deebee said:

You're all far too hard on Beyonce. She's a remarkable businesswoman and a shining example to young girls of what they can achieve in America.

I mean, take this picture from the GQ shoot: here, she took her trousers and socks off, the people gave her a ball, and she jumped with it while they took some photos. Now, I think that shows young women that if they like jumping, but, like, 'society' tells them they shouldn't be doing that, and says they should be doing other things like reading, learning stuff, developing a sense of personal integrity and all that, she's there to say, no, reach for the skies! Or at least reach upwards. With the ball.

And, as a businesswoman, she's shown that if you take your trousers off and stand next to stacks of merchandise, those companies will give you lots of money. (Obviously, you have to be famous, or else they'll probably just quietly ask you to leave the store.) And when you've got lots of money, you can make it to the White House to meet the President.

I salute her.

HonestMan13 said:

Is she more powerful than a locomotive?

No, but Beyonce can definite rock those hips like a locomotive.

But I say Tina Turner does THAT better.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

kewlschool said:

She has no power over me.

There are plenty of ladies on the ORG who are more powerful than Lady B will ever be.

She is delusional at best to believe in her own hype.

You can believe in yourself without putting yourself on a pedestal (Are you listening Beyawnce?)

Mediocre voice, mediocre performer, mediocre actor. Beyonce=meh.

She is great at marketing (like Madonna). There is where her real talent lies.

Luvs her

I don't fault her for trying to better herself by being around a better class of person. That's the only right thing she's done. I fault him for selling out, lowering himself, and slumming.

I have to admit that she's a very good singer and a very good-looking woman. So judged on those two factors I don't think her being a popular female artist is based on anything that different from what made female artists popular in the past. There are plenty out there currently that are neither (not even that good-looking even if we're told that they are).

The problem is, she hasn't released any classic albums and her singles aren't even that well-known outside the US (and maybe UK).

The current generation of female artists are ridiculously ego-driven and that's all they have to offer. Alicia Keys is another example of someone whose albums are all about "me, me and me" ("my new album is all about who I really am", "check out my latest record if you wanna know who I really am"). They just never have anything that interesting to say or have even terribly interesting lives.

"You were discovered by some exec when you were just 18? Cool. Then you got married to someone and got a kid? Yeah, that's cool too. You're wearing something expensive today?"

missfee said:

uPtoWnNY said:

She talks like someone with an 8th grade education.

Which is what makes what she said scary as f***, as I roll my eyes watching how she just bought her singing spot for the next US inauguration.

She's powerful alright, and I think if people look at it objectively what she's saying (unfortunately )is true. With the amount of money she has, how she and her husband place it around the world in different developmental projects in 3rd world countries, the access to people of power and influence because of her influence on pop culture and not being afraid to use it to her& her family's advantage (and not just other moguls, but political movers and shakers), her legions of fans who foam rabid at the mouth over the mention of her name---the girl is powerful...but when that much power and influence lies at the hands as someone who talks like they just chewed a wad of cud, and likely can't at least recite 10 chemical elements from the periodic chart, then yup, that ish is scary...and a further indication that our priorities are out of whack in terms of who we allow to become the most influential people of America.

PurpleCharm said:

On loving her work: “I love my job, but it’s more than that: I need it. Because before I gave birth, it was the only time in my life, all throughout my life, that I was lost.”

I don't understand her response to the question. It doesn't make sense. When was she lost? Why was she lost?

[Edited 1/10/13 9:55am]

Looks like something was taken out of context. Might be better to just read the whole article to get the full gist of what she was saying (if it's available somewhuures).

Stymie said:

alexzander said:

I agree. She puts in a lot of work and it shows. Overexposed? yup. Are some of her songs annoying and bad? yup. But I think she's got a great voice and she never seems unprepared.

Except when her no-talking ass does interviews.

Yes, law-red

OldFriends4Sale said:

missfee said:

I disagree. Prince fucks dumb blonds, not talk like'em.

well you've never read or heard his interviews then, where have you been? most fans are embarrassed when Prince gives interviews ...chemtrails anyone?

But in Prince's case, I honestly believe the nonsense he spews in public is to keep up the appearance of an enigmatic persona. It's all for show. If you hear him talk for a bit in person, or hear from people who've actually worlked for him, all that ice cream castles purple banana cream pie is the color of God love and people crap is (at this age of his) just persona. He has a reputation for being very clear, sober and direct when he's not playing Wizard of Oz for his cult following fans. But meh...

NaughtyKitty said:

PurpleCharm said:

On loving her work: “I love my job, but it’s more than that: I need it. Because before I gave birth, it was the only time in my life, all throughout my life, that I was lost.”

I don't understand her response to the question. It doesn't make sense. When was she lost? Why was she lost?

[Edited 1/10/13 9:55am]

I didnt understand this quote either. Before she gave birth when she was working all the time she felt lost? But she loves her job and needs it... Very awkwardly phrased. Plus she never stopped working anyway-even when she was pregs w/Blue Ivy!

On her influence: “I now know that, yes, I am powerful. I’m more powerful than my mind can even digest and understand.”

[Edited 1/10/13 10:26am]

*uck. The IRONY is killing me

Cinny said:

scriptgirl said:

Cinny, what do you mean, she blocked Amerie's work in America? SPILL!

I forget where I heard it, but just TRY to find that one album in North America. I don't know if it was her power or her father's (manager at the time) over at Sony.

I have an ex who did songwriting with her over a decade ago when Daddy Knowles was still her manager. All singers on that level have managers who are very um, sober and no-nonsense, but that Matthew is a very forceful personality, and has been known to muscle his daughter name onto the top writing credits after a good deal of implied threats to others' careers. Music business is nasty. Some people you just don't want to cross if they are um, very successful with a proven track record (namely Grammys) and lots of $$$ behind them. It can work out very bad for one's career if they don't learn how to go along just to get along. And I'm not saying that the Knowles family is the only one guilty of it; that kind of career bullying is widespread, I'm just saying as a manager Matthew Knowles definitely achieved a certain mastery of it that definitely was a determining factor in his daughter's label success.

Ottensen said:

missfee said:

Which is what makes what she said scary as f***, as I roll my eyes watching how she just bought her singing spot for the next US inauguration.

She's powerful alright, and I think if people look at it objectively what she's saying (unfortunately )is true. With the amount of money she has, how she and her husband place it around the world in different developmental projects in 3rd world countries, the access to people of power and influence because of her influence on pop culture and not being afraid to use it to her& her family's advantage (and not just other moguls, but political movers and shakers), her legions of fans who foam rabid at the mouth over the mention of her name---the girl is powerful...but when that much power and influence lies at the hands as someone who talks like they just chewed a wad of cud, and likely can't at least recite 10 chemical elements from the periodic chart, then yup, that ish is scary...and a further indication that our priorities are out of whack in terms of who we allow to become the most influential people of America.

I was surprised that Beyonce was secretly trying to get her GED.....

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

I was surprised that Beyonce was secretly trying to get her GED.....

I thought she already had it

Ottensen said:

missfee said:

Which is what makes what she said scary as f***, as I roll my eyes watching how she just bought her singing spot for the next US inauguration.

She's powerful alright, and I think if people look at it objectively what she's saying (unfortunately )is true. With the amount of money she has, how she and her husband place it around the world in different developmental projects in 3rd world countries, the access to people of power and influence because of her influence on pop culture and not being afraid to use it to her& her family's advantage (and not just other moguls, but political movers and shakers), her legions of fans who foam rabid at the mouth over the mention of her name---the girl is powerful...but when that much power and influence lies at the hands as someone who talks like they just chewed a wad of cud, and likely can't at least recite 10 chemical elements from the periodic chart, then yup, that ish is scary...and a further indication that our priorities are out of whack in terms of who we allow to become the most influential people of America.

Thank you.

shorttrini said:

If the music business was more about talent and less about visualization and gimmicks, would we even be having this debate? I have said it before and I will say it again, Beyonce has fallen victim to over exposure. Which is due to the fact that there isn't that much talent in the industry as there once was. Now, when someone with a "mililiter of talent" comes on the scene, there are those who want to see them more and more. The end result is, overexposure. It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. Had this been the 80's, when the industry was more competative, an artist like her would have just been another artist and nobody would have paid her much mind.

Days later, this post has been resonating with me.

This is PRECISELY why I feel certain artists are "overrated" these days, because if listeners could remember what music used to be like (barrage of talent from every angle, with the odd novelty bullshit, instead of the reverse), they would understand why Beyonce is.. average! It's just that most of her competition should have never been let inside a studio.

Even if someone considers Beyonce the "BEST" of TODAY... that does not mean OF ALL TIME, unless you have a very short understanding of music's rich history, which I know doesn't apply to shorttrini!!

Ottensen said:

Cinny said:

I forget where I heard it, but just TRY to find that one album in North America. I don't know if it was her power or her father's (manager at the time) over at Sony.

I have an ex who did songwriting with her over a decade ago when Daddy Knowles was still her manager. All singers on that level have managers who are very um, sober and no-nonsense, but that Matthew is a very forceful personality, and has been known to muscle his daughter name onto the top writing credits after a good deal of implied threats to others' careers. Music business is nasty. Some people you just don't want to cross if they are um, very successful with a proven track record (namely Grammys) and lots of $$$ behind them. It can work out very bad for one's career if they don't learn how to go along just to get along. And I'm not saying that the Knowles family is the only one guilty of it; that kind of career bullying is widespread, I'm just saying as a manager Matthew Knowles definitely achieved a certain mastery of it that definitely was a determining factor in his daughter's label success.

Yeah it's an industry standard (read Col. Parker, etc.)

As for trini's statement, can't say he's wrong there.

Cinny said:

shorttrini said:

If the music business was more about talent and less about visualization and gimmicks, would we even be having this debate? I have said it before and I will say it again, Beyonce has fallen victim to over exposure. Which is due to the fact that there isn't that much talent in the industry as there once was. Now, when someone with a "mililiter of talent" comes on the scene, there are those who want to see them more and more. The end result is, overexposure. It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. Had this been the 80's, when the industry was more competative, an artist like her would have just been another artist and nobody would have paid her much mind.

Days later, this post has been resonating with me.

This is PRECISELY why I feel certain artists are "overrated" these days, because if listeners could remember what music used to be like (barrage of talent from every angle, with the odd novelty bullshit, instead of the reverse), they would understand why Beyonce is.. average! It's just that most of her competition should have never been let inside a studio.

Even if someone considers Beyonce the "BEST" of TODAY... that does not mean OF ALL TIME, unless you have a very short understanding of music's rich history, which I know doesn't apply to shorttrini!!

Which is why cannot, for the life of me, understand why so much of the blame is being placed on artist like her. You cannot knock her, for her hustle. She is just doing what she has set out to do and that is to please her fans and make money while doing it. It's not her fault that there isn't any worthy competition to go against her. If you want blame someone, then blame these "so-called" record labels who's main goal now, is to put out "microwaved" artist, who can't sing a lick, but can double as a fashion model. While you're at it, you can blame these MTV, BET and all the rest of these "so-called" music/reality channels. They are the one's who have turned their backs on music's quickest and easiest messenger, the video. When MTV stopped playing videos, 24hrs, that's when the music as an art form, really died. The funny thing is, when it did, nobody did a damn thing about it.

i'm not into the whole celeb power thing

as far as beyonce goes... i think she's an incredibly beautiful, incredibly talented lady

i like beyonce, but i think she has more influence than power

vainandy said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Luvs her

I don't fault her for trying to better herself by being around a better class of person. That's the only right thing she's done. I fault him for selling out, lowering himself, and slumming.

I blame AND credit Beyonce's booty. It makes men like Prince, Chuck D, and even Jay-Z (Beyonce's husband) kind of spellbound.

deebee said:

I mean, take this picture from the GQ shoot: here, she took her trousers and socks off, the people gave her a ball, and she jumped with it while they took some photos. Now, I think that shows young women that if they like jumping, but, like, 'society' tells them they shouldn't be doing that, and says they should be doing other things like reading, learning stuff, developing a sense of personal integrity and all that, she's there to say, no, reach for the skies! Or at least reach upwards. With the ball.