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Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born
September 4, 1981), often referred professionally under the mononym
Beyoncé, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, actress
and model. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various
performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing
competitions as a child. Knowles rose to fame in the late 1990s as the
lead singer of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child. According to Sony,
Knowles' record sales, combined with those of the group's, have surpassed
100 million.
During the hiatus of Destiny's Child in 2003 Knowles released her debut
solo album Dangerously in Love, which spawned the hits "Crazy in Love" and
"Baby Boy", and became one of the most successful albums of that year,
earning her a then record-tying five Grammy awards. Following the group's
disbandment in 2005, Knowles released B'Day in 2006, which debuted at
number one on the Billboard charts and included the hits "Déjà Vu" and
"Irreplaceable". Her third solo album I Am… Sasha Fierce, released in
November 2008, included the anthemic "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)",
and earned her six Grammy Awards, breaking the record for most Grammy
awards won by a female artist in one night.
Knowles began her acting career in 2001, appearing in the musical film
Carmen: A Hip Hopera. In 2006, she starred in the lead role in the film
adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls, for which she earned
two Golden Globe nominations. Knowles launched her family's fashion line,
House of Deréon, in 2004, and has endorsed such brands as Pepsi, Tommy
Hilfiger, Armani and L'Oréal. In 2009, Forbes listed Knowles fourth on its
list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential Celebrities in the world,
third on its list of the top-grossing musicians, and number one on the
list of top Best-Paid Celebs Under 30 with over $87 million dollars in
earnings between 2008 and 2009.
Knowles has attained five Hot 100 number one singles, becoming one of the
two female artists—joint with Rihanna—with the most number ones attained
within the 2000s, excluding her three Hot 100 number one singles with
Destiny's Child. On December 11, 2009 Billboard listed Knowles as the top
female artist of the decade, and in February 2010, the RIAA listed her as
the top certified artist of the decade.
Knowles was born in Houston, Texas, the daughter of Mathew Knowles, a
professional record manager, and Tina Knowles, a costume designer and hair
stylist. Knowles' father is African American and her mother is of Creole
(African American, Native American, and French) descent. Knowles was
baptized after her mother's maiden name, as a tribute to her mother. She
is the elder sister of Solange, a singer-songwriter and actress.
Knowles was schooled at St. Mary's Elementary School in Texas, where she
enrolled in dance classes, including ballet and jazz. Her talent in
singing was discovered when her dance instructor began humming a song and
she finished it, hitting the high-pitched notes. Although a shy girl, as
her mother considered her, Knowles' interest in music and performing began
unexpectedly after participating in a school talent show. Once she had a
moment on the stage, she overcame her shyness and wanted to become a
singer and performer. By age seven, Knowles had entered her first talent
show, singing John Lennon's "Imagine". She won the contest and was honored
with a standing ovation. At the same age, Knowles started gaining
attention from the press, having been mentioned in the Houston Chronicle
as a nominee for the local performing arts award The Sammy.
In the fall of 1990, Knowles enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music
magnet school in Houston, where she would perform on-stage with the
school's choir. She also attended the High School for the Performing and
Visual Arts in Houston and later went to Alief Elsik High School, located
in the Houston suburban munincipality, Alief. Knowles was a soloist in the
choir of her church, in St. John's United Methodist Church. She only
lasted in the choir for two years, however, because she was preoccupied
with her newfound career.
At the age of eight, Knowles met LaTavia Roberson while in an audition for
an all-girl entertainment group. They, along with Knowles' friend Kelly
Rowland, were placed into a group that performed rapping and dancing.
Originally named Girl's Tyme, they were eventually cut down to six
members. With Knowles and Rowland, Girl's Tyme attracted audience
nationally. West coast R&B producer, Arne Frager, flew into Houston to see
them. He eventually brought them to his studio—The Plant Recording
Studios—in Northern California, with Knowles' vocals being featured
because Frager thought she had personality and the ability to sing. As
part of efforts to sign Girl's Tyme to a major label record deal, Frager's
strategy was to debut them in Star Search, the biggest talent show on
national TV that time. Girl's Tyme participated in the competition but
lost it because the song they performed was not good, Knowles herself
admitted. Knowles had her first "professional setback" after that defeat,
but regained confidence after learning that pop stars Britney Spears and
Justin Timberlake had also the same experience.
To manage the group, Knowles' father (who was at that time a
medical-equipment salesman) resigned in 1995 from his job. He dedicated
his time and established a "boot camp" for their training. The move
reduced Knowles' family's income by half and her parents moved into
separated apartments because of the pressure. Not long after the inclusion
of Rowland, Mathew cut the original lineup to four, with LeToya Luckett
joining in 1993. Rehearsing in Tina's Headliners Salon and their
backyards, the group continued performing as an opening act for other
established R&B girl groups of the time; Tina contributed to the cause by
designing their costumes, which she continued to do throughout the
Destiny's Child era. With the continued support of Mathew, they auditioned
before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records, only to
be dropped months later before they could release an album.
Taking inspiration from a passage in the Book of Isaiah, the group changed
its name to Destiny's Child in 1993. Together, they performed in local
events and, after four years on the road, the group was signed to Columbia
Records in late 1997. That same year, Destiny's Child recorded its major
label debut song, "Killing Time", for the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Men
in Black. The following year, the group released its self-titled debut
album, scoring their first major hit "No, No, No". That album established
the group as a viable act in the music industry, amassing moderate sales
and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for "Best
R&B/Soul Single" for "No, No, No", "Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year" and
"Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist". However, the group rose to bona fide
stardom after releasing their multi-platinum sophomore album The Writing's
on the Wall in 1999. The record features some of the group's most widely
known songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", the group's first number-one
single, Jumpin' Jumpin'", and "Say My Name", which became their
most-successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature
songs. "Say My Name" won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with
Vocals and the Best R&B Song at the 2001 Grammy Awards. The Writing's on
the Wall sold more than seven million copies, essentially becoming their
breakthrough album.
involving the filing of a lawsuit by Luckett and Roberson for breach of
contract. The issue was heightened after Michelle Williams and Farrah
Franklin appeared on the video of "Say My Name", implying that Luckett and
Roberson had already been replaced. Eventually, Luckett and Roberson left
the group. Franklin would eventually fade from the group after five
months, as evidenced by her absences during promotional appearances and
concerts. She attributed her departure to negative vibes in the group
resulting from the strife.
After settling on their final lineup, the trio recorded "Independent Women
Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film, Charlie's
Angels. It became their best-charting single, topping the official U.S.
singles chart for eleven consecutive weeks. The success cemented the new
lineup and skyrocketed them to fame. Later that year, Luckett and Roberson
withdrew their case against their now-former band mates, while maintaining
the suit against Mathew, which ended in both sides agreeing to stop public
disparaging. Destiny's Child's third album, Survivor, channels the turmoil
they underwent, spawning its eponymous lead single, which was a response
to the experience. The themes of "Survivor", however, caused Luckett and
Roberson to refile their lawsuit, believing that the songs were aimed at
them. However, the proceedings were eventually settled in June 2002.
Meanwhile, the album was released in May 2001, debuting at number one on
U.S. Billboard 200 with 663,000 units sold. To date, Survivor has sold
over ten million copies worldwide, over forty percent of which were sold
in the U.S. alone. The album spawned other number-one hits—"Bootylicious"
and the title track, "Survivor", the latter of which earned the group a
Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. After
releasing their holiday album, 8 Days of Christmas, the group announced a
hiatus to pursue solo projects.
In 2000, Knowles signed a three-album deal with Columbia Records. While
Knowles was with Destiny's Child, she made solo appearances. She made a
duet with label mate Marc Nelson on the song "After All Is Said and Done"
for the soundtrack to the 1999 film The Best Man, and featured on the 2000
single "I Got That" by rapper Amil. In early 2001, while Destiny's Child
was completing Survivor, Knowles landed a major role in the MTV
made-for-television film, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, starring alongside
American actor Mekhi Phifer. Set in Philadelphia, the film is a modern
interpretation of the 19th century opera Carmen by French composer Georges
Bizet.
In 2002, Knowles co-starred in the comedy film Austin Powers in
Goldmember, playing Foxxy Cleopatra opposite Mike Myers. The movie topped
the box office, gaining $73.1 million on its first weekend. Knowles
recorded her first solo single, "Work It Out", for the film's soundtrack.
The following year, Knowles starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the
romantic comedy film The Fighting Temptations, and recorded numerous
song's for the film's soundtrack, including "Fighting Temptation"
(featuring Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free) and a cover version of
"Fever".
That same year, Knowles was featured on her then-boyfriend Jay-Z's hit
single "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". She also recorded a version of 50 Cent's "In
Da Club" and released it in March 2003. Luther Vandross and Knowles remade
the duet "The Closer I Get to You", which was originally recorded by
Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway in 1977. Their version won a Grammy Award
for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals the following year,
and Vandross' "Dance with My Father", which also features Knowles, won for
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
After Williams and Rowland released their solo efforts, Knowles released
her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love, in June 2003. Featuring many
musical collaborators, the album contains a combination of uptempo and
slow jam songs. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at number one,
selling 317,000 copies in its first week. Certified 4x platinum on August
5, 2004 by the Recording Industry Association of America, the album has
sold 4.2 million copies to date in the United States.
The album yielded two number one singles. "Crazy in Love", featuring a
guest rap verse from Jay-Z, was released as the album's lead single
remained on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks and topping
many charts worldwide. Knowles also successfully dominated the United
Kingdom, simultaneously topping the singles and album charts there. The
album's second single, "Baby Boy", which features dancehall singer Sean
Paul, also became one of the biggest hits of 2003, dominating U.S. radio
airplay and spending nine weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100—one
week longer than "Crazy in Love". Unlike "Crazy in Love", the final three
singles attained more immediate commercial successes, propelling the album
to the top of the charts and going a long way toward it being certified
multi-platinum.
Knowles won five awards at the 2004 Grammy Awards for her solo effort,
which included the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in
Love 2", Best R&B Song for "Crazy in Love", and the Best Contemporary R&B
Album. She shared this distinction with four other female artists: Lauryn
Hill (1999), Alicia Keys (2002) Norah Jones (2003) and Amy Winehouse
(2008) up until 2010, when she won 6 Grammy Awards in one night. In 2004,
she won a BRIT Award for International Female Solo Artist.
In 2004, Knowles planned to release a follow-up to Dangerously in Love,
which would feature some of the left-over recordings. However, her musical
aspirations were put on hiatus due to conflicting schedules, including her
recording with Destiny's Child for what would be their final album. Early
in that year, Knowles performed the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl
XXXVIII at Reliant Stadium in Houston; she admitted it fulfilled a
childhood dream.
After a three-year journey that involved concentration on individual solo
projects, Knowles rejoined Rowland and Williams for Destiny Fulfilled,
released in November 2004. The album hit number two on the Billboard 200,
and spawned three top forty hits including "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier".
In support of the album, Destiny's Child embarked on the 2005 Destiny
Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It world tour, which started in April and ran
through September. On the Barcelona, Spain visit, the group announced
their disbandment after the end of their final North American leg. In
October 2005, the group released a compilation album, entitled #1's,
including all of Destiny's Child's number-one hits and most of their
well-known songs. The greatest hits collection also includes three new
tracks, including "Stand Up for Love". Destiny's Child was honored with a
star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2006. They were also
recognized as the world's best-selling female group of all time.
Continuing her film career, Knowles co-starred in the film The Pink
Panther, playing the role of Xania, an international pop star, opposite
Steve Martin, who plays Inspector Clouseau. The film was released on
February 10, 2006, and debuted at number one at the box office, doing
$21.7 million in ticket sales in its first week. Knowles recorded "Check
on It" for the soundtrack to the film, featuring Slim Thug, and reached
the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
In late 2005, Knowles again put her second album on hold after she landed
a role in Dreamgirls, the film adaptation of the Dreamgirls|1981 hit
Broadway musical about a 1960s singing group loosely based on Motown
all-female group The Supremes. In the film, she portrays the Diana
Ross-based character Deena Jones. Knowles told Billboard magazine: "I'm
not going to write for the album until I finish doing the movie." Released
in December 2006, Dreamgirls stars Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, and Jennifer
Hudson. Knowles recorded several songs for the film's soundtrack,
including the original song "Listen". On December 14, 2006, Knowles was
nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for the film: Best Actress - Motion
Picture Musical or Comedy and Best Original Song for "Listen".
Inspired by her role in Dreamgirls, Knowles worked on her second album
without any specific plan, telling MTV News, " I had so many things
bottled up, so many emotions, so many ideas". Knowles worked with previous
musical collaborators, including Rich Harrison, Rodney Jerkins and Sean
Garrett, at the Sony Music Studios in New York City. She co-wrote and
co-produced nearly all songs included in the album, which was completed in
three weeks.
B'Day was released worldwide on September 4, 2006 and on September 5, 2006
in the United States to coincide with the celebration of her twenty-fifth
birthday. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling
more than 541,000 copies in the first week, her highest first-week sales
mark as a solo artist. The album has been certified three-times platinum
in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America. The
album spawned the UK number-one single "Déjà Vu", the album's lead single,
featuring Jay-Z." "Irreplaceable" was released in October 2006 as the
album's second single worldwide and third single in the U.S.
"Irreplaceable" topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 consecutive weeks,
giving Knowles her longest-running single to date. Although it was a
commercial success, the relatively short-spanned production of the album
was the subject of critical scrutiny.
Knowles re-released B'Day on April 3, 2007 as a deluxe edition, featuring
five new tracks and Spanish-language versions of "Irreplaceable", and
"Listen". Simultaneously, the B'Day Anthology was released featuring 10
music videos. In support of the album, Knowles embarked on her lengthy The
Beyoncé Experience concert tour, visiting over ninety venues worldwide,
which was made into the concert DVD The Beyoncé Experience Live!. At the
2007 Grammy Awards, B'Day earned Knowles the award for Best Contemporary
R&B Album. Knowles made history at the 35th Annual American Music Awards
for being the first woman to win an International Artist Award.
Knowles released her third studio album, I Am… Sasha Fierce, on November
18, 2008. Knowles says that the name Sasha Fierce is the name of the
persona she adopts when she performs onstage. The album was preceded with
the release of its two singles, "If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies (Put
a Ring on It)". While "If I Were a Boy" topped numerous charts worldwide,
mostly in European countries, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" went on
to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart, for four non-consecutive weeks, giving
Knowles her fifth number one single in the United States.
Knowles appeared in the musical biopic film, Cadillac Records, in which
Knowles had been cast to play famed blues singer Etta James. Her
performance in the film received praise from critics and the song "Once in
a Lifetime", a collaboration with Scott McFarnon, was nominated for a
Grammy. Knowles also starred opposite Ali Larter and Idris Elba in a
thriller film called Obsessed, which was in production since May 2008. The
film has proved to be a commercial success and was released in the United
States on April 24, 2009, the film grossed $11.1 million on its first day
of release and ended its opening weekend at number one, with a total of
$28.6 million.
"Halo", the fourth single off I Am... Sasha Fierce, went on to peak at
number five, becoming Knowles' 12th Top 10 single on the Hot 100 as a solo
artist. This made Knowles the female artist with the most top tens on the
Hot 100 this decade. She is also the female artist with the most
cumulative weeks at number one this decade, with 36 total weeks at number
one, the most top fives and the most top ten hits this decade with
thirteen, as well as the most top 40 hits of the decade with 18 top 40
hits.
Knowles won the Outstanding Female Artist at the 2009 NAACP Image Awards.
She also won the Best R&B Artist award at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards.
Knowles performed on January 18, 2009 at the Lincoln Memorial festivities
in honor of the inauguration of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the
United States. Knowles also sang her cover of the R&B classic most
famously sang by Etta James, "At Last", as President Obama and his wife
Michelle had their first dance as President and First lady of America, on
January 20, 2009 at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball.
In support of the album, Knowles embarked on her lengthy I Am... Tour
concert tours starting in the Spring of 2009, visiting venues all over the
world. She concluded the North American leg of her tour with a four-day
limited engagement at the very intimate, 1500-seat Encore Theater at Steve
Wynn's Encore Resort in Las Vegas, from July 30 through August 2, 2009. As
of August 2, 2009, Knowles's tour has officially been ranked a No. 1
concert attraction thanks to record attendance and an unprecedented
multi-leg journey. Billboard journalist Bob Allen confirms the tour's
success, stating: "With reported grosses topping $36 million since the
tour began, her show ranks among the top 15 grossing tours of the year."
The "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" video won the 2009 BET Awards Video
of the Year. In addition, it was nominated for a total of nine awards at
the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, and ultimately won the award for Video of
the Year, and an additional two awards, though its loss in the Best Female
Video category to Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me" led to controversy
during the ceremony; Swift's award acceptance speech was interrupted by
Hip-Hop artist Kanye West, who grabbed her microphone to declare the
"Single Ladies" video as "one of the best videos of all time". When
Knowles accepted the Video of the Year award, she stated, "I remember
being 17 years old, up for my first MTV award with Destiny's Child and it
was one of the most exciting moments in my life" and that she would like
for Swift to "come out and have her moment". In October 2009, Knowles was
honored with Billboard magazine's "Woman of the Year" award. Accepting the
award, Knowles remarked "I am the luckiest woman in the world.". In
November 2009, Knowles was announced as the winner of the UK's 4Music's
'World's Greatest Popstars' competition which was sponsored by Rimmel.
Over 100,000 voted, with Knowles coming out top of the highly publicised
vote, even ahead of the likes of Madonna, Britney Spears, Eminem and
Pink.. Knowles participated in the "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit
for Earthquake Relief". She appeared in London with Jay-Z, Rihanna, and
U2's Bono and The Edge, were she performed an acoustic version of her song
"Halo". Knowles led the 52nd Grammy Awards, receiving 10 nominations,
including Album of the Year for I Am… Sasha Fierce, Record of the Year for
"Halo", and Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"; she
ultimately won the last of the three. Beyonce set a Grammy winnings record
on January 31, 2010, for the most awards won on a single night by a female
artist when she took home six awards from her ten nominations. The final
two weeks of concert dates for the "I Am... Tour" took place in February
2010 in South America and the Caribbean.
Knowles possesses a three and a half octave vocal range and has always
been identified as the centerpiece of Destiny's Child. Jon Pareles of The
New York Times commented that she has the voice that defines the group,
writing that her voice is "velvety yet tart, with an insistent flutter and
reserves of soul belting". James Anthony of The Guardian called her voice
distinctive and fast, with almost hiccuping vocal technique. Other critics
praise her range and power. In reviewing her second album B'Day, Jody
Rosen of Entertainment Weekly writes "Beyoncé Knowles is a storm system
disguised as a singer. On her second solo album, B'Day, the songs arrive
in huge gusts of rhythm and emotion, with Beyoncé's voice rippling over
clattery beats; you'd have to search far and wide — perhaps in the halls
of the Metropolitan Opera — to find a vocalist who sings with more sheer
force...No one — not R. Kelly, not Usher, to say nothing of her rival pop
divas — can match Beyoncé's genius for dragging her vocal lines against a
hip-hop beat." Chris Richards of the Washington Post writes, "Even when
she's coasting, she soars above her imitators. It's all in her voice—a
superhuman instrument capable of punctuating any beat with
goose-bump-inducing whispers or full-bore diva-roars. Smitten, scorned,
amorous, antagonistic—Beyoncé sings from all of these vantage points with
undeniable virtuosity." The Cove magazine ranked Knowles seventh on their
list of "The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalists", giving her 48 out of 50
points based on several criteria ranging from her vocal ability to range
to harmony. Knowles has often been criticized for oversinging. A prominent
employer of melisma, she earns frequent comparison to such artists as
Mariah Carey, whose vocal embellishments have been known to detract from
the melody of their songs. Eye Weekly writes, "There’s no question that
Beyonce is one of the best singers in pop, maybe one of the best alive...
as judicious as her singing can be, the effect in sum is still like being
hit in the head with a fist in a velvet glove."
Knowles' music is generally contemporary R&B, but she also incorporates
pop, funk, hip hop, and soul genres into her work. While she almost
exclusively releases English songs, Knowles did record several Spanish
records for the re-release of B'Day. Destiny's Child had already recorded
a Spanish song and received favorable responses from their Latin fans.
Knowles took Spanish in school when she was young, but can now only speak
a few words of the language. Prior to recording the Spanish titles on the
re-released version of B'Day, she was coached phonetically by American
record producer Rudy Perez.
Since Destiny's Child, Knowles claims to be artistically involved in her
career. She received co-writing credits for most of the songs recorded by
the group, as well as her solo efforts. Known for writing personally
driven and female-empowerment themed compositions, she has stated that
having Jay-Z in her life has changed a few of her thoughts about how men
and women relate to one another. Some of her songs are autobiographical,
which she has admitted are taken from personal experiences, as well as her
friends'.
Knowles has also received co-producing credits for most of the records in
which she has been involved, especially during her solo efforts. However,
she does not formulate beats herself, but typically comes up with melodies
and ideas during production, sharing them with producers. Knowles was
recognized as a songwriter during the run of Destiny's Child in the 1990s
and early to mid-2000s. She won the Pop Songwriter of the Year award at
the 2001 American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Pop Music
Awards, becoming the first African-American female and second female
songwriter of all time to accomplish the feat. Knowles received three
songwriting credits in a single year for co-writing "Irreplaceable",
"Grillz" ("Soldier" was sampled on the song) and "Check on It", the only
woman to achieve since Carole King in 1971 and Mariah Carey in 1991. In
terms of credits, she is tied with Diane Warren at third with nine
number-one singles.
Early into her career, Knowles developed an alter ego, Sasha Fierce, that
represents the more aggressive, sexual and confident side of the singer.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly magazine, Knowles noted that her
alter-ego is "strictly for the stage." Knowles wears a "roboglove" in
public to compliment Sasha Fierce.
In 2006, Knowles introduced her all-female tour band Suga Mama, which
includes bassists, drummers, guitarists, horn players, keyboardists and
percussionists. They debuted at the 2006 BET Awards and they re-appeared
in the music video for "Irreplaceable" and "Green Light". The band has
supported Knowles in live performances, and on her 2007 The Beyoncé
Experience world concert tour, and her 2009 I Am... Tour.
In an article entitled "Born to Entertain", Knowles, alongside classic and
contemporary entertainers, received praise for her stage performances. In
reviewing her 2009 I Am... Tour, Alice Jones of The Independent writes,
"Watching Beyoncé sing and strut her stuff can feel at best overawing, at
worst, alienating. She takes her role as entertainer so seriously she's
almost too good." The New York Times writes, "there is a breathtaking
elegance in her acute desire to entertain". Renee Michelle Harris of the
South Florida Times writes, Knowles "owns the stage with her trademark
swagger and intensity... showcasing her powerful vocals without missing a
note, often while engaged in vigorous, perfectly executed dance moves...no
one, not Britney, not Ciara and not Rihanna can offer what she does—a
complete package of voice, moves and presence." The Daily Mail writes,
"many industry experts have been tipping Beyonce as the next Michael
Jackson. While it’s far too early for such comparisons, she certainly
proved that she is one of the most exciting and talented performers around
and may well go down in history as such.
Reviewers also praise her live vocal performances. In reviewing one of her
performances, Jim Farber of The Daily News writes "Beyoncé showed off
pipes of steely power. As the song's signature horn riff pumped away, she
soared over the melody with athletic ease. The way Beyoncé used her body
intensified the sense of triumph. With her hair teased into Medusa-like
tresses, a pelvis in perpetual churn and legs long enough to make Tina
Turner proud, Beyoncé's presence punctuated her singing like an
exclamation point." Stephanie Classen of the Star Phoenix declares
"Beyonce is no ordinary performer... from note one, the 27-year-old
powerhouse rose above all the gimmicks, mastering the show like a sexy
alien overlord princess. Nothing but extraterrestrial origins could
explain that voice....Beyonce could perform circles around any other pop
star today." Newsday writes, "she proves that hot choreography and strong
vocals don't have to be mutually exclusive... No worries of lip-synching
here."
Beyonce has also been criticized for her suggestive choreography. Her
performance at the former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant's tomb on July
4, 2003 was cited as lasciviously choreographed; Grant's descendants in
attendance had mixed reaction to it.
According to her, "I like to dress sexy and I carry myself like a lady,"
but she has said that the way she dresses on stage is "absolutely for the
stage". As someone who is fond of fashion, Knowles combines its artistic
elements with her music videos and performances. According to Italian
fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, she uses different styles and tries to
harmonize it with the music while performing. The B'Day Anthology showed
many instances of fashion-oriented footage, depicting classic to
contemporary wardrobe styles. People magazine recognized Knowles as the
best-dressed celebrity in 2007. Knowles' mother wrote a 2002-published
book, titled Destiny's Style: Bootylicious Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle
Secrets From Destiny's Child, an account of how fashion had an impact on
Destiny's Child's success.
As one of the most media-exposed black celebrities in the United States,
Knowles has often received criticism that some believe is due to racism
and sexism. Toure of Rolling Stone stated that since the release of
Dangerously in Love, "Beyoncé has become a crossover sex symbol a la Halle
Berry ..." Her appearance in Vanity Fair magazine has also provoked
speculations that her skin tone was digitally altered.
In 2007, Knowles was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
Issue, the first non-model and non-athlete woman to pose on the issue and
the second African American model after Tyra Banks. In the same year,
Knowles appeared on billboards and newspapers across the United States
showing her holding an antiquated cigarette holder. Taken from the back
cover of B'Day, the image provoked response from an anti-smoking group,
stating that she did not need to add the cigarette holder "to make herself
appear more sophisticated".
On April 24, 2009, Knowles appeared on Larry King Live, where she gave
herself a more political image and talked about everything from singing at
President Barack Obama's inauguration, to racism that she has faced being
an African-American. She said that Michelle Obama is "so chic," and even
stated that singing for the Obamas' first dance was the highlight of her
career.
Knowles has cited various artists who have influenced her musical style.
She grew up listening to songs of Anita Baker and Luther Vandross, the
latter of whom she eventually collaborated with, but often credits as her
pop music hero Michael Jackson and pop icon Madonna Ciccone as the reason
why she does music and she states Michael Jackson as her hero. She also
was exposed to the jazz music of Rachelle Ferrell, after singing Ferrell's
songs during her voice lessons. Knowles cites influences from American
artists Tina Turner, Prince, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Janet
Jackson, Selena, Mary J. Blige, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Mariah Carey and
the Colombian singer Shakira.
Knowles also has influenced various contemporary artists. Pop singer
Rihanna has been compared to her when the columnist for The Guardian Amina
Taylor called her "Bajan Beyoncé". In addition, American Idol winner
Jordin Sparks' first single, "Tattoo", and debut album have been described
as very "Beyoncé-ish"; some critics said that "Tattoo" might be "a blatant
rip-off" off Knowles' hit single "Irreplaceable". Stephen Thomas Erlewine
of Allmusic found American pop singer Katharine McPhee's songs on her
debut album of the same name to have heavy influences from Knowles' music.
Rowland was inspired by Knowles’ voice while recording the former's second
album, Ms. Kelly. Miley Cyrus told America's Seventeen:"I want to be like
Beyonce. She is the ultimate woman. You look at her and you don't think, I
wonder what her personal life is like. You look at her and you go, That
girl on the stage is a superstar. You don't care about anything else; you
only care about her music. So I would hope that would be me in the
future."
Knowles became the first female to be awarded the International Artist
Award at the American Music Awards. At the 2008 World Music Awards,
Knowles was honored the legend award for Outstanding Contribution To The
Arts. Knowles was the lead vocalist of one of the world's best selling
female groups of all time Destiny's Child. Her debut album was listed as
one of the top 200 Definitive albums in music history by the Rock & Roll
Hall of Fame. She was one of a few artist of her generation to be
mentioned on that list. Knowles has many different wax figures but her
most known figure is at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Mo'Nique hosted the
2003; 2004, and 2007 BET Awards and was apparently inspired by Knowles,
deciding to open the 2004 ceremony by performing Beyoncé's "Crazy in
Love". The performer repeated this pattern at the 2007 ceremony by
performing "Deja Vu".
During the turmoil of Destiny's Child in 2000, Knowles had admitted in
December 2006 that she had experienced depression from an accumulation of
struggles: the publicized split of LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson,
being publicly attacked by the media, critics and blogs for causing the
split-up, and a longstanding boyfriend (that she had dated from age 12 to
19 years) leaving her.
The depression was so severe it had lasted for a couple of years, while
she had kept herself in her bedroom for days and refused to eat anything.
Knowles stated that she struggled to speak about her depression because
Destiny's Child had just won their first Grammy Award and she feared no
one would take her seriously. All of these events had made her question
herself and who her friends were, describing the situation she said, "Now
that I was famous, I was afraid I'd never find somebody again to love me
for me. I was afraid of making new friends." She remembers her mother,
Tina Knowles, for finally saying to help her out of her depression, "Why
do you think a person wouldn't love you? Don't you know how smart and
sweet and beautiful you are?"
Since 2002, Knowles has been in a relationship with rapper Jay-Z, with
whom she has collaborated several times. Rumors began to circulate about
their relationship after Knowles was featured on "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". In
spite of persistent rumors about their relationship, they remained
discreet about it. In 2005, rumors began to spread about the marriage of
the couple. Knowles closed the speculation stating that she and Jay-Z were
not even engaged. When asked again about the subject in September 2007,
Jay-Z replied, "One day soon—let's leave it at that." Laura Schreffler,
senior writer for OK! magazine, said, "They are intensely private people".
On April 4, 2008, Knowles and Jay-Z were married in New York City. It
became a matter of public record on April 22, 2008, but Knowles did not
publicly debut her wedding ring until the Fashion Rocks concert on
September 5, 2008 in New York City. Knowles finally revealed their
marriage through an opening montage video at the listening party for I
Am... Sasha Fierce in Manhattan's Sony Club. |
