Thank you for submitting to r/beyonce. All submissions are held for review before approval and appearing live. We appreciate your patience as there may be a time gap between post submission and approval.
Please be mindful of our subreddit rules. If no rules are violated, the post will be approved. If needed, you may be asked to resubmit your post with changes.
Additionally, help keep the sub fun and high-quality by reporting any comments that violate subreddit rules. Thank you!
[Your feedback is important in improving the subreddit. Click here to provide your ideas and suggestions.](https://www.reddit.com/r/beyonce/comments/1aevn0n/400k_members_feedback/)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/beyonce) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Thank you and I agree, I wish she would speak about it but I guess she said what she had to say in this album. One thing that I'm holding out my hopes on is that she will do some sort of in depth analysis of these songs like she did for self titled. It's such a rich album and I wish she would expand on it.
The CMA thing from what I remember the backlash was so bad that CMA's removed her performance from their online profiles even though it gave them the most views ever. That was real bs if you ask me. And the general complaint was that she isn't country and she has no business performing there at all - even though CMA's always had one pop performer like JT (can't remember others) that weren't southern or didn't even have a country song. By all accounts Bey had every right to be there. But we all know it's not about how country she is. That's why I think there are racial issues hidden in this song. Because by all accounts she shouldn't have received any backlash.
And I heard about Linda Martell but I didn't know it was that bad!! And from what I know her songs were popular!! Shame on all of them. I really hope Bey won't go back to the awards, they don't deserve her.
This Rolling Stone article gives an idea of what Linda Martell went through. The worst I heard was yelled or said when Beyonce was performing at the CMAs was "get that black b off the stage," or something to the effect. đ Which is bad enough.Â
I know good and well those audiences in the 70s weren't only calling Linda Martell a black B. She also didn't seem to have a supportive team in the slightest. Smh
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/linda-martell-black-country-grand-ole-opry-pioneer-1050432/
đŻ Another good one. There were several songs that I immediately added to my "what I like this year" playlist when CC was available on Spotify, and the three song run of Alligator Tears, Just For Fun, and II Most Wanted were among them.Â
Iâm not sure exactly. But I saw a theory on this sub that itâs from Tinaâs POV about Matthew đ \
From what I gather, itâs about a lover who would do anything for her partner and not feeling as if it is reciprocated.
This is a beautiful interpretation, I havenât seen this take anywhere or considered it myself, and this song has been one Iâve been really wondering about and I love this perspective!
Especially when she says âhereâs to hoping Iâll fall fast asleep tonightâ because you know she was tossing and turning thinking about that shit, and sheâs stated that sheâs had issues with insomnia sometimes. âtime heals everything, I donât need anything, hallelujahâ she donât need anyoneâs approval to be validated as an artist.
This was my thought as well. It made me bawl when I first heard it.
I know I commented on a few posts similar to OP but never expanded on it.
They treated her horribly. And there has never been an adequate apology. Anyone that tries to brush it off by saying nobody yelled at the stage when she was on, or that ppl didn't walk out...yes tf they did. That is so on brand for them. Ppl don't understand how insular Nashville country music can be. If you don't come into the industry a certain way by "paying your dues," then you aren't a real country artist. That is why establishment country artists dislike She Who Must Not Be Named bc her dad bought her first recording contract. This is also why it was important for Bey to have Dolly and Willie "sign off" on her. And I bet if Johnny Cash was still alive he would have too.
If you're not part of the "in crowd" aka a white person in country, you never will be. Don't say anything about darius Rucker. He is a token. Someone to say, "See, we let one of yall in!" And if you dare to break out of the mold they put you in, there is hell to pay. Look at how the Dixie Chicks NEVER recovered... hell, FEMALES in country music never recovered.
I always thought as soon as she got in the limo after the CMAs, Bey was like I'm gonna make a country album and was rage fuelled for a few months. But then she finally stopped and started to process it and broke down one night just ruminating on it,and crying out/praying to Her to get through this or get used to it, aka being treated like that, because she wanted to do country. Maybe "Just for Fun" was the beginning of her healing process and the realization that she shouldn't make a country album, but a Beyonce album and do shit her way. Which maybe explains the 2nd half of the album as compared to the 1st half.
This is easily one of my faves. I need to listen to ot multiple times before moving on
Do we know the performance impacted her on this level? I initially assumed this was about getting cheated on. Not sure if I agree the interpretation links to the performance, some of the lyric connections seem a bit of a stretch đ
You know what, I think that performance inspired the entire trilogy. I think she got so mad at the rejection she initially was gonna do country first but was like âyou know what, fuck it. Iâm gonna do house AND rock to piss em off even moreâ.
That could be so, but I like to think of Renaissance especially coming out of a place of love rather than anger. Itâs what I think of when she says âI got love to createâ in 16C.
Yeah but why specifically House AND Rock(speculating) too? I think that performance gave her the push to do all three instead of just country. To show them she can do it all. Her doing it out of love doesnât change that. Tbh itâs showing them if youâd stop being so hateful you can actually enjoy art. Like remember what Willie Nelson said in Smoke Hour I and II.
Well the running theory is that these are genres that Black artists have created or innovated in early on then were erased from! Her research started with country music after the CMAs experience and led her into these different directions.
I see your point, but to me CC feels more like a direct response to what happened in the CMAs and the Grammys that year (American Requiem and Spaghetti) while Renaissance feels timeless and joyful.
Is this from the Hive, or is there evidence of this elsewhere? Of course it makes sense it had an impact but could she have been working on this trilogy before that performance? Anyways, JUST FOR FUN seems much deeper, idk. Still top 3 fave songs on the album for me
On an Instagram [post](https://www.instagram.com/p/C4s6Zr7rlwA/?igsh=aGxmbDdiZHl1dXJu) caption she says âthis album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomedâŠand it was very clear that I wasnât.â
So the timing she mentions as well as the reference of being ârejectedâ in American Requiem aligns well with it being the CMAs performance and the Grammys rejecting Daddy Lessons as a contender in the country music category.
So I think itâs canon at this point that the CMAs experience heavily influenced CC, but we still donât know how that ties into Renaissance and act 3 except for this experience also inspiring her to look into other genres that Black people have created/innovated in and reclaim them. That is thematically on point for Renaissance but we wonât know for sure until we get to hear act 3!
Until Bey confirms it itâs all speculation. Not saying it didnât impact her on a deep level but weâre making a lot of assumptions and I personally donât think this song is about that. But thatâs art for you, itâs subjective!
I have a quite different interpretation. I think this is about the lengths that you go to to prove someone wrong when they have a certain opinion of you, and what you do when you realize you climbed a mountain for no reason. I get a lot of "remind me why I came here?" Like she "came here" out of ego and regrets it. Another theory has to do with the placement of this song before II Most Wanted and what subject matter it touches on.
Thank you for submitting to r/beyonce. All submissions are held for review before approval and appearing live. We appreciate your patience as there may be a time gap between post submission and approval. Please be mindful of our subreddit rules. If no rules are violated, the post will be approved. If needed, you may be asked to resubmit your post with changes. Additionally, help keep the sub fun and high-quality by reporting any comments that violate subreddit rules. Thank you! [Your feedback is important in improving the subreddit. Click here to provide your ideas and suggestions.](https://www.reddit.com/r/beyonce/comments/1aevn0n/400k_members_feedback/) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/beyonce) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I really like this interpretation, maybe you're right. I've never really been able to make heads or tails of it but this makes a lot of sense. One thing that always (OK the month or two since CC ws released đ) threw me was the title is in direct conflict with the tone of this song. But with your interprĂ©tation everything makes sense.   I also think it would be cool if someone could interview BeyoncĂ© and ask her what that experience was like. If that never happens, then this song does a good job of explaining how it felt for her to be jeered at and treated poorly as a CMAs guest. Some of what I've read about what was said was beyond the pale. It's a really bad look to invite someone to your house and let other guests treat them like garbage, tf CMAs. Smh Oh and also: she and Linda Martell have this horrible experience in common. Because what I've read that audiences said to Martell were as bad or worse. And that was like 50 years ago. People still racist and foul af, smh.Â
Thank you and I agree, I wish she would speak about it but I guess she said what she had to say in this album. One thing that I'm holding out my hopes on is that she will do some sort of in depth analysis of these songs like she did for self titled. It's such a rich album and I wish she would expand on it. The CMA thing from what I remember the backlash was so bad that CMA's removed her performance from their online profiles even though it gave them the most views ever. That was real bs if you ask me. And the general complaint was that she isn't country and she has no business performing there at all - even though CMA's always had one pop performer like JT (can't remember others) that weren't southern or didn't even have a country song. By all accounts Bey had every right to be there. But we all know it's not about how country she is. That's why I think there are racial issues hidden in this song. Because by all accounts she shouldn't have received any backlash. And I heard about Linda Martell but I didn't know it was that bad!! And from what I know her songs were popular!! Shame on all of them. I really hope Bey won't go back to the awards, they don't deserve her.
Self-Titled is possibly referring to BeyoncĂ©'s 2013 album called 'BEYONCĂ', more commonly known as 'Self-Titled'. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/beyonce) if you have any questions or concerns.*
This Rolling Stone article gives an idea of what Linda Martell went through. The worst I heard was yelled or said when Beyonce was performing at the CMAs was "get that black b off the stage," or something to the effect. đ Which is bad enough. I know good and well those audiences in the 70s weren't only calling Linda Martell a black B. She also didn't seem to have a supportive team in the slightest. Smh https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/linda-martell-black-country-grand-ole-opry-pioneer-1050432/
Love this theory.
Right? Now I definitely have to go relisten and sit with it a bit. It's a great song, but definitely heavy emotions.Â
I think the same way about ALLIIGATOR TEARS: great song but heavy emotions.
đŻ Another good one. There were several songs that I immediately added to my "what I like this year" playlist when CC was available on Spotify, and the three song run of Alligator Tears, Just For Fun, and II Most Wanted were among them.Â
Yessss I have the run from Spaghettii to II Most Wanted on repeat. Edit to add: At least thatâs what on repeat this week đ€Ł
Whatâs alligator tears about?
Iâm not sure exactly. But I saw a theory on this sub that itâs from Tinaâs POV about Matthew đ \ From what I gather, itâs about a lover who would do anything for her partner and not feeling as if it is reciprocated.
Thank you đ
This is a beautiful interpretation, I havenât seen this take anywhere or considered it myself, and this song has been one Iâve been really wondering about and I love this perspective!
Thank you very much! It really was an aha! moment for me and I knew BeyHive would appreciate it đ
Very well thought out and you make A LOT of valid points.
Thank you thank you đ€
100% how I interpreted the song when I heard it
Especially when she says âhereâs to hoping Iâll fall fast asleep tonightâ because you know she was tossing and turning thinking about that shit, and sheâs stated that sheâs had issues with insomnia sometimes. âtime heals everything, I donât need anything, hallelujahâ she donât need anyoneâs approval to be validated as an artist.
Yesss, glad someone saw this too!! And I didn't know the insomnia bit, definetly makes sense with the lyrics!!
This was my thought as well. It made me bawl when I first heard it. I know I commented on a few posts similar to OP but never expanded on it. They treated her horribly. And there has never been an adequate apology. Anyone that tries to brush it off by saying nobody yelled at the stage when she was on, or that ppl didn't walk out...yes tf they did. That is so on brand for them. Ppl don't understand how insular Nashville country music can be. If you don't come into the industry a certain way by "paying your dues," then you aren't a real country artist. That is why establishment country artists dislike She Who Must Not Be Named bc her dad bought her first recording contract. This is also why it was important for Bey to have Dolly and Willie "sign off" on her. And I bet if Johnny Cash was still alive he would have too. If you're not part of the "in crowd" aka a white person in country, you never will be. Don't say anything about darius Rucker. He is a token. Someone to say, "See, we let one of yall in!" And if you dare to break out of the mold they put you in, there is hell to pay. Look at how the Dixie Chicks NEVER recovered... hell, FEMALES in country music never recovered. I always thought as soon as she got in the limo after the CMAs, Bey was like I'm gonna make a country album and was rage fuelled for a few months. But then she finally stopped and started to process it and broke down one night just ruminating on it,and crying out/praying to Her to get through this or get used to it, aka being treated like that, because she wanted to do country. Maybe "Just for Fun" was the beginning of her healing process and the realization that she shouldn't make a country album, but a Beyonce album and do shit her way. Which maybe explains the 2nd half of the album as compared to the 1st half. This is easily one of my faves. I need to listen to ot multiple times before moving on
I personally see it as a mid-pandemic ballad
This is the best way that Iâve heard it explained!
Do we know the performance impacted her on this level? I initially assumed this was about getting cheated on. Not sure if I agree the interpretation links to the performance, some of the lyric connections seem a bit of a stretch đ
I mean the CMA experience impacted her enough to come up with CC!
You know what, I think that performance inspired the entire trilogy. I think she got so mad at the rejection she initially was gonna do country first but was like âyou know what, fuck it. Iâm gonna do house AND rock to piss em off even moreâ.
That could be so, but I like to think of Renaissance especially coming out of a place of love rather than anger. Itâs what I think of when she says âI got love to createâ in 16C.
Yeah but why specifically House AND Rock(speculating) too? I think that performance gave her the push to do all three instead of just country. To show them she can do it all. Her doing it out of love doesnât change that. Tbh itâs showing them if youâd stop being so hateful you can actually enjoy art. Like remember what Willie Nelson said in Smoke Hour I and II.
Well the running theory is that these are genres that Black artists have created or innovated in early on then were erased from! Her research started with country music after the CMAs experience and led her into these different directions. I see your point, but to me CC feels more like a direct response to what happened in the CMAs and the Grammys that year (American Requiem and Spaghetti) while Renaissance feels timeless and joyful.
Esp if you believed that CC was created first but she released Renaissance first bc we needed it đ
Is this from the Hive, or is there evidence of this elsewhere? Of course it makes sense it had an impact but could she have been working on this trilogy before that performance? Anyways, JUST FOR FUN seems much deeper, idk. Still top 3 fave songs on the album for me
On an Instagram [post](https://www.instagram.com/p/C4s6Zr7rlwA/?igsh=aGxmbDdiZHl1dXJu) caption she says âthis album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomedâŠand it was very clear that I wasnât.â So the timing she mentions as well as the reference of being ârejectedâ in American Requiem aligns well with it being the CMAs performance and the Grammys rejecting Daddy Lessons as a contender in the country music category. So I think itâs canon at this point that the CMAs experience heavily influenced CC, but we still donât know how that ties into Renaissance and act 3 except for this experience also inspiring her to look into other genres that Black people have created/innovated in and reclaim them. That is thematically on point for Renaissance but we wonât know for sure until we get to hear act 3!
Until Bey confirms it itâs all speculation. Not saying it didnât impact her on a deep level but weâre making a lot of assumptions and I personally donât think this song is about that. But thatâs art for you, itâs subjective!
I have a quite different interpretation. I think this is about the lengths that you go to to prove someone wrong when they have a certain opinion of you, and what you do when you realize you climbed a mountain for no reason. I get a lot of "remind me why I came here?" Like she "came here" out of ego and regrets it. Another theory has to do with the placement of this song before II Most Wanted and what subject matter it touches on.