There are many people in this world who will drop a lot of money for a Beyonce concert. It’s supposed to be a religious experience, a defining moment of a lifetime or a generation. But there were still some people in the Beyhive who were side-eyeing the On the Run II tour. The side-eyes were because, and I quote, the tour was “Beyonce and Him,” meaning Jay-Z. The stans are happy to pay the money to see Beyonce in concert, but I got the feeling that only a handful of people were buying the tickets to see Jay-Z.
Another reason for the side-eye? Beyonce hasn’t put out a new album since Lemonade, and that was 2016! She’s guested on a few singles here and there, but the hive wanted new music to go along with the tour. Well, here you go: Beyonce and Him have dropped a new album. Exclusively on Tidal!! That’s the kicker. I don’t give a sh-t about Tidal, so I’ll wait until the sh-t gets released on iTunes, which usually happens soon enough. Beyonce will promote her man’s Tidal, but she’s no dummy: she’s going to drop it on iTunes within a week.
Apparently, there’s a method to all of this madness. The OTRII tour is quickly becoming a giant parade for Bey-Z to perform their love for each other. We’re years past the Elevator Drama, and two years removed from Beyonce ripping Jay a new one in Lemonade. So the album is Everything Is Love, and the tour is basically the We’re Still In Love Y’all Tour. Of course, the lyrics are about more than just “we’re still in love” – you can read a decent lyrical breakdown here. Jay-Z trashes the Super Bowl and the Grammys, Beyonce is still making references to how Jay was unfaithful, etc.
Even though this sh-t involves Him, I’m still into it though. You know why? Because I’m DYING for the visual album. Beyonce posted the video for the first single, “Apesh-t,” and THIS VIDEO WAS SHOT IN THE LOUVRE. I honestly believe that Beyonce and Him basically had to get clearance from the French government to do this. And they actually got permission!!! The Mona Lisa was super-excited to share the same space as Beyonce (and to a lesser degree, Him). (Also, this song is awesome.)
Here’s the album cover:
Stream #EverythingIsLove now, exclusively on TIDAL. Also stream a TIDAL-exclusive track. https://t.co/OHRZ7lnF8n pic.twitter.com/70xd4Box4P
— BEYONCÉ (@Beyonce) June 16, 2018
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
The accompanying video was everything but the song slightly disappointed me after Lemonade.
Her part was great, I shut the video off after about 20 seconds of Jay. I get it, she loves him, but I’m really only into her music.
Yes, I agree, the most antiquated thing about Beyonce is how she has to tie herself to her man. I haven’t been into Jay-Z’s music since about 2001.
Video is beautiful!
The video is so amazingly done and can you imagine how many people was involved in it and nobody said a word?!
The video was so pleasing to the eyes.
Unpopular opinion: Beyonce can’t dance. She just moves her head like she’s having a seizure. I don’t get the hype.
Also, has she had more work done recently? She just looks … different in the recent pics, and I can’t put my finger on it. Brow lift, maybe?
Chiming in about her face looking different. I was actually taken aback.
She put some weight on, that’s it. Your comment remind me how the “she inflated her lips” crowd have egg on the face now, teehee. But please carry on.
She looks totally different, but she had twins and it’s been a few years. The years perform their terrible dance, to misquote Dickens. She looks good.
Please watch the Run the World video and tell me she “can’t dance”. You can say she’s extra, she’s overrated but IMHO, “Beyonce can’t dance” is akin to “Adele can’t sing”.
Beyonce can’t dance, really? Girl bye.
Wow, really? Look at her live performances and videos and tell me again she can’t dance. She’s an amazing entertainer.
Not unpopular with me. I have never thought she was a great dancer, especially when you consider people like Janet, Michael, Usher, Sisqo, Mya, Aaliyah, etc. I’d even argue that Britney circa the “Me Against The Music” era was better.
And there’s Normani and Tinashe from the younger crowd. Beyonce performs the choreography well enough, but I just don’t see “great.”
I agree. She’s not a great dancer. When I watch her perform, he dancers run circles around her. She’s not the best singer out there either. Sorry, but true. However, when you put together the whole package, with her stage presence…. she’s the very best. The visuals in her videos and on stage are incredible. She’s more an entertainer than a singer or a dancer. She’s incredible live. I was blown away when I saw her on the FWT.
Miss V, you nailed it. It’s a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Beyonce obviously works her butt off to make sure that everything comes together well.
Her looks set her apart from the beginning. Looks, drive, confidence, personality, work ethic. The partnership with Jay catapulted her & then she made some bold, amazing creative choices. Now she has a cultural resonance that puts her firmly in the realm of icon.
I agree with that comment. Great entertainer. Yeah, she’s a strong singer/dancer, but that’s not the foundation of her success.
She can’t dance? I haven’t seen her latest video, but she generally tears it up when it comes to dancing. She’s amazing in the ‘Formation’ video. I’m not part of the Beyhive (or any hive for that matter lol) but I’m not sure how you can watch some of her videos and think she can’t dance. There are some where she doesn’t do much (or any) dancing, but when she does she kills it.
Unpopular? More like wrong. Beyoncé can dance.
That song is horrendous but the video is beautiful. Not sure why an artist as talented/supposedly private as Beyonce feels the need to exploit her personal life to this extent.
This is far beyond just mining her life experiences to create meaningful and relatable art, and veering into blatant publicity seeking. Somehow it feels more like his idea than hers, he needs her to remain relevant.
I don’t think she has any substance to her and that’s why they are exploiting this and have been for years. She’s kind of dingy and I think jay z walks all over her because he’s trash. She knows she couldn’t orchestrate this kind of publicity alone without him. She and Jay-Z played around with all those devil and Illuminati symbols but now they just go on and on about being blessed by God. She has a massive archive dedicated to herself with images and footage shot for up to 16 hours a day since 2005. Said she’s a mermaid or WAS a mermaid, said she gets possessed by an alter ego/demon thing….
Gtfoh. She is nuts.
.
@mrsbump exactly! a pretty crappy song shot in a beautiful building.
I have no idea why after people bestow genius on certain people at a certain moment then ever again forever said people are geniuses at everything they do: counting to 10 in a chicken headgear or singing a pretty crappy song and decently dancing in a museum… mind baffling..
I’ve come to believe that the class with which this or that celebrity’s fans are behaving with, is inherently the best signal of how classy the idol is…
And you seem super stable mentally.
Idk. It’s her life and she controls the narrative; that’s pretty smart imo.
The ability to shoot at the Louvre, one of the most visible, recognizable, visited places on the planet, and keep the entire thing 100% secret is…basically witchcraft. They’ve even got Jay outside at the entrance, and even for just that snippet, they must have shot for hours. The CIA doesn’t have security this good.
They are definitely all about the visuals, and the visuals here are stunning.
It’s political when they foreground themselves High Art and Museum Pieces Mostly Made By White Men . . . while appreciating the beauty of it all.
Uhhh two people of colour standing in front of “white people” art is hardly political.
I dont recall making any sort of statement when i visited a few years back and im African.
Let’s not try to aggrandize EVERYTHING they do. Let’s call it what it is – a pretty crappy song shot in a beautiful building
amazing.
The video is gorgeous, the song sounds like the Migos side project it is. The album’s ok. Some great tracks, some really mediocre tracks.
I would be so incredibly PO’d if I’d been at one of the first OTRII shows before this album dropped though. If this was any other artist all people would be talking about what an incredibly weird and messy rollout this is. Dropping a surprise album 10 days into a tour, after doing 5 shows with no new music, is a giant FU to about 200,000 fans. It seems to have been purposefully organized that way too, since people have now found hints Beyonce left about the release date. Why they would plan to do it this way is beyond me.
She did the exact same thing during the Ms Carter Show and those cities didn’t get On the run I so I think they’re happy with it. Were you actually attending and feeling robbed?
I do not get the frenzy over the two of them. I guess because neither style of music is my thing. I just don’t believe in celebrity worship. He a fan. Don’t be insane about it. Jmho.
This. I am not a Beyoncé fan. I just don’t like her music. But I’ve always liked Jay. Also, her sister. Now her sister has music that I can get down with.
Love it. I’m so happy we get new music for the tour!
Lemonade feels like yesterday, damn it. Can’t believe people are already begging for a new album.
Not a diehard beyhive member, but I was at the OTR II show last night in London and it really was a hell of a show. Totally entertaining from start to finish. And when they dropped the video, we all really went nuts! It’s visually stunning & a pretty powerful statement.
The Root.com has a IG page that I follow and when the OTR II kicked off they wrote Beyonce and her children’s caretaker.
Yes, people are still salty with him 2 years later. I have been listening to Lemonade alot lately and yeah, don’t blame em.
The song isn’t really my thing, but the video was great. She is so beautiful, and I loved the group of dancers in front of Winged Victory.
I do not understand his appeal at all, especially given all the heartache he’s put her through.
Jay adds nothing to that. Also, his hair is awful.
She doesn’t need him. The video is beautiful.
Peace out.
Agree. I hope she has affairs with lots of hot men.
Loved all of it!!!
I’m kinda done after the “Beyonce can’t dance” comment. LOL!
Everyone enjoy your Sunday!
CB, thanks for keeping me abreast on movies, I work too much and I never know what’s playing or good..but now I always do. can’t thank you enough.
It really does kill some people that this Black woman is super successful and happy with her life doesn’t it? Some of yall saying she can’t dance, can’t sing etc.. Someone even implied she’s a devil worshipper..
Its okay, we know what you really wanna say.. We totally get it..
+1000, always hella dog-whistles on this site with anything Beyonce related.
Although personally, although I LOVE BEYONCE and am absolutely a member of the hive, I’m bored as HELL with her singing about how much she loves Jay-Z. I just think it’s more interesting when she sings about her own personal growth and connecting to all the other whole range of human emotions she feels aside from her deep, abiding love for her children’s caretaker.
I love her, but I’m tired of the “we are so in love” parade that they put on every couple years to keep their brand going. This side project and her features since Lemonade have been disappointing.
I liked the video clip and the song but I cringe when I see her and Jay-Z together on the screen. Their relationship always seems very manufactured to me. If it’s a business and a brand, fine but I’m not convinced that theirs is a “great love”.
Yeah, I agree. I love Beyonce, but I’m bored as hell with the “we’re so in love” narrative. She’s been singing about him since 2003. We get it.
Unpopular opinion: I like jay z! LOL I actually enjoy him on this. I have been a fan of him for a long time. I will fully admit I’m no ride or die. I kind of dipped out a long time ago and took a hard dip into country music. I haven’t heard a single song from 4:44, the tidal stuff is silly, and my favorites have been his albums with Lincoln Park(still a fav of mine) and Justin Timberlake(and I don’t even like him)! Plus, he knows his place is to let B shine. He’s the extra, everyone is here for Beyonce. Visually this video is everything. I didn’t listen to a single song from Lemonade tho.***RUNS and hides****
Girl, don’t run and hide. I still enjoy Jay Z’s music and I love Bey’s music too. I believe 4:44 was a great album and I’m shocked that it didn’t get more Social Media attention translated into peer awards success. Like I don’t believe the 4:44 album is a part of the cultural zeitgeist.
Is it just me, their voices so funny in that video? I like the song, and the video, but their voices sound a little overprocessed, especially Beyoncé’s.
Duplicate
Someone up thread said it sounded like a Migos side project-perfect description. Two things are confirmed for me. 1) She needs to get herself rid of him as soon as possible. 2) I really want to visit the Louvre.
At the top of the stairs is a statue called “the winged victory of samothrace”. It is beautiful and when I went to the Louvre, it was all I wanted to see. Of course, it was removed for cleaning/repair. I was so disappointed. The venus de milo is there, though, so that was cool
Oh no! I hope you get to return sometime and see it.
@kaiser anyone with the $$ can rent out the louvre for private events. Hey have a price list on their website. It’s super crazy expensive (esp in front of those art pieces)-but I’m sure they needed extra permission to film/have dancers etc.
I like them both and am happy they are successful but I find any artist that glorifies wealth to such a degree hugely depressing. I’m glad Bey has gotten more politically aware because that’s what saves it for me, even though I know I’m not the target audience.
You can’t glorify what you don’t have. So have some water to counter all that salt.
“You can’t glorify what you don’t have.” I don’t understand. They are clearly wealthy and like to show the world that they are wealthy?
im with you
They *have* money, but I don’t see them “glorifying” it. I mean, I don’t know them or even all of their songs. Of course they spend their money, they worked their behinds off for it; but to my understanding, they also give quite a bit as well.
Ehhh I guess some call it “gorgeous visuals” and I just see glorifying wealth. I am so happy they are successful, truly. They do so much more good with their wealth than most wealthy people out there do. But I’m also sad that 99% of people will never experience anything anywhere near that level of wealth and status. Neoliberal capitalism’s the one that’s got me down in the end I suppose.
I agree with you. It’s crass.
I love the video very much
Guys, does someone think Beyonce to be overrated? I was her fan but she’s been a brand for a while and a very OTT one without any sense of humour. I have no idea how she gets away with it.. She sees herself as some kind of goddess and uses her privacy, love, unfaithfulness all for profit. I’m tired of her being put on pedestal.
No. Just you, salty.
Basically she is supposed to be authentic but at the same time not include her personal experiences in her work? Mkay.
apparently I’m not alone. I think she manufactured a lot of drama on purpose, the cheating scandal boosted the sales (her father accused her of this). now she’d all “we’re SO in love” which seems fake. everything she does now seems so on purpose, she’s trying to show how perfect she is and her marriage.
Deleted b/c why bother? Beyoncé is my favorite rapper.
Not just you. I was a big fan of Destiny’s Child and even her earlier albums. But now she’s over the top.
don’t get the hype but ok. we can’t all like the same stuff all the time. she’s successful so good for her. the celeb worship with her in particular is alarming and very weird to me. i think most celebs would actually be very disappointing to know. lot of smoke and mirrors and PR stunts, not a lot of depth.
what a relief, thank you. that’s my take on this too.
I agree.
I find the marketing of their marriage problems and infidelity soul-less and two dimensional now.
It may be slick, the imagery may be beautiful but it feels empty.
Exactly, that’s where she lost me. Was it necessary? Duh. I can’t goofy dance to ‘single ladies’ any more, because her whole charade is about a guy.
What has she done to her face? She looks like Janet Jackson, and it’s not just the eyeliner.
She’s a huge talent, and entertainer, she has a great voice, dances fantastic, great personality on stage, thats why she sells out huge venues, for her generation she’s it, she’s very humble in her real life, everyone has someone who’s not thrill with them, but on the bright side, less of them and more of her fans..
Just seen the video, it’s beautiful and hypnotic. But damn, these people would literally f#%* their money if they could. The name should be changed to “Everything is money “.
It really turned me off too even though I liked a lot of aspects of the video and I do generally like Bey.
” I honestly believe that Beyonce and Him basically had to get clearance from the French government to do this. And they actually got permission!!!”
LOL. No. You can rent it out for private events. The prices are online.
What a gorgeous video! I don’t follow either Beyoncé or Jay-Z closely, but they’ve loomed large as these mythic figures at the periphery of even my little world.
But surely, I’m not the only one who noticed that the dancers were wearing what seem to be hosiery-as-clothes a la Kim Kardashian wearing Kanye’s “fashion”?
Whether they were inspired by that or not, it was lovely to see such a range of gorgeous skin tones! Im so glad that men and women with the darkest skin tones are getting more representation and validation of their beauty!
What an awful song….shot in a beautiful place….
Beyonce can dance, damn, are we doing this again? Tiring debate, #NotToday.
This jam is about to be my next work out song. Just gets you into a hyped up mood, I love it.
Beyonce looks gorgeous. Totally ignoring Jay. I’m starting to believe she’ll never leave him, sad but what do I know about marriage? She should live her life for her and not to please me or anyone out here so do you Bey. The Louvre is so beautiful and the vid cinematography and the choreography and costumes are really beautiful. Love it. No tidal here tho. Hope they give me more of such vids.
The video is cool, the song is not. In the sister dance-offs I think Solange is a better dancer. Her music is more interesting too.