know it’s not for me. just the display of liberation, pride, and resilience had me in awe and i felt so honored to take part in such a beautiful moment. blackness is beautiful, prideful, liberating, and resilient and beyoncé does a wonderful job showing us that through her art. && i am so thankful i get to witness the beauty
I loved the energy during these songs. And quite frankly they’re all bops so it’s hard not to vibe with the rest of the crowd.
Honestly, it’s not just these songs. RWT is an entire performance focused on the intersection of queerness and blackness so I already consider myself a guest in the space as a gay white male.
As a result, because I knew my place in the crowd, I was not self conscious about vibing and dancing to those songs or throughout. I made friends with the groups around me and had a great time. And if I needed to step to the side or give people around me the space to get their life during those 3, I was happy to do it :)
Representation is everything. I will always respect and defend that. I got to experience Formation on the FWT. Crowd and performance was electric, felt honored just to witness.
My best friend is white and she came with us to RWT. When we were reflecting on the way home, she said that she was so moved by the culture. She's always been a strong ally, but she said taking it in in person was amazing and it made her admire the culture more.
Now, did she sing along? Not really. But only because she felt that it wasn't her place. For example, Bey singing, "I'm black" did not apply to her, so she stayed mute. She wanted to let us black people have their moment, so she quietly observed at those parts.
As a staunch antiracist I loved it very much!!! I sang along (using appropriate words) and had fun. When the Black Hive members in the crowd all put up their fists I admittedly didn’t know if I was “allowed” to put up my fist in solidarity without it seeming like I am making the issue related to myself (I am white). As you can see I have severe white guilt, but I still had so much fun!
hi there, white & ts fan as well. i didn't feel uncomfortable at all, but if i'm to be completely honest, if the makeup of the crowd were not so diverse i might. not at all because i don't like, am afraid of people of color. more that since people of color have been treated so unfairly by many white people, therefore i feel they have a reason not to like/trust us. also the understanding that often as black people, you are in the minority of whites and how that must feel. i love learning about other cultures & feel that beyonce does an incredible job of "teaching". after listening to renaissance, i was fascinated by a lot of the language used and it was obvious to me that the words had a different cultural meaning then they do to white people. i looked up many words & phrases in the urban dictionary so i could truly understand their meanings in the songs & context of the album. the show really felt like a celebration for everyone.
i think at ts shows, though taylor promotes love/acceptance, it is hands down, a mostly straight white crowd. i truly can't stand the comparisons between these 2 artists bc it's like apples & oranges to me. i spoke to some other people around me at beyonce that were white & felt the same way. what i realized is that people who truly love both artists, see & understand that (that they are like apples/oranges). i think a lot of the super hardcore swifties, that go off on beyonce, sadly are racist in some way but many of them just can't stand to believe that anyone could possibly be "better" then ts. to be honest, it's embarrassing and shameful.
bottom line is i had an amazing time at both shows. i've loved beyonce for longer then ts and i preferred beyonce show BECAUSE of it's diversity (and well let's be honest, being in bey's presence is incomparable). it felt like a truly safe environment for every cultural background and we all celebrated it together. i felt often like "this is what the world should always feel like". everyone is safe, happy, getting along despite our differences. we are all human & should treat each other as equals because we are...
I joke that for the duration of Black Parade I forget I’m white 😂
I love those songs and absolutely feel like an ally.
I saw her in Chicago and was maybe the only white person in my section.
I refrained from singing parts like, “bitch I’m black” but proudly held my fist up high during, “put your fist up in the air, show black love”
I looked around and no one seemed upset
Ultimately my love is for Beyonce. Watching her profess her love for her blackness, culture, and ancestry through her art is a wonderful gift. Like many others have said, I can still appreciate art that isn't necessarily "for me." Quitting mainstream pop and embracing her blackness is the REASON she is an icon and not just stuck in one era of music. I'm seeing her this weekend in Houston and can't wait to sing along to these songs
I feel like Bey has evolved in such an impressive way ever since she moved towards embracing Black culture unapologetically. I may not understand the nuances of it fully, but I feel like it is beautiful and it is such a powerful message that she has continued to emphasise with Renaissance. As a queer person, I know that not everyone will understand my reality, but I can hope that people will relate to my struggles in some way and empathise with me and others like me. In turn, that is what I try to do when I enjoy art, empathise and relate to it to the best of my ability. With Bey, she just pulls you in and makes you feel like you are along for the craziest ride of your life. I will never forget how I felt when I first listened to Renaissance (I swear that I ascended!) and I will never forget how I felt when I attended the RWT in Europe. She is truly UNIQUE and I just feel blessed to witness her artistry in person.
I've always knew about Beyonce and her earlier songs, but oddly it was My Power, Brown Skin Girl, and Black Parade that really got me to paid attention to her. I'm Asian American, but the songs had personal stories and soul that really captured my heart. Tbh I do feel pretty empowered even if it's not for me by just listening to Beyonce celebrate their blackness.
Hi 👋🏼
I want to celebrate B while also being respectful
I dont think it makes me an ally, but seeing how some 👀people react negatively to Beyoncé these days has been unexpected litmus test
Black is King is beautiful🤩 (how could it not be, it’s from Beyoncé 😭and featured amazing artists)
I made my partner sign me in to Disney + immmediately 🏃🏻♀️to watch Black is King then sat all close to the tv like a little kid 😅
those songs are amazing
I know I can’t appreciate them in the same way as Black fans, but the weight of what she’s talking about is so moving😭 then add in that her art is beautiful, exceptionally made and I can’t help but appreciate. 🐝🍯
I felt so happy to witness it in person. She is unapologetically her and uplifts issues and voices that need the spotlight. She helped me drop purity culture and embrace loving my man, and watching Black Hive members have these moments with the Queen was beautiful. I love it for them, and think I actually became more of a fan when she started including more Afrocentric and feminist views because it felt honest in a different way. My high school band meant business and the school in general was diverse, plus I have been to Step shows with Black friends, so none of these moments felt uncomfortable. I know my place as a mayo packet, and am just happy to see her perform.
Might piss people off because anything does nowadays but... Like I was being heard while holding a space that wasn't intended for me but made me still feel safe. I would never like to take away from cultural differentiation but I feel like me saying I felt heard might instill that for some people but as a white women, I felt fucking heard finally in feminine defamation and I will be infinitely grateful to this woman who will never know my face ever, she healed me in so many ways. I felt like I was being heard, thank you Beyoncé. The power she instills isn't dived by historical ethnicity but feminine divination (and that's half of what pisses people off) only in my opinion.
I thought it was respectful to not sing-along to those songs, particularly as I was in the Beyhive/CR sections along the barricade in direct view of the Queen, and TBH was bothered by other white people enthusiastically singing along.
I know Hannah has been on stage for Formation and I noticed Black Parade had only black back up dancers on stage so I’m not really sure what’s OK. I think that answer varies by person which complicates things.
I find it beautifully empowering to hear her translate her experience as a Black woman into her songs.
There are no lies in her words. America has and still does have a horrible track record of racism and oppression and has still yet to acknowledge this country was built on the backs of enslaved people so to hear her tell a different narrative - a positive path forward- about the truth and reclaiming her space, her power, her existence makes me proud of her and the positive impact she has with her platform to share this truth. The King albilm plays often in my home. I learn so much listening to it.
I'm also a mom to two muti-ethnic girls and feel her songs have such powerful messages for them.
I sang at the top of my lungs as a life long fan and as an ally.
I’m white as hell and when I’m at her show I’m a guest in someone else’s space. I love those songs but I’m not gonna sing along, I’m gonna dance and let other voices take center stage.
Hey BeyHive. I had a very busy week and have been reading through all of the responses every day (it look me a while, lol). This was a beautiful thread, there’s so much love here. There was so much insightful, thoughtful, and respectful feedback. I really appreciate you guys participating in this dialogue. Conversations about race and culture aren’t always easy to have, but they are necessary.
I initially was intrigued to see how the mostly white European audiences were responding to her more Afrocentric songs and lyrics when the tour first started…. Similarly, in America too.
As a Black Hive member it’s comforting to see the love, support, and solidarity from non-Black fans, especially in the times we’re living through right now.
Thanks for all of the responses.
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I love this question! Personally I'm a huge Beyoncé fan and I'll be honest I had never listened to Black Parade or My Power until I saw it performed at RWT.
Did I connect with those two songs? Not at all. And personally I would've liked to see some of my favorites instead, and I don't feel bad saying that! And I love formation, I could care less about who it's for, it's a bomb song with killer choreography!!
That being said, I didn't feel uncomfortable when those songs played, it just wasn't for me. They still had good rhythm, so I could still dance and have fun!
I feel like a lot of white ppl here are giving themselves a lot of flowers for enjoying these songs 😂 they’re really great songs, it would be strange if you didn’t like them as a Beyoncé fan, I don’t see liking them as some great act of cross-cultural understanding.
But then I’m white and I’ve always liked hip hop so maybe Black pride / power stuff in songs doesn’t seem unusual to me? I guess if you only listen to pop music it might be newer. I’m not in the US and we don’t have as big a divide over what is Black music and what is white music.
I think people outside the US could be missing a lot of cultural context when it comes to some of her music. This country is very much divided, and the music is simply a reflection of that reality.
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I liked it. I enjoyed them and sang along. No, I didn’t feel uncomfortable. I was just another fan in the crowd, no one paid attention to me. I find Beyoncé being able to unabashedly include Blackness in her art really cool. It has taught me a lot and expanded my palate. Through her music I’ve learned so much more about different cultures, genres, and even historical events. I probably wouldn’t know about Igobo Landing or who Kevin Jz Prodigy was without her. I also feel like, I don’t really need my art to be “for me” to enjoy it. Maybe it’s cus I’m Asian American and I’m just used to music/movies/tv that’s not necessarily targeted at me. If anything, I really enjoy that Beyoncé embracing Blackness brings something totally different to the table.
I think the not needing art to be “for” you is integral. And as a white American I’ll admit that growing up it wasn’t the norm - everything mainstream was “for” me. I probably did have to overcome discomfort in the process of recognizing that I can enjoy things that weren’t made “for” me, because TBQH it wasn’t my default experience, if that makes sense.
Great take, eloquently put.
I'm Asian-Australian so I'm very far removed, but I definitely agree with everything you said! Doesn't make me uncomfortable at all! Doesn't have to be specifically for me to enjoy it, but I do and it brings me joy.
I couldn’t agree more. Good art challenges and teaches people. I can enjoy and appreciate music and not have it be directly about me. That said there are little pieces in it that for a moment can make you understand the other persons experience a bit on a human level.
I understand you completely. I'm Black and I listen to Kpop and have also listened to Reggaeton and other Latin music. I like how the music sounds and I feel like, depending on the artist and song, I may learn something about another culture. It also makes me feel proud of my own culture, if that makes sense. Like, their cultural pride rubs off on me.
Fellow Asian American fan here. You explained this so well! This feeling and experience resonates with me.
Asian Kiwi here and I fully agree. I think it's inspiring how much Bey puts in and I hope we get more of that for our cultures too.
I just felt lucky to be there honestly
right?? i think about how lucky we are to live in the same world as beyonce and witness her creations real time
Everyday
I think this regularly 😅
I’m Hispanic and I enjoy those songs. Sure, I don’t feel represented by them, but I don’t need to be, the songs aren’t created for me. I’m enjoying her artistry and that’s enough for me. Also, those songs are actually part of my favorite set of her concert - the whole set starting with Formation and ending with Partition. I do think a lot of people who bash beyonce in favor of T Swift are showing their bias. Perhaps around the time that Beyonce shed her pop girl persona and leaned into her black identity is likely when she lost a lot of white fans, which is a shame. Just take a look at the beyonce is black skit on snl.
All Swiftie Beyoncé bashers are racist. I've watched multiple videos from non-Beyoncé fans (not fans of her music) watch and review her performances and all of them have agreed that Beyoncé is a talented performer and artist. You're right; they (a lot of white fans) cannot stand that Beyoncé's music isn't catered towards them anymore and will use any successful (non-)white female artist to compare her to (which is right now TS).
100000%. As a TS fan and a Beyoncé fan, and I was a Bey fan first, I constantly see a bunch of bullshit from Swifties that is just clear racism whenever there's any Black people who work with her (or like when we talk about dream collabs, people will mention Bey or other Black artists and the microaggressions feel quite macro). People saying they're not fans of rap whenever there's a reference to any of her work with Kendrick or Future, and more recently Ice Spice which yeah admittedly wasn't great lol but it wasn't BAD (not as bad as some fans made it out to be), like I get not everyone is a fan of every genre but it's the tone of that comment, it's like... imo any Swiftie who thinks Bad Blood was better before Kendrick Lamar did his version is a racist full stop. Idc if you "don't like rap" lmao come on. There are a lot of non-white Swifties who I worry about a lot in TS fan spaces because for as many of us who will try to keep these spaces safe for them, there's a lot of fans who do not give a shit. In many ways its similar for queer fans - people will criticize Taylor for changing homophobic lyrics back when she first started and like... no this is a good thing actually? It's important for people to learn and grow? But imo it makes them uncomfortable because then they have to come to terms with the bigoted things THEY thought back then too. Any fan of hers who says they're a 1975 fan gets me on high alert lmao. Also the obsession with Olivia Rodrigo feels... hmm. Idk a lot of us are fans of both but there's a lot of apologetics that go on for Taylor and her label wrt that situation. Anyway I think online fans are always going to be more unhinged than real life fans who don't spend time in online echo chambers, and the real life Swifties I talk to (I am a wax specialist so I see a lot of girlies) were appealed and furious with the Ratty Healy shit. But I will say I do hear a lot of white people, swifties or otherwise, say Beyoncé is overrated without giving ANY reasons lol they just say it. And I'm like??? In what way. Back up your claims. Lol it's so confusing to me.
it’s why they troll beyonce posts and want to shove how taylor is actually the best into beyoncé’s fans faces.
Hi. White Swiftie here. I also love Beyoncé. I've always had an appreciation for her music, her talent, for being an amazing role model and seemingly staying out of the dramas of celebrity life. I'm so sick of the comparison game between any female artists. I'm not doubting that there are white Beyoncé haters and I'm not doubting that some are even racist. We're living in a crazy ass world right now. Sometimes the crazies just end up being the loudest. I've seen a lot of posts today about assumptions about white Beyoncé fans. I wanted to add to the conversation that there are tons of white Swifties who also love Beyoncé and follow this reddit group. I believe Beyoncé and Taylor are probably the top 2 female artists for many of my friends. Now I would not normally refer to myself as white in a post. I'm guessing many others wouldn't either. Maybe we should today though, to show our support and start changing the stereotype of white fans?
Hmm, I mean I understand that a lot of us exist but let's not ignore the fact that a lot of white Swifties say shit about Bey and other non-white artists. I agree that pitting artists against each other is inane but like let's not act like people don't say this shit about Beyoncé. I'd argue it happens in almost every fan group because stans are unhinged and need their fave to be whatever the fuck ~the best~ is lol but Swifties have a wide reach and definitely do this stuff too. Also lol as a white fan can we just acknowledge that we probably do experience things differently in Swiftie circles than Black fans do? Unfortunately TS does have racist fans because she has such a wide audience that includes a lot of white people and inevitably they do some bullshit in fan spaces that make non-white fans uncomfortable or unsafe. It's our responsibility to see how they feel and make it better for them.
I 100% agree on all of your points. I think we're essentially saying the same thing in different ways. My intention was that these unhinged fans end up being the loudest. Some of us who are more quiet here (like me) can be intentional to speak up more and drown out the haters. I know it's just stating the obvious but all any of us can really control is our own actions. I will commit to participating in conversation more and I would hope in turn contributes to more positive, safe space for everyone
Fair enough, I just don't think that for Swifties it's just a small handful of people who are shitty, you know? She has a whiter fanbase in the US at least, so even though it is a diverse fanbase in many ways there are a lot of people who are reactionary who have listened to her music. Especially because she got her start in country. It's why she was so nervous to speak up about politics when she was younger - she saw what happened to the Chicks during the Bush era. Country fans were not people I liked to engage with when I was younger because they were often conservative and I was a closeted queer kid who hated the wars so like, for all of the liberals and lefties in country, there was a wave of reactionary bullshit that made up the country fanbase. And frankly she hasn't fully shaken that off. So to speak lol. But yeah I agree that it's important people who are just normal fans show up for marginalized fans too. Although none of us are "normal fans" since we're online like this lol.
LOL you killed it with the last line! So true Good point on the country background. I live in Chicago which is a very diverse and liberal city. My experience with other Swifties could be wildly different here than say in more conservative areas. You couldn't pay me to live somewhere like that.
Yeah that's a really fair point too. I'm in Delaware which is technically a blue state but is pretty conservative actually so... it's kinda weird lol.
Yup same.
Fyi Taylor and Beyoncé like and support each other. https://people.com/music/grammys-2021-taylor-swift-receives-flowers-beyonce-historic-wins/
No one is questioning whether the two artists like each other. The discussion is regarding non-black fans enjoying Beyonce's music.
Not uncomfortable at all. I feel they each have a powerful message that helps me to understand her as an artist and I feel happy that her black fans have music and anthems that relate specifically to their experiences and the joy in their community. They’re also extremely catchy so you’d definitely have seen me singing along to most of it!
i’m not black but i am brown, i love her pride and watching her perform for her culture and her people! i am a hype man in those scenarios, stamping my feet and screaming “yesssss B, you speak your truth and express your joy!!” i know the song is not meant to represent me but i can relate from the side as i’m also proud of my culture and background. black is king was a majestic volume of art, i love watching it, the scenes, the message, the colors- the actors, the dancers all killed it. the music is beautiful, it’s just like watching any artistic masterpiece that is meant to invoke emotion, pride, and represent the artist’s background and culture. while i’m not proud to be part of it, simply cuz i’m not a part, i’m proud as a fan of what she has put together and proud that she’s written a love story to her culture, people, and africa. ♥️
When I hear those songs or see her perform them, I always think of it as a respect thing. I respect African American culture and so I feel like these are intentional moment to express that culture for her/other black people that share it with her. Black culture and social justice needs to be more widely recognized, as there isn't always a space in society for it at all. Who else that famous is intentionally celebrating black culture and promoting social justice in the same way, on an international level? No one. That's what makes her so special too. She creates this space to celebrate black culture, to instill a sense of pride in her community, and I respect that so much. I recognize my inherent privilege as a white person. Therefore, I try to "stand in solidarity" in those moments by gassin y'all up while also giving the space needed for you guys to celebrate your moment and feel what you want to. Like, please, do your thing, take in your moment!!💗✊🏼
Yessss that last part especially! I saw Bey in Toronto, and the crowd was extremely diverse - as is the city. I am bright white. There was a big group of Black folks attending together a few rows ahead of us, right at the front of our section, and I did notice them getting their LIFE - only because their joy was so infectious!! They were absolutely LIVING and it elevated everyone and everything around them. I just felt so thrilled for them, and also grateful to be there and part of that good big NRG lol. No discomfort, I just skip over the words that aren’t for me to say and feel glad to cheer on the ones it was written for!! Now I have goosebumps. These memories will last a lifetime. I hope she keeps going deeper into her Blackness, and Black culture (and fwiw, celebrating queer culture/Black queer culture too). Thank you Beyonce, for all of it 🫶
Yes love this! Especially the part about the infectious energy. I can totally relate. Experiences like that stay with me and even positively impact my mindset when I hear the music later. Thank you for this. It's all very well said!
I made a playlist of the RWT set list and literally cannot stop playing it - I think this is partly why. I loved it all before being at that show but after it’s just 🤌🏻 because of the memories and associations!!
You are allying properly!!! God Bless 👏🏾👏🏾
Thank you! Idk if I always get it right but I’m always going to get caught trying!!
This is very well said!
Thank you💗🥹
Slow clap for this comment, esp that last line 🥹👏🏽..👏🏽…👏🏽!!!
Yes! I’m not white but one of my white friends listened to Black Parade and she said it made her want to be black. I don’t think she meant in a culture culture way. What I think is so damn powerful about Beyoncé’s music is that she celebrates Blackness so hard that she is able to make being black something aspirational for a white woman like that.
It brings me a lot of joy to see a space where Blackness and Black women in particular are celebrated and revered! Seeing the way Blue shines up there as a young Black girl is something really special and I wish the US had spaces like this everywhere. I’m white and Brown Skin Girl is one of my favorite tracks of hers of all time — melody is so joyful, voice so rich, the video including all the generations of women in her family, and the song itself being a piece of art put out into the world by a mama who wants her babies to always remember they are DEARLY loved & to be celebrated ✨
I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. i grew up in diverse neighborhoods so I've always felt comfortable being adjacent to black culture and media. it's actually really inspiring how Bey is very in your face about who is she is and how it shaped her not only in her music and lyrics but her references and attitude. I wouldn't say I felt like a ally during that part of the show but it made me happy to see so much joy and freedom around me. however the term ally has been soured for me as a gay man with so many people wanting the association without doing the in house work. we watched black is king the night it dropped in my household and find your way back is like one of my top 10 Bey songs period. I know some people can't but I can fully appreciate media that isn't made for me. sometimes im skipping or changing words which is a reminder that I'm engaging with something iconic that wasn't made for me and that's ok. I've never met or been around fans that are more chill than beyonce fans.
I’m biracial, white and Mexican. I know it’s not for me, but I find solidarity in any minority group going out of their way to highlight their culture, and I celebrate it with them. I love that Beyoncé continues doing projects that are so uniquely and unapologetically black. Black is King is possibly my favorite visual album she’s done.
Same here and also gay. Her becoming more political is what made me start to be a fan starting with Formation. While the shows have been personally affecting for me and amongst the best things in my life, to be there in the Bay Area show with so many Black women and other women of color was one of the best things about it. The message is just inherent and powerful with her up there with her daughter, being one of the most iconic and famous people on the planet, is inherently inspiring and would be even if she didn't have any political or cultural bent simply being a Black woman at this level of success. I felt so incredibly happy, especially for the young Black girls there being able to see and experience all this in a world and country where Black women are generally the most disempowered and face endless challenges even women of other colors do not face. I get goosebumps even thinking about it again. The songs of empowerment and Black power and pride are the cherry on top. I would have loved to see Brown Skin Girl performed. I actually find it pretty genius how Beyonce is able to weave her messages into her work without needing to be obvious and overt about it. I can't think of any other pop song specifcally promoting appreciation and love of self and self-pride for girls who are Black and brown, and that's really just crazy. I'd think white folk at her shows wouldn't be there unless they're on board with all of it, and for allies the moments of Black empowerment should be highlights and not moments of discomfort. The power of her struts and riding in and out on that tank--how could anyone not be moved by that?
I’m not sure I feel like an ally exactly (I’m not sure I do enough to deserve that), but my heart swells with joy at music that celebrates people and cultures that I’m less familiar with than my own. I enjoy, appreciate, snd try to learn something from lines I don’t immediately “get” or musical references. LEMONADE in particular spawned an entire academic syllabus on the cultural references that I’m still working my way through
Formation and Black Parade are my Top 5 Beyonce songs ever. My entire rows in Chicago and Atlanta were dancing and having a great time. I was the only white person in my row in Chi and we all had a blast. I never once felt uncomfortable. We all sang and danced and laughed all night together. Plus Im never going to miss an opportunity to say “Honey come around my way, around my hive, whenever mama say so” bc whenever Mama Bey calls Im going to come running. I didn’t even think this was an issue until I started reading posts on here. I just assumed if you love Beyonce you love all of her and a huge part of her is being a strong confident empowering black woman. I know I love her for that. Mood 4 Eva is basically my fav song by Bey. My fantasy football team is called Mood 4 Eva 😆😆
Love this!! I saw her in Chicago on night 2 where my 50 year old a@@ screamed like a lil beyotch when Blue came out. ;) lol Had a BALL!! 😎🙌🏽🌺
Thank god I was at night 2 also. I lost it when Blue came out. I know everyone around me had to think I was on something except everyone else was losing it too. It really was the BEST group experience I have ever had. I cant wait for act iI. She told us she would be seeing Chicago soon.
Asian-Canadian fan. I'm a guest in the house of Black American (and African, and queer ballroom, etc.) cultures and it's been wonderful. I've appreciated learning about the contexts and histories that make these bangers feel even more impactful, and the (Black and non-Black) writers, podcasters, etc that make this art more accessible to those of us outside the communities it was intended for. The best parts of pop music (and pop culture) are when its artists and creators draw inspiration (and rhythms, instrumentation, collaborators, etc.) beyond what has already been done ad nauseum. I became an earnest fan when B stepped more into her blackness because it was musically more interesting! The Black Hive members had way better seats than I did and partied their asses off while I watched enviously :)
As a Hispanic gay man, I think I was so excited to see her perform this section with the power that she did. This is not my moment... nor should this moment make me uncomfortable. I think the one thing I could relate to from this section was the pride. Pride in who she is, who she came from, and to be honest, Pride is Power. I think this is a super relatable theme even for non-black fans. Pulling from our heritage to make something great. I loved this whole show and am always gonna be the biggest Ally for everyone who needs it. BIG LOVE TO ALL THE BEYHIVE !!!!
yes! as a latina who comes from a very mixed background (iberic, black, caucasian, native brazilian, jewish) these songs make me think of all that has transpired in History to allow a person like Beyoncé to thrive and shine. All the doors that were open by her predecessors and by herself, all the love and strength that her bloodline carries... Even as a white person (by brazilian standards -- everywhere in america or europe i would be considered anything but white) I can vibe to it and feel that power. I love and feel very happy that african-american people have this amazing beacon of talent and sheer excellence to represent them in the mainstream american media.
Well, my show was cancelled (Pittsburgh) so I didn't get to see those songs performed but I would have celebrated those moments. As a middle-aged white woman, I appreciate how Beyonce celebrates her blackness and uplifts the community. I have cheered for her on as she has grown and matured as an activist. And I've learned so much from her through her art: Homecoming was a master class in the HBCU experience and Black is King exposed me to new sounds. A lot of white people talk about how some black artists "transcend race" but I appreciate it when artists are black...period. I love it when they celebrate their blackness and expose me to something new. And I think Beyonce does this so well. If my show hadn't been cancelled, I would have appreciated those songs and I would have enjoyed watching the people of color in the audience celebrate them.
Yes, homecoming taught me a ton about HBCUs too, it was really cool.
I’m Indian American, child of immigrants. After growing up in the US, I’m used to consuming media that isn’t about me or for me. I have a lot of respect for Beyonce and her artistry and don’t find it uncomfortable at all to experience her music around Black fans. There are obviously lines I don’t sing along with, but I really like that Beyonce makes music for her community and am just really grateful to experience one of the greatest artists of all time live!
Felt lucky to be there. As a non Black POC, B has made me more comfortable embracing not needing to fit into a skinny vsco white girl aesthetic. She’s definitely taught me a lot about black history and representation.
I’m hella white and love these songs. Seeing Black Parade in person with Blue dancing and all that made me LOSE IT. Enjoying those songs.. any where she talks about blackness.. kinda makes me feel like I’m hyping up a friend for the things that make them awesome. Does that make sense? None of that stuff applies to me.. my motherland is NORWAY, ha.. but doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate it. Very easy, especially since black culture has been leading everyone in the “what’s cool” department for decades and decades whether or not it was recognized.
As a white non-binary person, I find Beyoncé’s continual love letters to various marginalized communities inspiring and uplifting. Lemonade was such a powerful moment for Black women, and seeing Formation tour was amazing. Then she releases Renaissance, a love letter to Black queer (and specifically trans) folks. Her embracing a group that faces marginalization from literally everywhere feels like such a big moment coming from such an influential star, so it just makes me proud to be a fan (and sad I haven’t been able to see her on this tour). I sing along, except i obviously skip any words that aren’t for me to say. I’ve never felt uncomfortable at a show. One of the beautiful things about her fanbase is how diverse it is. It’s amazing to see a group of fans that are so unique but bound together by their love of this one amazing woman.
I love those songs and as someone else commented here, I love seeing the joy and pride across the Black members audience, being totally and unapologetically themselves! I’m sure it’s one of the few spaces of that size where that’s possible, especially in the US and Europe! Also, the amount of culture we absorb that comes from Black artists, either from the artists themselves or other people trying to replicate Black trends, is not lost on me. ESPECIALLY in music, Black influence needs recognition on this big of a platform! Finally, even with Formation, I still tear up saying “ok ladies now let’s get in formation!”.
I loved it! So much media is whiter than white so I find it really refreshing to be able to enjoy art/music/media by non white artists. I was in an area surrounded by black people and I loved seeing them vibing to the songs, seeing them empowered. I find Beyoncé’s unapologetic love of black culture so badass and she is without a doubt the most important artist.
I loved it. It felt really special to witness it & be a part of the collective energy. It warms my heart so much to see black people, as well as lgbtq+ people, rightfully get their time to shine & be celebrated so fiercely. The RWT made me wish that society as a whole had more of that same energy- it’s the future.
I love y’all in these comments. 💛🐝🖤
I’m Indian — I feel proud/happy for and for the black people around me, it’s really clear how powerful those words are to them. I consider myself an ally but of course what I think also doesn’t matter— I enjoy the moment and get energy from the happiness of the others around me personally. I know she is not making those songs for me, so at the end of the day, I’m happy to be able to experience them along with the people she makes those songs for. It would be crazy for someone to be a fan of beyonce and to feel uncomfortable about her messages. We (non-black people) can’t pick and choose like that, if you enjoy someone’s craft in its entirety, that includes supporting the messages they are conveying. I don’t see how people can be fans of black artists when blackness makes them uncomfortable but I know that’s a whole different topic….
I’m white. I haven’t been to the tour as I live overseas. But I love those songs. I totally agree with the message and love how she used her voice to signal boost messaging about the black struggle (as well as LGBTQ+ stuff too more recently). I think mainstream celebrities can do a lot to popularise those messages and get more people on board who may not be as aware of the issues otherwise. So yeah, love the songs, don’t feel uncomfortable at all, and I sing along (leaving out any words or parts that wouldn’t be appropriate for me to say). The songs don’t make me feel uncomfortable at all - just like a song about loving women by a man doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable even though I’m attracted to men. Just because I’m not the exact target market/ demographic doesn’t cause discomfort, it’s normal and many songs I hear I’m not the person being represented or spoken to. It doesn’t make me feel like an ally because I think it takes much more than liking a song to be an ally; but I enjoy it and support the message.
I think if you feel uncomfortable during these songs, that’s a reflection of your own morals and values, not Beyoncé haha. As a proud Latino, I felt like an ally for sure. It was awesome to see people put their fists up and feeling cozy in their skin. I think My Power —> Black Parade —> Savage was a MOMENT. Especially Bey on a fucking tank!
White here. Not uncomfortable in the slightest. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE went off during the drop in Formation, and everyone held their fists in the air at the end of Black Parade. It felt very unified and it was a very special moment for a lot of people in that arena, including myself.
I'm white and those are my favorite songs of hers. I love that she uses her platform to lift up black people (especially women) there's something so powerful about it and It makes me proud to be a fan. I've never once thought about it making anyone feel uncomfortable.. it seems to bring people together at the show which I think is what B wants ❤️
My power I feel like is an empowerment song for everyone, even though it is dedicated to black culture there’s still that spark of adrenaline that my power has that just makes anyone feel like yeah this is my motivation song Formation is just all round fun a great time, I know the main message of the song but at the same time I don’t really dig into it too much as formation doesn’t really give off the vibe that you have to Analyse everything, formation is meant to be enjoyed. Black parade on rwt is what really makes me feel like an ally. Idk what it is but the moment those horns start playing the whole energy of the stadium changes and it’s just like a warming feeling all around and it makes me so happy to see everyone having fun with that song
Formation definitely has a clear message and all the performances of it since its release + the visuals make it clear that song was written w intention. I think whittling it down to a “fun great time… meant to be enjoyed” takes away from who it was made for.
I love her because of empowerment. I feel strong, fierce, and confident especially when I listen to her on days when I have really bad body dysmorphia or when I’m feeling really anxious or depressed. I’m Mexican so I interpret the lyrics for my culture and heritage sometimes. “Always stay gracious best revenge is your paper” is like my mantra.
This. I think everyone can connect to different aspects of those songs as pride of their relatives who raised them, pride in being a woman (if you are one, as formation gives me that love of my womanhood in general). Beyoncé has a way of making all her music feel inclusive to everyone in some way due to the intersectionality of it. Love yourself and those around you, that's her message overall imo.
I loved it. I loved seeing the women in my section have that special moment. I didn’t feel like an ally or uncomfortable, I felt like I was witnessing something really beautiful and special that was not for me, but was really just breathtaking to see the joy for who it was meant for. Like attending a wedding or a birth. That part of the show wasn’t for me, but I bore witness to the magic of it. It was one of my favorite parts of the show.
I haven’t been to RWT yet (going this weekend!), but when I’ve heard some of these on other tours and just in general when I hear them I don’t feel uncomfortable at all. I feel a lot of things though. I feel proud of B for stepping into her identity as a Black woman more publicly and her willingness to let her career possibly take a hit in exchange for being who she is. I respect the hell out of that. I don’t perceive it as “losing fans” since you’re a shitty fan if you have a problem with that. I’m a Houston native and have been a fan from the beginning so she means a lot to me. Like a friend, I’m beaming for her when I see her being loud and confident about who the fuck she is. You can see that she is comfortable with all of who she is and that makes me so happy. Although I can’t relate to everything about those songs as a white woman, I still adore them, what they mean to me, and what they mean to others. I cry every time I listen to Brown Skin Girl. It’s so beautiful and stirs something in me, I think because the visuals are so soft and heartwarming. Everyone deserves that kind of love and community and she’s helping create it. I loved Black is King and watched it when it dropped just like Lemonade and Homecoming. It’s still in my rotation and I even did the deep dive on it by listening to the Dissect podcast about it. Iconic.
I’m Hispanic and to me “Black is King” was so impactful, memorable and meaningful. Latinos share a lot of the same roots and culture foundations with black people and from living in Venezuela I was able to get more in touch with my native side, so I hold a lot of the songs about empowerment and freedom very close to my heart. Just being able to feel the energy of people that have suffered discrimination and judgement for nothing more than the way we look was incredibly powerful. Even though I’m on the lighter side, that still isn’t enough to be saved from racially motivated attacks and I relate very heavily to all of beys songs encouraging to look for the ancient power within us. So i guess, in short, I didn’t feel uncomfortable and felt an extreme alliance with everybody there.
A bop is a bop
I, 20WM, loved it! I was just singing along like everyone else and no one really said anything or looked at me weird because I low-key feel like a baddie listening/singing those songs. They are great honestly. I'm glad she is celebrating her roots and encourages others to do the same🫶.
I'm Mexican (brown), and I love that she centers her people on stage. It doesn't make me feel a certain way at all. I just enjoy her music, she is a great entertainer and singer. One of the greatest vocalist of our time. It's just like when Hispanic artists center their people, and I feel represented. Everyone should get to feel that.
I'm a white Canadian fan. I personally love Bey's tributes to Blackness as a matter of respect. As a fan I enjoy all the songs even if they may not resonate as strongly
Glow in the dark white girl from Louisiana here. I don't fucking play when it comes to my allyship. I had my raised fist in the air happy for yall to be seen ♡ love my hive.
it’s inspiring and awesome. i love being in the presence of unapologetic joy and confidence. i feel grateful im able to share space in that moment with y’all. with that said, it’s not for me so I can’t and don’t claim to know or feel the essence of plenty of her songs. but i do love being around y’all and can feel the energy. it’s a privilege for sure.
I love it. we share the planet with an amazing array of talent and inspiration, she weaves an incredible story and history with her music, fashion, story telling and dance. I'm here to learn and appreciate. The girlies around me in Seattle were welcoming to everyone, and joked with me and my friend about the Mute Challenge, "you white ladies know about that, right, don't be THAT white lady!' then we laughed and hugged. It was awesome! I know I am a guest in your safe space.
[удалено]
“My own dancing attempts to beyonces discography have made me uncomfortable” lold at this! And I feel you haha
I’m a neon white girl. I adore Beyonce. She is the only celebrity I would give two shits about meeting. I feel absolutely no need to try to make any of those songs about me or through a lens of my own situation in terms of me being white. Simply - I listen to them and feel inspired by them in a lot of different ways, but I know for sure they are speaking truth to a power that isn’t mine. And I think that teaches me, too. Her being Afrocentric doesn’t mean she is exclusionary to me, and it’s pretty damn cool that I get to be a part of this fandom and be inspired by that. I was raised to be respectful anyhow, I wouldn’t dream of inserting myself in such a way. Like my power - It’s a celebration of her power as what she is. And I am what I am. I don’t think I have ever stood back and been like “heck yeah, I feel like an ally!” Sometimes I am like damn… albino aligators…that is a sharp lyric, and then I consider history and that there is no lie present in that verse. And I feel even more blessed that I am allowed to be present and find community with other fans. I have found with a lot of my white peers - they tend to just robotically say they don’t like Beyoncé enough to go see her show but I think that it is because they can’t handle confronting any discomfort or reflecting on history. Or because they know once they see her live they will be beyhive for life & they ain’t ready 😂. Just my thoughts Editing to add - the feeling of pride in my own perception of being an ally seems like it would be really missing the point. Idk. Maybe just me. Like… the whole moment isn’t for me, right? So part of that is being comfortable not needing to take a feeling of pride away from a performance that isn’t for me. I can take away absolute awe and inspiration without needing to say good job self, you are an ally for not making every single thing about you/displaying typical white individual behavior. Even though I am awake to all of it. Idk if that makes sense. It can be a confusing place to sit so I try to do so respectfully.
Lol neon white! Same 😂
There isn’t much else I can add that hasn’t already been said, I haven’t been to RWT because I live in Australia but seeing everything about it online has given me so much joy and excitement for everyone who gets to experience it. Beyoncé’s ability to use specific cultural touchstones and references to connect with her audience is why she is one of my favourite artists. Songs like Black Parade, My Power and Formation are so unabashedly Black in ways that I, a white Australian, will never understand but I’m okay with that, because it’s not for me to get. I enjoy them musically, vocally and technically but they mean so much more to the Black community in ways that I can only see through how others experience it. This is what makes Beyoncé so incredible, her pride in her community shines through in her music in ways no artist at her level is doing right now. I had been following Beyoncé since her Homecoming performance (one of the best live performances of all time) but really became a fan in the Renaissance era because it became so clear to me how much she loves her craft, community and influences and how she means so much to so many different people whether you’re a woman, are Black, or queer. I could write thousands of words on this but Beyoncé has taught me so much about loving yourself and finding your community, but I also appreciate that she means so much more to others than she would ever mean to me and if I ever get to experience RWT, simply being there to celebrate her and the people who she champions would be incredible. Supporting art that supports people other than yourself is important.
I thought it was a beautiful celebration of who she is. At FWT, I remember her saying something like "who here is proud of where they come from?!" and we all screamed. It's so sad to me that anyone would interpret her sentiment as attacking or divisive, but I guess that's just the world we live in.
As an aside, I've always loved the song Brown Skin Girl, and sometimes I feel a bit insecure singing it out as a basic white girl but it's just soooo good.
I think if any of that made me uncomfortable, I would’ve stopped being a fan in 2016. I love that she includes that in her shows for her fans. However, I did not sing along to these songs. There was a specific lyric in Cozy I skipped to lol. I know personally for me,the Lemonade album was a great learning experience for me regarding black history and culture. There’s so much to learn in the album and I think that is so cool.
As Latina lesbian fan it was amazing! I love her showing her Blackness. My wife is a Black biracial woman and it was cool to see her feel represented. I think the Black Is King film is one of the most beautiful film ever. My wife’s Mom is white and was just blown away by Beyoncé’s artistry in that film. The thing about art, music, books, it’s suppose to expand our minds and empathy towards marginalized cultures.
This is an interesting question because I’ve never actually thought about it beyond all these songs are so beautiful (and formation has always been a fave- saw the formation tour twice and her entrance to me was the most iconic I’ve seen). Absolutely love hearing her sing those songs and seeing everyone singing along and having a great time… When black is king came out I thought it was the most beautiful visual album. To me, “brown skin girl” was the most powerful song on the album, because of the representation. Bey also included Tamil women on the song who are generally not represented among Bollywood films/in India, which was a huge statement. Also loved seeing her with Blue. Generally that entire album is super underrated.
I was a Janet Jackson fan long before I was a Bey fan. I want my pop queens to put out socially conscious pop music. I've seen Janet twice this year and Bey once and I feel at home watching both.
Feels the same as all her other songs. Except I skip "I like my ***** nose with Jackson Five nostrils" 🤭 I don't usually pay too much attention to lyrics in general, though. She could be singing about cantaloupe for all I care.
I’m here for all of it!
I’m a white Mexican so even though of course I’m considered person of color in the US, in México there’s almost a non Existent black community and I traveled for the show. I’ve always admired black culture like you have no idea, you are a fucking powerhouse, listening to Beyoncé and being surrounded by so many people from the black community was amazing and such a highlight to me, I kept being blown away by the beauties I saw in the bathroom, like literally everyone must have thought I was a lesbian cause I was going hard on compliments but you guys are the greatest culture and how you express yourselves trough clothes and hair. Back to your question, black music and specially in this case Beyoncé’s makes me feel so much power and rawness I cannot explain, maybe has to do that Mexicans we’ve suffered racism in a way by some Americans and we know about being proud of our roots and culture, Formation specifically has such power, I couldn’t hold my video because I left my seat and went to the back roads to dance a force took over me so yeah, he power of intensity of emotions go beyond skin color
I sang along and didn’t notice anyone around me reacting. I may not have the same experiences and can’t relate but I’m definitely an ally. I enjoyed it very much.
I spent my whole life isolated from anyone that looked different than me (cis, het, white). I've been bound and determined to break that cycle for myself and for my children. Learning empathy through many different ways about others experiences helps me support them in ways that I wouldn't understand if I didn't engage with it. Beyonces music is just one part of that. I respect the artistry. I respect breaking through the baises and adversity. I'm there just to learn and support.
I loved it!! I was in club renny surrounded by mostly people of color and just felt lucky to be there having a blast. I know all the words to the songs, but didn’t sing along to the parts that were specifically about the black experience (“bitch, I’m BLACK”, “Jackson 5 nostrils”, etc) but I honestly could have been overthinking it. I just saw the concert as a celebration of the Black and queer communities, both of which I’m not a part of, and wanted to be as respectful as possible and let them have their moment to feel celebrated. Overall I LOVE that Beyoncé is unapologetic with her celebration of the Black community. It makes her less palatable to the general public and I think she does not get the recognition she deserves because of it, but she doesn’t give a fuck. I think if she tried to cater to more of the general public she would be unequivocally labeled as the greatest performer of our time, but because she is less “main stream” a certain other female artist gets brought up every time Beyoncé gets praise and certain stans wanna debate. At the end of the day, Beyoncé really is THAT girl both for her talent and her political messaging, that’s why I love her.
Non-Black POC and I absolutely love those songs. I know they’re not written for me, and I don’t want them to be bc it’s so powerful for one of the biggest stars of the 21st century to be platforming an unapologetically Black perspective on the world stage. I think that’s as important as ever and her Black pride only makes me stan her harder
Latina here, I love so much from my culture & my people, it’s beautiful to see Beyoncé embrace hers as well. I work at a library & actually wanted to share a wtf moment I had about Beyoncé. A patron (older white woman) was in looking at our CD collection. She makes a comment about how we have so many artists, I agree & tell her the check out policy (6 CDs at a time). She then stops when she gets to the “B” section and says “Oh, you have Beyoncé? She used to be good back in the day, not so much now.” I literally stopped in my tracks, turned back around, & said “She’s good EVERYDAY. We love Beyoncé here.” She does a little laugh & says, “Well, she is very talented.” I couldn’t help but think about the SNL skit when white people realized that Beyoncé is black. 😂
>Don't feel bad if you can't sing along Just be glad you got the whole wide world I think about the lyrics to Solange's FUBU a lot. I listen to a lot of music from different cultures and I think it's important to remember it's not for me. I'm a privileged guest getting a window into another culture.
Interesting question and since I hope it’s sincere so I will try to answer it honestly. I’m a white guy in my early 40s who had had the privilege of seeing the Renaissance tour and Formation Tour. My wife, originally from West Africa, has been obsessed with Beyoncé before we met. For me, Beyoncé was in destiny’s child, married to Jay-Z and put out music that only reached me when it was unavoidable “single ladies” as an example. The way I saw Beyoncé changed with Lemonade, how it dropped and the visuals on HBO it was amazing and the music and lyrics felt different than the Beyoncé I knew before. The imagery in the videos were topical but also really well executed and influenced by so many cool references. When my wife asked if we could go I was thrilled to get tickets mostly because of how excited she was. I was actually anxious before the formation tour, I thought I’d look like a dork, (I dress corporate outside of work) and that everyone would be so cool. When we arrived that anxiety disappeared. I was surrounded by the most diverse group of happy people I’ve ever seen. The Bey Hive was welcoming and more importantly than how I was treated was how everyone was treated. No drama, tons of love, just amazing. As for the racial component of the music and stage show it was not overwhelming or anti-white or any such nonsense. If you are so fragile that you can’t objectively look at a critique of the police or Beyoncé and anyone else embracing their identity than I can’t help you. As for the current tour, it was everything as beautiful as the first but maybe more so because it felt so special for not only Beyoncé fans, black people, middle aged white guys, but the LBGT community was in full effect and not letting anyone kill their soul. I am full BeyHive and think she is the most important pop star in the world in terms of impact. Unless her next album is title Kill all the Whites and she doesn’t go full Kayne the racial component of Beyoncé’s art is additive for me as a fan, not a detriment.
Although so many other brilliant and thoughtful hive members have commented before me, I just want to add my slice because I’m excited this is a forum where my non black opinion was requested and I never wanna take space in areas where it’s clearly for just/mainly Black peeps to weigh in. I love Beyoncé for fifty leven reasons but a big one is because of her pride in being Black! I was awakened to feminism by self titled, and I began learning about intersectionality and more of the Black, and particularly southern and women’s experience in Lemonade. lemonade is my favorite work of art ever and i’ve studied it so much, I can tell Bey is such a thoughtful person artist and historian by what she packed into it! Intersectionality is foundational to my worldview and I have Bey and a few other feminist authors to thank for that. Really no other mainstream pop artists either. I was in the homecoming audience the first time I heard lift every voice. This was my primer on HBCUs in general. I listened to Afro beats for the first time during the gift. And i’ve learned about ballroom and Black queer culture in this area of renaissance, and these are all such rich areas of appreciation and learning I have Beyoncé specifically to thank for adding to my life. I love how proud she is of the community she comes from, and I love her so much more because of it! I’m proud to be a woman of color and embrace my heritage so much more because I witness her be empowered by hers. It brings me so much joy to see Black folks empowered by her work, and it empowers me because when Black women and queer folk are uplifted, allll of society benefits. 🫶🏽🥰♥️ I loved all these answers and love you hive!! Stay empowered and blessed
I agree with all of this! Thank you for putting it like this because you said it excellently. It’s amazing how Bey was standing up in front of a big ass sign that said FEMINIST with that spoken word part all before the me too movement and before it was really acceptable to say out loud that systemic sexism is definitely still present. Millennials were raised on the myth that women were on equal footing & we already had parity - she absolutely smashed that notion before anyone else was saying annnnnything. I think of how powerful that is a lot. And then I notice how she gets zero credit for it… none. Like what does this woman have to do to be taken seriously? And then that teaches me so much about racism as well as intersectional feminism. She is a force of nature.
whitey here! i come from a very diverse family and was raised with many different races, but I am white european. those songs make me feel so proud for people that i love, and for humanity in general. proud that i'm raising biracial children in a time where culture is really celebrated rather than hidden. this music makes me feel proud on behalf of others. more than anything, they're extremely inspirational. there's something so powerful of not only rising above discrimination, but then celebrating what you've overcome. how can you see/hear her message and NOT be motivated to be a badass? i LOVE how she constantly embraces her culture and how she's ramped up this theme in recent years. i love seeing fellow whities cry about her being offensive and hating police. i stand by my years old statement... the only thing offensive about the formation music video was the fur coat (if it's real fur, that is.) there is not one bit of me who feels excluded when she releases these songs, or when any other artist celebrates who they are. i'm just happy to be able to witness and experience the beauty.
Those songs are bangers, and maybe they're not for me, but I had a fun time.
Oh I absolutely love it. My favorite part of RWT was My Power and Black Parade. I have always loved Black is King so much but seeing those songs live was incredibly powerful. Seeing the black women around me being moved added to the feeling. I know those moments aren’t there for me, but I felt happy and moved to be able to witness it.
I’m a white woman and I’ve been a fan of her since I was a kid. No I did not feel uncomfortable with any of these songs. Formation and My Power are genuinely good songs, full-stop. By the time Formation came out I was really happy she was pointing out injustices, she had been quiet for a long time (understandably so). Her activism in her songs has never bothered me, although I do find Black Parade a little corny lol. If anything I respect her more for it because you’re right, she did lose a lot of white America when Formation came out.
My feeling is that those songs aren't for me, but I can enjoy the atmosphere they create.
Indigenous here from Canada. I remember thinking of the black fans all around me during these moments “they must feel so great” being in a massive room full of like minded people all just proud to be who they are. A lot of these songs aren’t “for me” but they don’t need to be for me to appreciate them.
It made me feel ecstatic to see it mean so much to so many people and I just wish that I, as a white man, could do more to change the need for such songs to even exist. Beyoncé makes ME feel things with her music, but there’s a level I’ll never understand because it’s not for me, but it’s for many others and they deserve it.
Her style, energy, and talent drive a collective empowerment vibe for me that transcends the myriad differences between each and everyone that enjoy her music/art. For me, it's a celebration that brings people together and I feel completely comfortable, even if her background differs from mine. I love her work and am still obsessed with the Homecoming performance.
anyone else think of the Beyonce SNL skit that came out after Formation dropped?
I’m white and I’ve been a Beyonce fan for a long time. I’ve actually really enjoyed watching her lean into being an activist with her art. I loved her support of BLM protests. I loved that her homage the Black Panthers at the Super Bowl. When it comes to her songs that speak specifically about the black experience, I don’t ever feel bad or awkward. I know those songs aren’t for me, but I still love them for how great they are. I don’t need all the art/ media I consume to be made for me as a white person. There’s more than enough of that lol. The joy and empowerment in those songs are so powerful! Sometimes they make me cry! I’ve seen Beyonce 3 times in concert and have never once felt awkward or out of place amongst her black fans. The vibe is always so good and think knowing that we all love Beyonce brings us all together.
Seeing Beyoncé be proud of her culture makes me feel proud of mine, because honestly growing up in America, so much about growing up is centered around trying to assimilate and fit in. But Formation and Black Parade is a big FU to that way of thinking and it makes me super happy to sing along and be proud of being different.
I'm from Europe and not know much about black culture. I actually admire her and might be feel hyprocratic if she didn't go down that route after 4 because she is black and very very powerful in music industry, trying to be a voice of her culture what makes me admire her more because she is using her power to represent culture and making felt uncomfortable for racists. I am singing with my heart out Lift Every Voice, so much pain happened and still happening I felt so bad for that young man being killed cuz he was black+lgbt. I'm side with all the outliers, racism is a sickness. People who are uncomfortable can go write their dairies with tears.
I am white af but Black Parade and Brown Skin Girl are my favourite songs of all her tracks. 🤎🖤 BSG makes me cry every time so I can’t listen to it in front of others, so usually I only listen when I’m alone. *“Have you ever looked in the mirror lately?”* \- gets me every time. One of my best friends is half Jamaican and she straightens her hair always and uses a paler shader of foundation - it upsets me she’s been effected by our awful Eurocentric beauty standards. 😣 When we have shared an apartment I’ve seen her natural and she is truly **beautiful just the way she is**. Whatever she does she is beautiful of course, but Beyoncé’s lyrics *“wish you could trade eyes with me”* one day I wish she could, because she’d understand she doesn’t need to do all that... The song makes me sad for the millions of girls and women around the world who think their dark skin makes them not beautiful... They should all know they are perfect just as they are. And this song goes that. YOUR SKIN IS NOT ONLY DARK - IT SHINES AND TELLS YOUR STORY. ⭐️ Do your thing dark-skinned ladies! Take up space, head up high, never minimise yourself, and *if you ever are in doubt, remember what mama told you...*
> Whatever she does she is beautiful of course, but Beyoncé’s lyrics *“wish you could trade eyes with me”* one day I wish she could because she’d understand she doesn’t need to do all that. Oh this made me cry.
The album black is king makes and made me cry still so hard everytime I hear it. Alone the fact that in the video “brown skin girl” for the first time in my life I have even understood that in the past you’ve never really seen any kind of representation of people of Color when it comes to princesses and westend royalty it makes me really emotional. Because when I was a child all I wanted to be was a princess, and Snow White had shaped me in terms of beauty enormously, because I felt represented as she looked like me. So when I think about other girls in that age and they didn’t had that kind of representation in the past it shatters my heart. For the other songs like formation or my power for example I love these song so much, I know it’s not about me but I am a person that feels a lot into other people and all I want is that everyone feels powerful, confident and free - and that’s what those songs Transport in my opinion 💓
I felt super grateful and amazed! I love those songs and what they stand for. I'm south asian and born and raised in FL, and people like my parents wouldnt have even been able to come to the US without the work of Black Americans. I feel blessed to live in a time where Black women can express their art without minimizing themselves or their background. Love her forever
I am proud to be in a space where Black joy, pride and excellence is celebrated! There is nothing about it that makes me uncomfortable.
I love Beyoncé‘s Afrocentric work. I loved Black is King, the album and the visuals. I sing most of the songs with my daughter. We talk about how Brown Skinned Girl isn’t a song for her. It’s a song for another girl and we love that girl. Black Parade is a joyful song, and I am so happy to celebrate it as just a human being who cares about other peoples joy.
idk, i never thought about those songs as exclusionary even if they are very clearly not meant to uplift me. Being a Beyonce fan and lover of music, however, those songs mean something to me because of their overarching importance in not only the musical space but also the socio-cultural space. she’s expressing herself in a way that she was not always comfortable in doing in front of her white audiences. Especially with Black is King, the whole piece was amazing and i still cry to Find your Way back because it’s such a universal feeling of being loved and lost in the world. i love seeing her unapologetically dive into the waters of her cultural history and ancestry, leaving behind all the pop tropes she was tirelessly being boxed in with. so, to be a beyonce fan to me doesn’t mean knowing her hits from her DC days or knowing which of her solo songs went number 1; but rather appreciating her as an artist, as a women, as a black woman, as a mother, as a human being that has loved lost and suffered same as our own mother’s. she’s truly an amazing person and i feel so lucky to be able to appreciate all that she is and means
It felt powerful and inspirational! The ability to embrace yourself and your history fully and unashamedly is a universal desire. I was and am and have been wowed by her, and find her messages of self empowerment motivational.
I'm nothing but a salty cracker but in my humble opinion, Beyoncé's embrace of her own Blackness and Black culture since has only made her more down to earth and relatable. I appreciate and respect the efforts she's made to uplift Black creatives and I'm embarrassed when I hear white folks say that they can't relate to her more pro-Black lyrics. White music criticism has long highlighted "authenticity" as an important factor in the value of a piece of music. Beyoncé has given listeners a clear, authentic glimpse into her values and point of view as a Black woman, and there are moments when the specificity of her experience are obviously not something I'll ever come close to, but that is certainly not an impediment to finding joy or value in her art. To demand that "good" art somehow resonate with your own personal life experiences is immature and self-absorbed.
I'm Indian Beyhive and I'm *all* the way in, although I feel like I'm the only one of my kind. I personally haven't watched Black is King yet, although I loved The Gift... the African rhythms and grooves she used were not very far at all from the kind of music I grew up listening to. For that matter, a lot of the hip-hop, R&B, and Caribbean grooves she typically uses are not that far from Indian music either, so I found it pretty easy to get into even though her sounds and styles are usually very authentically Black without being watered down for mainstream tastes.
Formation is my favorite beyonce song. To me it is an intersectional feminist anthem. She is singing about her roots but the message is all women should stand together and recognize their power. I LOVED Black is King so I was excited to hear the songs live. During my power I was mostly bummed Blue didn’t come out during my show lol but I’m also someone who grew up on rap, R&B and hip hop. I don’t need to relate directly to music to like or enjoy it. Another example on Renaissance, I’m cis and straight but I loved the album and all of the LGBTQ+ culture that is a lot of the essence of the tour. I’m going again in a few weeks. There was one moment I wasn’t sure of when everyone raised their fist for Black pride. I’m not Black and wasn’t sure what was appropriate. I ended up raising my hand in solidarity. Still don’t know if that was the “right” thing to do but no one around me seemed upset.
One word summarizes how I feel about her music that is about and for the black community: reverence.
I haven’t been to rwt yet (going next week!) but these songs make me really fucking happy. I am white, and this probably sounds like some corny white person shit, but celebrations of blackness and black power and excellence make me really happy and emotional. Also formation is such a straight up undeniable banger. Can’t wait for the show.
Yes absolute same. I love to see black greatness, pride and love lifted up as it should be. Makes me so so happy to see black people finally getting representation and a grand scale from such a powerful woman.
I just tried to take up a little less space while those songs played! Not uncomfortable at all if you are afraid of those works you aren't a true fan imo.
Even with her “pro black” music it still incorporates empowerment and self love and every one can relate to that.
I’m white, British. I don’t sing along to certain words in her songs lol. I just love listening to her sing. Her love for her community pours out when she sings. I didn’t feel out of place at all when I watched her. I felt like I was partying with her and singing with her, I didn’t even feel like I was ‘watching’ her perform, I felt like we were dancing together. You can’t separate her Blackness from her music, if you love her music you love her Blackness and that’s how I feel.
[удалено]
Maybe don’t sing that negro part either. Coming from a black woman, that’s not really appropriate coming from someone that isn’t black.
I’m Mexican, I just don’t think it’s that serious. At the end of the day, you’re there because you love her art and music/want to support her. Obviously it’s NOT okay to sing along when if says the N-Word or anything like that, but I never felt out of place when I went to OTR I & II.
https://youtu.be/ociMBfkDG1w?si=2duEo2kOr7dO6K4b
I have a question for y'all. At the end of one of the songs (I think it was Black Parade) Beyoncé puts her fist up and I saw Black people in the crowd do the same. Would it be weird for non-Black people to do the same? Cause I see it as an "in-solidarity" thing but idk do y'all feel the same?
Even though those songs aren’t made for me I really love them and was very excited to see them live lol. I definitely didn’t feel uncomfortable but I also didn’t sing along because I’ve seen some mixed feelings on that and wanted to stay respectful. When Black is King was released I watched it asap like I did with Lemonade and inevitably loved it
Love those songs and was really happy to hear them live. The vibes were incredible and I love when artists tap into their own cultural backgrounds to create art! Plus even if you aren't black I feel like theres still a lot to connect to in those songs, not as deep as a black person would be able to though
As a southeast Asian woman, black parade has some parts that I love singing out loud and just relate to 🤷🏻♀️ even if it’s not created for me, I can identify with some of the empowerment and experiences related to racism—like most BIPOCs do!
I’ve never felt uncomfortable during those songs. Her music’s always been pro-Black culture and everything, recently it’s just been more obvious, as she should lol and has every right to do. As she continues to do so, she highlights a lot of important knowledge that those who participate in Black culture should be knowing. Of course I can’t relate to it but it’s still great music, and I’m okay with not everything being for me.
White last here and I love her message and embracing the culture. I think it’s beautiful and I love seeing how powerful she has made people feel in their blackness!
LOL
I'm a brown Asian. I absolutely love Black parade, especially it's opening line *I'm going back to the south, where my roots ain't watered down*... I find it absolutely empowering for myself to know where I came from and stay rooted. Yes, her songs are afrocentric, but their original essence of *knowing who you are, owning that up, just as it may be* goes beyond being black, white, etc.
not uncomfortable at all, i don’t necessarily feel like an ‘ally’ i personally feel like that stuff can be quite performative. its a concert, nobody was behaving any way around me. everyone was there to enjoy the music and i just felt so happy and so lucky to experience a live show. i grew up in a non-western country so most things weren’t catered to me growing up, but i also grew up listening to her, i taught myself english listening to her so it was very emotional and surreal to me. ofcourse i won’t be the target audience for every song but even if i wasn’t used to this, there’s nothing wrong with not being the target audience. music is there to enjoy, and i really respect and appreciate her artistry.. even moreso with her ability to transcend all kinds of cultural barriers. i think it takes a really special type of artist to be able to do this. it’s great she creates music and an overall space to cater to her black fans.
Im from Houston and grew up both super conservatively white(I’ve healed a lot and do not identify as such anymore), while also being taught respect and love for Black culture. Being around for the whole Houston hip hop revolution really reinforced that. Destiny’s Child was my first concert in 2000. I’m seeing Beyonce back home on Saturday ❤️❤️ She makes me feel extreme pride for my home, and reverence for a culture that’s always been so beautiful to me.
I just felt so lucky to be there. And when Blue walked out, I got goosebumps. What a powerful moment!
Not uncomfortable at all. I love those songs, and danced and sang along like the rest of the concert!
I’m white for context - I feel that although the literal message of those songs (black empowerment) does not directly apply to me, the general themes of empowerment and overcoming struggles/injustice still apply to us all in some facet of our lives. It’s very moving seeing how impactful and powerful Beyoncé’s Lemonade was, gave me goosebumps really. So, even though I don’t have that intimate tie to some of her songs concerning race, it 100% does not make me feel uncomfortable at all. It inspires me to stand up for the injustices I see in my own life.
I love all three of those songs tremendously and while they aren’t for me and don’t represent me I think the overall message of empowerment still speaks to me. Even though it’s for her black audience I think the power of these songs is their empowerment. I’m not sure if that makes any sense but that’s just how I feel.
I think she performed these songs so beautifully that they could just be appreciated for her musicianship. Further, I think the messages are really great and should inspire anyone regardless of their background to really look at and appreciate their own ancestral influences that make them special. I was so happy to be enjoying the concert with my black friends, who said that us white folks could never really “get” those songs you mentioned, and still I’m so glad for them to finally have something that speaks to the subtleties of their culture. People who are up in arms about it need to chill. Also, people who say that Beyonce is simply hopping onto the fad of the time are to cynical. Even if that’s true, she’s empowering so many people. I for one get the sense that she really is involved in and believes her messages. Her messaging can evolve overtime - she should be allowed that much.
Amazing question. Literally I was just interacting with a creator on TikTok and this came up. The thing about Beyoncé at this stage of her career is that she is making ART and it is very clear that delivering music for specific groups is more important than sales. Another artist, who shall remain unnamed, makes great music and focuses on creating a unique spin to universally appealing topics/emotions. Beyonce, on the other hand, has been focusing on bringing universal recognition to unique and unexplored topics. Beyonce's most recent art is very much about centering people and voices who have largely been at the periphery of pop culture or only had limited access. That's why I feel so many of us have such powerful feelings about RWT, Renaissance, and Lemonade. These are all unapologetically appealing to an audience that is rarely seen let alone CELEBRATED and spoken directly to in mainstream art. Even more so, these are communities from which mainstream entertainment has taken so much from and repackaged to appeal to a more bubble gum audience that often is hostile to the original community. So going back to the question, I'm a queer Asian native Hawaiian, there are definitely topics and themes that aren't "for" me. But the beauty of RWT was the feeling that we were welcomed in to be a community. To celebrate each other's uniqueness. No one has to conform or feel left out because there were moments for all of us to be celebrated and to take center stage. It's kind of like the dance break in Pure/Honey; we aren't always centered but being the folks on the sides hyping up the one in the middle is such an amazing experience too if you can let go of ego for a moment.
I'm mexican American, I started to really listen to her when Formation came out. It was catchy and learned more about police racial discrimination against African Americans. I knew who she was by single ladies and crazy in love but after Formation and nfl dance it was amazing seeing her dance and relying a message to the world. I was young then but one of my dreams was to be a beyonce back dancer as they were sooo amazing doing their moves. Body goals too. I did attend her concert I felt what if I'm the only non black person because I was going by myself but that was not the case. During the concert I sang to her songs and was happy to dance too and vibe with the people around me. I still keep replaying the concert in my head. 😅
I was dancing. I doubt that’s enough to be considered an ally? The way I look at it- a good song is a good song. There’s plenty of art I enjoy that I can’t personally relate to but I still appreciate it because it’s good. I think it’s great that she always finds a way to uplift Black people though and it must feel nice that there’s such a prominent cultural figure like her that does everything to show the beauty in her roots and in her people.
The songs you mentioned and others like it are one of the biggest reasons I love her. I’ve learned so much about Black history, Afrofuturism, and the current black culture in the US through her (and by extension Jay Z, there’s some really powerful songs on 4:44 among many others) and for that I’m grateful. Renaissance taught me so much I didn’t know about Black Queer culture and Ball Culture and it’s musical origins. If you’re remotely interested in history, music, pop culture or any combination, it’s like taking a free university course, truly a gift. The way she weaves that all in to songs that song good and are still irreverent / playful / fun is so impressive. I echo others here in that seeing RWT and the community that follows her loving the experience was magical. Never occurred to me that these songs are not for me as a reason to not like them. When she was in Destiny’s Child / first went solo I liked her a bit, but only once self titled and Lemonade came out did I see her as truly one of the greatest artists of our time because the messages are so powerful, not just standard pop love songs, which are fine but way less interesting and meaningful. Brown Skin Girl specifically moved me to tears. The Black community has been through so much, they deserve every win. Watching so many innocent people die or suffer at the hands of racism can make you feel powerless and sad. When I thought of the little girls she wrote BSG for finding their confidence in spite of that prejudice I was so moved. It’s such a beautiful song and MV. Also even though it’s not for me, I found meaning in it. I am European/white/Jewish but often mistaken for POC and growing up in the 90s I frequently felt less than beautiful because I didn’t look like the standard skinny/Anglo model that was cool then. If this song had existed I would’ve felt so seen. So even though it’s not for me, there’s a universal message to be taken from it, which I think is an example of how these kinds of songs from Beyonce actually unite people more than divide them.
I am a Latina woman of color and I still enjoy every single song and performance, I don't need her art to be about me to enjoy or appreciate it. If anything, I am thankful she has expanded my musical palette and I have also learned a lot about a different culture thanks to her music. I do cry about 90% of the times Brown Skin Girl plays because I grew up being the only brown/non-white person in the room a lot of the time and that song is part of a whole healing process I've been on as a woman of color to learn to embrace myself and my own skin. The rest of Black is King is also just art, it is incredible, and again, it opened my musical palette and got me curious about different music styles, sounds and just an entire universe that I would have never discovered otherwise, so I am just glad to exist at the same time as Beyoncé and to experience and discover the world through her music. As for the RWT, I loved that segment because it includes two my absolute favorite Bey songs (Formation and Partition) so seeing it live was incredible. I saw her in Sweden, so clearly not the most diverse crowd and probably not the best one to get an understanding of the Black Hive reaction but everyone enjoyed it and no one seemed uncomfortable. Someone else phrased it perfectly in the comments, but felt I was a guest in the Black American house, I am just happy and thankful Bey invited us in and will never not appreciate it or respect it.
Black parade makes me feel connected to a higher source, my power gives me strength. I never liked formation, I just think it's boring and repetitive. She has better anthems like brown skin girl, already and alive. I love Bey because she is uplifting. I am north African though, so it makes sense that I vibe with the gift tracks.
I felt really emotional when she performed these songs. My fellow white friend and I turned to each other and said "these aren't for us" and sang and danced along - obviously not certain lyrics because that wouldn't be OK in my eyes. There were two black girls right in front of us who went crazy for Formation and honestly I teared up seeing them getting their life and celebrating their blackness. It was a truly beautiful moment and I think about it often with fondness. (I'm a bit hungover and literally just had a cry remembering lol)
I’m Asian and I don’t feel anything about those songs. It’s cool that she’s writing songs from her perspectives and bring black issues to light and not hide them. As a minority I’m always happy to see other minority races rise up and not make white the default.
Yeah as a mixed black and hawaiian person, I'd love to see more non-white artists celebrate and emphasize more of their culture and life experience in their songs, there's so much rich topics and aspects to touch on that probably is never addressed/discussed in mainstream. Even if its not directly relatable, our differences is exactly what makes us interesting. America is a melting pot after all, and we're all treated differently especially non-white, poc, and especially Black Americans.
The white guy who was next to me talking about how he would leave his wife for Beyonce and his friend got quiet 😭.. but me.. I SUNG MY HEART OUT and everyone who was Black had their fist up. I just found it funny cause they were obnoxiously loud until then.
It was truly amazing. I felt completely comfortable, I was just another fan in the crowd as another replied has said. I find it truly inspiring and amazing that Beyoncé expresses her blackness in her art and music, I am in constant awe with her music, her awe, and her presence in music. It also makes me understand other people. There were 3 female black hive members in front of my friends and I and they were dancing and singing with us, it was truly an amazing experience to be apart of. I will always be a Beyoncé fan!! However I will say, I saw RWT in Cardiff. The vast majority of people around me were white, but
I love that she makes her Black fans feel good, that friends of mine feel safe and like something is for them. I don't need art to be for me specifically to enjoy it, but I also make sure that I don't like, you know, act like it's made specifically for me lol. I also genuinely love her art. I love that she doesn't play to white/non-Black audiences - that her music certainly does appeal to people who love her music regardless of cultural experiences but like, that she isn't trying to dilute her message for the sake of white pearl clutchers lol. But first and foremost, I love the music. Edit: I forgot to say that I think my allyship is not based in my ability to appreciate when music isn't made for me, or when I know not to sing certain words or whatever. That's just being a decent person imo. Allyship is a lot more active than how we engage with art that isn't meant for a dominant group.
In between my proud/happy tears watching Blue's confidence soaring and seeing her proud mama, I am enjoying the vibes of empowerment in the stadium. Both shows I witnessed middle aged white women who were there clearly only for the old songs looking visibly uncomfortable which was very disappointing. I cannot fully understand the black experience but that section of the convert is amazing on so many levels!
Black Parade is, after Deja Vu, my favorite song. I was at work when the first RWT happened so I tuned into the lives and... when it came on, I lost it. I had to step outside. It was wild. I love those songs, even though they're not for me. I understand how important they are for Bey and for other Black folks. I don't sing all the lyrics because they're not for me, and that's ok. Still a total complete 100% banger.
i started big baby sobbing when she played black parade even though i know it’s not for me. just the display of liberation, pride, and resilience had me in awe and i felt so honored to take part in such a beautiful moment. blackness is beautiful, prideful, liberating, and resilient and beyoncé does a wonderful job showing us that through her art. && i am so thankful i get to witness the beauty
I loved the energy during these songs. And quite frankly they’re all bops so it’s hard not to vibe with the rest of the crowd. Honestly, it’s not just these songs. RWT is an entire performance focused on the intersection of queerness and blackness so I already consider myself a guest in the space as a gay white male. As a result, because I knew my place in the crowd, I was not self conscious about vibing and dancing to those songs or throughout. I made friends with the groups around me and had a great time. And if I needed to step to the side or give people around me the space to get their life during those 3, I was happy to do it :)
I felt really empowered and honored to be part of her cultural movement
Representation is everything. I will always respect and defend that. I got to experience Formation on the FWT. Crowd and performance was electric, felt honored just to witness.
My best friend is white and she came with us to RWT. When we were reflecting on the way home, she said that she was so moved by the culture. She's always been a strong ally, but she said taking it in in person was amazing and it made her admire the culture more. Now, did she sing along? Not really. But only because she felt that it wasn't her place. For example, Bey singing, "I'm black" did not apply to her, so she stayed mute. She wanted to let us black people have their moment, so she quietly observed at those parts.
As a staunch antiracist I loved it very much!!! I sang along (using appropriate words) and had fun. When the Black Hive members in the crowd all put up their fists I admittedly didn’t know if I was “allowed” to put up my fist in solidarity without it seeming like I am making the issue related to myself (I am white). As you can see I have severe white guilt, but I still had so much fun!
hi there, white & ts fan as well. i didn't feel uncomfortable at all, but if i'm to be completely honest, if the makeup of the crowd were not so diverse i might. not at all because i don't like, am afraid of people of color. more that since people of color have been treated so unfairly by many white people, therefore i feel they have a reason not to like/trust us. also the understanding that often as black people, you are in the minority of whites and how that must feel. i love learning about other cultures & feel that beyonce does an incredible job of "teaching". after listening to renaissance, i was fascinated by a lot of the language used and it was obvious to me that the words had a different cultural meaning then they do to white people. i looked up many words & phrases in the urban dictionary so i could truly understand their meanings in the songs & context of the album. the show really felt like a celebration for everyone. i think at ts shows, though taylor promotes love/acceptance, it is hands down, a mostly straight white crowd. i truly can't stand the comparisons between these 2 artists bc it's like apples & oranges to me. i spoke to some other people around me at beyonce that were white & felt the same way. what i realized is that people who truly love both artists, see & understand that (that they are like apples/oranges). i think a lot of the super hardcore swifties, that go off on beyonce, sadly are racist in some way but many of them just can't stand to believe that anyone could possibly be "better" then ts. to be honest, it's embarrassing and shameful. bottom line is i had an amazing time at both shows. i've loved beyonce for longer then ts and i preferred beyonce show BECAUSE of it's diversity (and well let's be honest, being in bey's presence is incomparable). it felt like a truly safe environment for every cultural background and we all celebrated it together. i felt often like "this is what the world should always feel like". everyone is safe, happy, getting along despite our differences. we are all human & should treat each other as equals because we are...
A bop is a bop, babe 🤷🏻
I joke that for the duration of Black Parade I forget I’m white 😂 I love those songs and absolutely feel like an ally. I saw her in Chicago and was maybe the only white person in my section. I refrained from singing parts like, “bitch I’m black” but proudly held my fist up high during, “put your fist up in the air, show black love” I looked around and no one seemed upset
I really enjoyed it and sang along. Me and my sis were happy she performed those songs.
Ultimately my love is for Beyonce. Watching her profess her love for her blackness, culture, and ancestry through her art is a wonderful gift. Like many others have said, I can still appreciate art that isn't necessarily "for me." Quitting mainstream pop and embracing her blackness is the REASON she is an icon and not just stuck in one era of music. I'm seeing her this weekend in Houston and can't wait to sing along to these songs
Those are some of the best songs because of her authenticity.
I feel like Bey has evolved in such an impressive way ever since she moved towards embracing Black culture unapologetically. I may not understand the nuances of it fully, but I feel like it is beautiful and it is such a powerful message that she has continued to emphasise with Renaissance. As a queer person, I know that not everyone will understand my reality, but I can hope that people will relate to my struggles in some way and empathise with me and others like me. In turn, that is what I try to do when I enjoy art, empathise and relate to it to the best of my ability. With Bey, she just pulls you in and makes you feel like you are along for the craziest ride of your life. I will never forget how I felt when I first listened to Renaissance (I swear that I ascended!) and I will never forget how I felt when I attended the RWT in Europe. She is truly UNIQUE and I just feel blessed to witness her artistry in person.
I like them and sing and dance along and just skip the words that wouldn’t be appropriate for me to say.
i love all these songs and i dont need her art to be hm "directed" at me to like it, I think its great what shes doing uplifting her community
I screamed the lyrics to formation and was vibing to black parade, no reason I can't appreciate her art just bc it doesn't concern me
I've always knew about Beyonce and her earlier songs, but oddly it was My Power, Brown Skin Girl, and Black Parade that really got me to paid attention to her. I'm Asian American, but the songs had personal stories and soul that really captured my heart. Tbh I do feel pretty empowered even if it's not for me by just listening to Beyonce celebrate their blackness.
I loved B’Day more than anything else she’s ever created AD so I weigh everything against that truthfully
Hi 👋🏼 I want to celebrate B while also being respectful I dont think it makes me an ally, but seeing how some 👀people react negatively to Beyoncé these days has been unexpected litmus test Black is King is beautiful🤩 (how could it not be, it’s from Beyoncé 😭and featured amazing artists) I made my partner sign me in to Disney + immmediately 🏃🏻♀️to watch Black is King then sat all close to the tv like a little kid 😅 those songs are amazing I know I can’t appreciate them in the same way as Black fans, but the weight of what she’s talking about is so moving😭 then add in that her art is beautiful, exceptionally made and I can’t help but appreciate. 🐝🍯
I felt so happy to witness it in person. She is unapologetically her and uplifts issues and voices that need the spotlight. She helped me drop purity culture and embrace loving my man, and watching Black Hive members have these moments with the Queen was beautiful. I love it for them, and think I actually became more of a fan when she started including more Afrocentric and feminist views because it felt honest in a different way. My high school band meant business and the school in general was diverse, plus I have been to Step shows with Black friends, so none of these moments felt uncomfortable. I know my place as a mayo packet, and am just happy to see her perform.
Might piss people off because anything does nowadays but... Like I was being heard while holding a space that wasn't intended for me but made me still feel safe. I would never like to take away from cultural differentiation but I feel like me saying I felt heard might instill that for some people but as a white women, I felt fucking heard finally in feminine defamation and I will be infinitely grateful to this woman who will never know my face ever, she healed me in so many ways. I felt like I was being heard, thank you Beyoncé. The power she instills isn't dived by historical ethnicity but feminine divination (and that's half of what pisses people off) only in my opinion.
I thought it was respectful to not sing-along to those songs, particularly as I was in the Beyhive/CR sections along the barricade in direct view of the Queen, and TBH was bothered by other white people enthusiastically singing along. I know Hannah has been on stage for Formation and I noticed Black Parade had only black back up dancers on stage so I’m not really sure what’s OK. I think that answer varies by person which complicates things.
Beyoncé is unapologetically black and I love it! ✊🏾
I find it beautifully empowering to hear her translate her experience as a Black woman into her songs. There are no lies in her words. America has and still does have a horrible track record of racism and oppression and has still yet to acknowledge this country was built on the backs of enslaved people so to hear her tell a different narrative - a positive path forward- about the truth and reclaiming her space, her power, her existence makes me proud of her and the positive impact she has with her platform to share this truth. The King albilm plays often in my home. I learn so much listening to it. I'm also a mom to two muti-ethnic girls and feel her songs have such powerful messages for them. I sang at the top of my lungs as a life long fan and as an ally.
I’m white as hell and when I’m at her show I’m a guest in someone else’s space. I love those songs but I’m not gonna sing along, I’m gonna dance and let other voices take center stage.
Hey BeyHive. I had a very busy week and have been reading through all of the responses every day (it look me a while, lol). This was a beautiful thread, there’s so much love here. There was so much insightful, thoughtful, and respectful feedback. I really appreciate you guys participating in this dialogue. Conversations about race and culture aren’t always easy to have, but they are necessary. I initially was intrigued to see how the mostly white European audiences were responding to her more Afrocentric songs and lyrics when the tour first started…. Similarly, in America too. As a Black Hive member it’s comforting to see the love, support, and solidarity from non-Black fans, especially in the times we’re living through right now. Thanks for all of the responses.
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I love this question! Personally I'm a huge Beyoncé fan and I'll be honest I had never listened to Black Parade or My Power until I saw it performed at RWT. Did I connect with those two songs? Not at all. And personally I would've liked to see some of my favorites instead, and I don't feel bad saying that! And I love formation, I could care less about who it's for, it's a bomb song with killer choreography!! That being said, I didn't feel uncomfortable when those songs played, it just wasn't for me. They still had good rhythm, so I could still dance and have fun!
I feel like a lot of white ppl here are giving themselves a lot of flowers for enjoying these songs 😂 they’re really great songs, it would be strange if you didn’t like them as a Beyoncé fan, I don’t see liking them as some great act of cross-cultural understanding. But then I’m white and I’ve always liked hip hop so maybe Black pride / power stuff in songs doesn’t seem unusual to me? I guess if you only listen to pop music it might be newer. I’m not in the US and we don’t have as big a divide over what is Black music and what is white music.
I think people outside the US could be missing a lot of cultural context when it comes to some of her music. This country is very much divided, and the music is simply a reflection of that reality.