The camera pans the crowd, catching glimpses of crying, sweating concert goers sporting temporary tattoos bearing her name. From Africa to America, tens of thousands of screaming fans fill stadiums just to experience this larger-than-life entertainer.
If you’re one of the unlucky ones who hasn’t seen this Diva perform live, last week’s ”I Am…World Tour” Thanksgiving special gave an intimate look into how her Royal Hotness rules the world wearing nothing more than a leotard, Spanx, and 4-inch stilettos.
She is…BEYONCE!
Admittedly, I am one of the unlucky ones who hasn’t seen Ms. B live in concert. Well, I recant that statement. I DID see her perform when she was still the lead singer of Destiny’s Child in 2000 at Disney World’s Grad Nite. Mmmm…that was TEN years ago…I’m guessing that doesn’t qualify.
So, Beyonce,’ if you’re reading this, I will totally take you up on the offer if you want to surprise me and a group of friends with a private suite at your next show. Hey, just throwing it out there into the universe.
“I Am…World Tour” special starts with Beyonce’ taking a helicopter ride over NYC en route to a first rehearsal for her tour. Next, you see video clips of Beyonce’ “doing work” as she punctuates even the most minor details of her upcoming show. In the first few minutes, a rarely revealed side of Beyonce’ is exposed - very little make-up, her normally curly mane is bone straight, and she gets a bit assertive when talking to her crew about last minute preparations.
Immediately, I was excited to watch all 1 hour and 30 minutes of the show.
Now, I am a lover of many Beyonce’ trends. I never got down with the Predator braids from the days of “Say My Name…”
…But I have followed B’s instructions from “Get Me Bodied” and have done the Naomi Campbell walk across the club and have dropped down low and hit the floor.
Note: Supermodels rarely get their “eagle on” in public, so don’t attempt those two moves in the same night like I did.
And even though I dashed to the nearest American Apparel after the “Single Ladies” video premiered and bought a small arsenal of leotards, I always found a way to be critical of Beyonce.’
In one breath I would say, “Yeah, Beyonce, is a great performer, but you can tell she has to work hard at picking up choreography.” Ooooor I have even said, “Yeah, I like a lot of her songs, but she doesn’t really have any ballads. All her songs have a pronounced base line.”
She’s great, so why hate?
The “Naughty Girl” has always kept a barrier between herself and the media’s prying eye, so it’s easy to criticize when you can’t figure someone out. Watching Beyonce’s behind-the-scenes action during “I Am” made me understand and appreciate her and her influence in a way that I never have before.
Okay…so maybe she has never emphatically said, “Yes, I am married to Jay Z.” But because she knows her fans want to feel connected to that part of her personal life, she brings Jay-Z on stage for guest duos, and throughout her performances, she throws up the infamous “Roc” diamond made popular by her hubby.
At one point, Beyonce’s music video factory was cranking out new videos seemingly every other week, and critics quipped that she was overexposed. Well, at her concerts, faithful fans recite each lyric, mimic every dance move, and cling to every note. If you had millions of people depending on you to inspire and to entertain, you, too, would make sure your presence was always known – even if that meant there was a potential for over exposure.
Think back on all the one-note, Beyonce’ interviews you’ve seen in the past. You know the ones where she’s overly cautious and super secretive and avoids answering those “gotcha” type questions? “I Am,” if only a teeny bit, makes up for some of those cupcake interviews.
Spoiler Alert: She does NOT reveal the name or the projected birth date of her first born, but from watching, you do get the feeling that what you’re seeing is genuinely Beyonce.’
“I Am,” more than so many of Beyonce’s other ga-gillion accomplishments, is one of her best pieces of work. With each high-energy performance, you feel like you’re one barricade and security guard away from the real thing. Most importantly, the documentary really does show how deeply she respects her talents and how dedicated she is to cultivating her gifts.
With that kind of die -hard commitment and relentless work ethic, she will forever be 10 Louboutin steps ahead of the rest.
Be sure to check back for more of the latest music news from Erica Renee Davis right here on Positively Celebrity!
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I thoroughly enjoyed this article. Perhaps you’ll get a chance to see her perform again.