All Hail Queen B

Written by Ashley Tan, Year 11

“Welcome to my world.”

This is how Beyoncé introduced her historic performance at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. From start to finish, Beyoncé’s 17-minute medley of songs from her self-titled album was an unforgettable event that people will be talking about for years to come. Beyoncé’s star status is at a level that is almost godlike right now. How many artists can release an album with no promotions and no warning but will crash iTunes by the sheer number of people trying to download it at once? This level of fame has reached the point where the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards were being jokingly referred to as the ‘BeyMAs’. Many even discussed how it was kind of Beyoncé to allow MTV to show an awards ceremony before her concert.

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, is not only one of the biggest names in the music industry, but also an individual who cares deeply about people. The list of charities she supports is both long and varied. But perhaps her greatest contribution is the Survivor Foundation, an organization she founded with fellow Destiny’s Child member, Kelly Rowland, to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. The foundation has had many accomplishments, including the Music World Cares Christmas Carnival that enabled over 300 low-income households to enjoy a fun-filled day of food, entertainment, a visit from Santa Claus and free toys from the toy giveaway, as well as a series of food drives before her concerts in 2006 to collect food so desperately needed by the victims.

People argue that this could simply be a publicity act to boost Beyoncé’s image. However, Beyoncé’s
concern for people is genuine, as shown when she visited two people who were injured during a fireworks accident at one of her concerts.

The head nurse at the hospital said, “She was very concerned about the people injured in the audience. It was unannounced and we kept it very low-key so that she could spend time with them.”

So, returning to the VMAs, or the ‘BeyMAs’, what exactly is Beyoncé’s world made of? When we hear the name ‘Beyoncé’, we envision her wildly popular music, her gravity-defying dance moves and of course, her husband, Jay-Z, and daughter, Blue Ivy. However, from her documentary ‘Life is But a Dream’, we discover that even someone like Beyoncé, has struggles in life.

The documentary opens with home video footage of the Knowles sisters as children, captured by their father, Mathew Knowles. We learn that the stress and strain of their professional relationship took its toll on their personal connection. Beyoncé indicated that she never won her father’s approval — something he did to continuously push her to make her stronger. Family has always been very important to her, but eventually she cut professional ties with him to maintain boundaries. This “sacrificed” her relationship with him in the process, however she said and believed that she “had to let go.” To add on to her family problems, there have also been rumors about Jay-Z cheating on her. The couple immediately took action and ensured that these rumors were put to rest through showing affection on live television and constantly posting endearing pictures of their happy family on social media.

Despite all the complications she constantly goes through, she still manages to keep her growing fan base in awe and release albums that sell over 3 million units worldwide. Imagine all of that and you’ll understand why Beyoncé really is the queen. She demolished the stage at the VMAs and stunned the audience with her performance that proves her reign won't be ending anytime soon. To quote Anderson Cooper, this really is “her world and we’re just living in it.”

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