When it comes to Beyoncé, there’s one thing for sure and two things for certain: She’s one of the greatest performers of all time, and she knows it.
And if the Queen didn’t make that clear enough during her most recent world-domination tour, then she’s putting everyone on notice with its concert film.
The movie officially debuted on Friday with select screenings available as early as Thursday. And I made sure to secure my tickets a month in advance so I could be one of the first to experience her, for the second time.
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Despite knowing some of what to expect after attending her day-one stadium concert in Toronto this summer, I was still thrown for a loop after really getting a closer look at what it takes to pull together a show of that magnitude.
Audience members get to pull back the curtains and see a rare glimpse of what life is like on the road and on the stage for one of the biggest stars in the world.
And it’s with this transparency that we can see that no one is perfect, even Beyoncé.
From pushing through a leg injury to contracting bronchitis several times, the artist had her fair share of obstacles to overcome.
But even she admitted that physical pain was nothing compared to trying to keep her mental health in check at every turn.
In hindsight, no one would have had the slightest clue she was fighting through so much on stage as she effortlessly danced circles around her most seasoned dancers (with a bad knee) all while delivering unbelievably powerful vocals (with a sore throat).
Beyoncé also touched on another fear she had to get over; exposing her first born to the beehive and beyond.
She even recalls the first time Blue Ivy was about to step up on stage and remembered seeing her from the corner of her eye seconds before the world laid eyes on her.
Beyoncé admitted she “wanted to pass out” over the whole thing and immediately regretted agreeing to it.
But as time went on she had a front row seat to her daughter’s transition into stardom and welcomed it with open arms.
She even shared that one of her dance captains, Amari, was the main reason she stopped being uneasy about her daughter taking the stage as she knew she would be in good hands.
It’s also worth noting that Amari did more than just perform as a dancer, she also represented so many women all over the world and proved that you can be plus sized and lead some of the best dancers in the world, and look good doing it.
And she was not the exception, Beyoncé’s entire dance crew was made up of people from all walks of life, including so many individuals from the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
The artist even paid tribute to her Uncle Johnny who used to make her dresses during her early days when no one wanted to dress Black curvy girls, according to her.
It really gave the lyrics “Uncle Johnny made my dress that cheap spandex she looks a mess!” a whole new meaning to the audience.
Beyoncé reiterates many times that her album is a musical ode to the undervalued and overlooked and a machine that will usher in a new era for everyone, where no one is left out for being who they are.
Representation, vulnerability and motherhood were one of the major themes throughout the movie and definitely the highlight for me as I got to learn more about an artist I’ve come to enjoy over the course of my twenty six years of life.
It was also refreshing to see Queen B wear many hats including (but not limited to) being a vocal coach to her backup singers, rehearsing/stretching with her dancers, and even working on set designs and lighting.
She says after so many years in the game, she has nothing left to prove anymore and she will always reach for freedom and happiness instead of perfection when given the choice.
