swissman Posted April 11 Posted April 11 (edited) 8 minutes ago, ShouldersSideways said: The CDs are showing up at stores and its the "limited edition" versions with her wearing the Beyince sash Not only is that a slap in the face and false advertising to those who bought it earlier, but imagine being a casual person looking for Cowboy Carter and all you can find is the Beyince album. It even says it on the spine ok I am a defender of "it's not that big of a deal" but saying it's a web store exclusive then changing that is stupid. also we just NEED the actual cover in physical formats. not sure why that's not a priority since it'll only increase sales (I do believe half the people complaining about the missing tracks are just complaining to complain and would re-purchase because they clearly wanted the physical so bad they even bought it without a track list). Edited April 11 by swissman
ShouldersSideways Posted April 11 Posted April 11 35 minutes ago, swissman said: ok I am a defender of "it's not that big of a deal" but saying it's a web store exclusive then changing that is stupid. also we just NEED the actual cover in physical formats. not sure why that's not a priority since it'll only increase sales (I do believe half the people complaining about the missing tracks are just complaining to complain and would re-purchase because they clearly wanted the physical so bad they even bought it without a track list). Despite myself I'll likely get the standard vinyl because I think once the trilogy wraps up her on three different horses will be iconic
Likingstars Posted April 11 Posted April 11 Lesbian anthem confirmed https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/sarah-paulson-praises-beyonce-miley-cyrus-collab-ii-most-wanted-1235653003/amp/
EricSean Posted April 11 Posted April 11 7 hours ago, Cbreezy said: So many thoughts post-release... The Good * Elated at the sales. Happily eating humble pie given that I for sure saw 300k range as the upper limit (all things considered). I will say that, in light of the botched physicals (more on that in a sec) the fact she had 27 tracks this time helped a ton (e.g. streaming being the main means of hearing the entire album) and doesn't necessarily see the initial worry rendered totally invalid. We'd be looking at nearer 500k (IMO) had the preorder window been longer. But no point dwelling on that. * The discourse around the album is amazing. For better or worse, I am pretty consumed by the marketing aspect of my faves releases and Bey (since at least ST) has always had an...angle. And not just something limp and basic, but something qualitative and culture-shifting. CC continues that trend and has been rightfully received well because of it (the reviews etc). Which is great as... * The album is actually...impeccable! The Hmm * While the botched physicals isn't doom and gloom (nor is it the disaster some are trying to make out to be), it's sloppier than I like from Bey. She has had this innate ability to "Olivia Pope" her missteps in ways the GP end up being none the wiser about. Even her whole "artiste" positioning does not pardon the fact that BOTH the vinyl (understandable) AND the CD (totally unjust) don't have the full tracklist. I imagine ish was pressed a long time ago, which probably means act 2 was due a while back (which is in direct contrast to many thinking it was due later than now hence the "rushed" release), but it still isn't very Beyonce-like. I personally want the original cover and the full tracklist, so won't buy a physical thing. I almost feel like putting on my clown makeup because there doesn't seem to be any guarantees it's even coming. Again, not the end of the world or any kind of "real" stain on Bey or the album, but just a little personally disappointed. The Pending * There are clear similarities in how she rolled CC and Rennie out (super on-the-nose lead single, no visuals etc), but I'm going to need that to be the end of the parallels. My gut tells me CC will **need** a **something** and sooner than Rennie did. Both my gut and the intel I got (several people removed) tell me Rennie caught even Bey's camp by surprise in terms of its cultural resonance. In that it "apparently" wasn't the plan for the albums to be as spaced out as they have been. Take with a grain of salt if you choose, but at the same time, their pivot (to stretching Rennie out) makes sense. Why pass up an opportunity to take ish slow, let ish breathe, and figure out the visual drama when the source material is selling itself? IMO, there's no way we'd be getting CC only now if Rennie flopped into oblivion. That plus the deep embrace from both critics and the queer community that the album resonated with would have made her flinging on a cowboy hat and switching up her sound 6 months later feel a little disingenuous. I say all of that to say, as well as CC has been received, I just don't know if the "nothing til the tour" approach (next year?) will placate the fans or GP nor sustain the album as long as it did Rennie. Beyond Rennie taking on a life of its own in the clubs (which I highly doubt will be CC's edit), the lion's share of us were convinced visuals were coming imminently after its release, so we held on for so long because we were SO SURE the videos were around the corner. SO SURE. Knowing her games and shenanigans now, I can't see the attention span of listeners being the same. So, for her sake, I hope the visuals or tour or a live something are indeed imminent. Cus a part of me feels, for as strong of a launch as this has been commercially, she may legit lose ppl's interest in the three-album arc without anything supporting vehicle to push it. The Random * Bodyguard is life and this era's Cuff It if handled right. * Tyrant needs to be sent to Urban at some point soon. * The Act III Rock thing is still perplexing me. In one regard, CC album feels like the perfect precursor to a Rock & Roll album in the vein of Tina Turner / Little Richard (e.g. Ya Ya instead of a Don't Hurt Yourself type Rock). But with so much of CC having Rock influences it almost feels like it she has come in before the beat (if Rock really is the anchoring genre for Act III). I wonder if Beyince was originally planned to drop with the IVP Rodeo release and then what would become Renaissance would've dropped with the IVP chrome drop. 2
TizTiz Posted April 11 Posted April 11 In this midst of everything, this is what's makes THE MOST sense. . . 1
simon Posted April 11 Posted April 11 53 minutes ago, TizTiz said: In this midst of everything, this is what's makes THE MOST sense. . . Cowboy Carter 1
TizTiz Posted April 11 Posted April 11 Currently listening to "6 Inch”- I know how we all feel like "LEMONADE" has come and gone a bit, due to it's personal baggage- but THE F#CKING HIT THIS SONG IS❗️ What ever the live occasion, this album (and, unfortunately, "B'Day”) serves a great purpose on the setlist. I am tired of "FREEDOM" & "FORMATION" but- "DON'T HURST YOURSELF" "PRAY YOU CATCH ME" (with the deep cuts) "ALL NIGHT" (right after/before "AMEN”) "DADDY LESSONS" (of course, we can't leave off why we're even here!; I feel like she'd pair it with TXH) "SANDCASTLES" (I know ppl don't like this song, but it's one of my favs and there hasn't been a set list where it would fit) I have to come up with my own dream set list❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️I remember being right on the money with some of RWT set list! 1
Space&Time Posted April 11 Posted April 11 (edited) I have to wonder, assuming Beyoncé is releasing visuals when the ACTs are done. Will it be worth it? Sacrificing the joy that comes with the visual representation of music has been tough. Will it have been justified? We've debated about whether it will be a video per song, or a collage of moments equaling a couple hours. Maybe it will be somewhat like black is king after the gift, coming in 2026, but with some songs omitted or abbreviated to fit in a 2 hour music visual movie (this will surely piss folks off and no one will be pleased if their favorite songs are cut or shortened). Regardless, will that have real lasting impact, compared to giving life to the music at it's cultural height? Edited April 11 by Space&Time 6
Blue Rose Posted April 11 Posted April 11 5 hours ago, swissman said: I do believe half the people complaining about the missing tracks are just complaining to complain you work for Parkwood cuz ain't no way 1 4
TizTiz Posted April 11 Posted April 11 23 minutes ago, Space&Time said: I have to wonder, assuming Beyoncé is releasing visuals when the ACTs are done. Will it be worth it? Sacrificing the joy that comes with the visual representation of music has been tough. Will it have been justified? We've debated about whether it will be a video per song, or a collage of moments equaling a couple hours. Maybe it will be somewhat like black is king after the gift, coming in 2026, but with some songs omitted or abbreviated to fit in a 2 hour music visual movie (this will surely piss folks off and no one will be pleased if their favorite songs are cut or shortened). Regardless, will that have real lasting impact, compared to giving life to the music at it's cultural height? I have my moments where I wonder why any would invest their own money in such a tedious, especially an artistic that choose song with visuals involved for each song, but I think it'll be worth it. Looking at the quality of "BEYONCÉ”-“LEMONADE”-“BLACK IS KING" in the span of 7 years❗️ Back when the official trailer for ITG was released, one of the fan pages posted leak production info that producer for Marvel Studios was involved, but take that with a grain of salt. Of course, some posted in here about series of films from the pandemic. I'll just say, if she went as for to create 2 or 3 albums around 'Echoville' with themes being about westerns, cowboy aliens, alien domination, mind control through news and newspapers, musical hypnosis ballroom contest, the Betty black tour and these things are centered around her playing multiple characters- I think this will be her biggest project, let alone visuals project, yet. Seems like there's so much relying on the visuals, which is why "RENAISSANCE" as an era was all over the place without the connection. I believe they'll definitely be worth and with the second installment released first and stretching that for nearly 2 years, there has to be something bigger than what she's already done. It'll probably have the same effect that BIK had, where the visuals become bigger than the music. 1
Crayzik Posted April 11 Posted April 11 40 minutes ago, Space&Time said: I have to wonder, assuming Beyoncé is releasing visuals when the ACTs are done. Will it be worth it? Sacrificing the joy that comes with the visual representation of music has been tough. Will it have been justified? We've debated about whether it will be a video per song, or a collage of moments equaling a couple hours. Maybe it will be somewhat like black is king after the gift, coming in 2026, but with some songs omitted or abbreviated to fit in a 2 hour music visual movie (this will surely piss folks off and no one will be pleased if their favorite songs are cut or shortened). Regardless, will that have real lasting impact, compared to giving life to the music at it's cultural height? This is a great question ! I thought about it and I think just like you phrased it that it is sacrificing the joy that comes with the visuals but it is also a missing opportunity in term of cultural impact. At the end of the day, we are human beings with senses that are enhancing our experience on earth. This is why when MJ created forward-thinking visuals it changed the game and had a massive impact on generations. When B released the visuals for The Gift we were all happy the weeks following the release, but then moved on because the tracks weren't new, plus the exclusivity with Disney + made it impossible for the world to experience them properly. Finally, it didn't have a big impact on The Gift sales… Can you imagine a Dangerously in Love era without at least a visual for Crazy in Love? 100% sure the impact would've no been the same. English is not my 1st language so if you're reading this I thank you for your patience 3 1
Timber Posted April 11 Posted April 11 I saw on tik tok that Renaissance hit 3x platinum? Is that true? I thought it wasn't even close to that.
Kodak Energy Posted April 11 Posted April 11 13 minutes ago, Timber said: I saw on tik tok that Renaissance hit 3x platinum? Is that true? I thought it wasn't even close to that. It did 1,147m in 2022, 915k in 2023 according to hitsdd, so probably around 2.1-2.2m now. Think should go 3x towards the end of next year if all goes well
CallumDavies Posted April 11 Posted April 11 Even more so than Renaissance, the songs on CC really need to be listened in the context of the album. There is something so powerful about it as a body of work, it's really hard to describe. 3 1
Cbreezy Posted April 11 Posted April 11 2 hours ago, Space&Time said: I have to wonder, assuming Beyoncé is releasing visuals when the ACTs are done. Will it be worth it? Sacrificing the joy that comes with the visual representation of music has been tough. Will it have been justified? We've debated about whether it will be a video per song, or a collage of moments equaling a couple hours. Maybe it will be somewhat like black is king after the gift, coming in 2026, but with some songs omitted or abbreviated to fit in a 2 hour music visual movie (this will surely piss folks off and no one will be pleased if their favorite songs are cut or shortened). Regardless, will that have real lasting impact, compared to giving life to the music at it's cultural height? I've been pondering this too! Not even on some "stan wants visuals now" ish, but much in the way you very fairly unpacked it. Each passing week, month, and year just heightens the need for the visuals to be next level. And while "time" may be exactly what's needed to achieve that, there's also the possibility of it all being kinda "meh" or "that's nice...what's for dinner" when she finally decides to drop it. Which will be unfortunate given how much effort she's gone to and the delayed gratification of it all. IMO, BIK is the best thing she's released visually and this long-in-the-making visual effectively *NEEDS* to be significantly better and be much more than pretty videos (however that's possible) to be worth it. I trust her, but despite being as monumental as she is artistically, she exists in a new era of diminished attention spans and a market that struggles to divide its interest between one big news item and another. So while I'm hopeful, the visual itself and the visual rollout has to be masterful. 2
CécredSpaces Posted April 11 Posted April 11 2 hours ago, Blue Rose said: you work for Parkwood cuz ain't no way He's the one answering to all those Beyoncé email "interviews". Hence the constant BS essays. 1
storminthedark Posted April 11 Posted April 11 3 hours ago, Space&Time said: I have to wonder, assuming Beyoncé is releasing visuals when the ACTs are done. Will it be worth it? Sacrificing the joy that comes with the visual representation of music has been tough. Will it have been justified? We've debated about whether it will be a video per song, or a collage of moments equaling a couple hours. Maybe it will be somewhat like black is king after the gift, coming in 2026, but with some songs omitted or abbreviated to fit in a 2 hour music visual movie (this will surely piss folks off and no one will be pleased if their favorite songs are cut or shortened). Regardless, will that have real lasting impact, compared to giving life to the music at it's cultural height? I think the first act was always going to suffer a bit from having to shoulder the burden of introducing and setting up an entire 3 act project, but without the visual component that set up is made even harder. Renaissance was the right choice to release first given where we were coming out of the pandemic, but it's always harder jumping to the middle of the concept first and hoping fans stick along for the ride to get more context. I think if it's true that they weren't expecting Renaissance to be as culturally relevant as it was so they elongated the era, it's driven expectations higher than they would've been otherwise. Equally, if there's a drawn out campaign for CC, then we're probably looking at an Act 3 release late-2025 at the earliest, in which case it'll be 5+ years since she wrote most of these tracks and potentially 4 years of the release schedule for all the acts. It's a lot of time for fans and the media to build up expectations for something that'll no doubt be high quality, but might feel less relevant come 2026. The mess with the physicals indicates she hasn't shot visuals for some of the fan faves like YA YA. Which…if fans are going to wait that long to receive the full cohesive visual story, most people will want their songs to be included. There might also have to be significant re-edits of the visuals now that we know she changed the release order. I don't know if it would connect as well if most people expected to experience the project like they've been released and then had CC first. 2
BnPac Posted April 11 Posted April 11 (edited) 3 hours ago, Space&Time said: I have to wonder, assuming Beyoncé is releasing visuals when the ACTs are done. Will it be worth it? Sacrificing the joy that comes with the visual representation of music has been tough. Will it have been justified? We've debated about whether it will be a video per song, or a collage of moments equaling a couple hours. Maybe it will be somewhat like black is king after the gift, coming in 2026, but with some songs omitted or abbreviated to fit in a 2 hour music visual movie (this will surely piss folks off and no one will be pleased if their favorite songs are cut or shortened). Regardless, will that have real lasting impact, compared to giving life to the music at it's cultural height? That's an interesting point. I had this debate with Swissman during Renaissance. Videos become impactfull and transcend because they are linked to a time in our life when we experience with most of our senses as a whole new package, "OMG have you seen the video, I love the video so much, how that connects with this part of the song etc, it made me appreciate the song even more," you discover that with your friends, family, coworkers and since it is linked with emotions and the overall shared enjoyment - because music at its most powerful is music that is shared - it sticks and becomes powerful. Black Is King has imo two of her best videos ever : FYWB and Water. Those two videos are Flawless imo and I find Water in particular just breathtaking but it will never evoque the same feeling of nostalgia or joy as Naughty Girl for example. More than that, this new act as a whole do not function as an album for me. Very strong individual songs but that appear like different scenes and plays merge into one. I haven't able to play it as a whole since the first two days, I think a visual could really help structure that. But on the other hand, I also wonder and anticipate how she can tight all of that together. Edited April 11 by BnPac 4 1
CécredSpaces Posted April 11 Posted April 11 4 minutes ago, BnPac said: That's an interesting point. I had this debate with Swissman during Renaissance. Videos become impactfull and transcend because they are linked to a time in our life when we experience with most of our senses as a whole new package, "OMG have you seen the video, I love the video so much, how that connects with this part of the song etc, it made me appreciate the song even more," you discover that with your friends, family, coworkers and since it is linked with emotions and the overall shared enjoyment - because music at its most powerful is music that is shared - it sticks and becomes powerful. Black Is King has imo two of her best videos ever : FYWB and Water. Those two videos are Flawless imo and I find Water in particular just breathtaking but it will never evoque the same feeling of nostalgia or joy as Naughty Girl for example. More than that, this new act as a whole do not function as an album for me. Very strong individual songs but that appear like different scenes and plays merge into one. I haven't able to play it as a whole since the first two days, I think a visual could really help structure that. But on the other hand, I also wonder and anticipate how she can tight all of that together. I just want her to go back to her old way of music video making. Just shoot them per song. I don't need a whole a$$ story to go with it. Self-titled really accomplished this so well, and the GP still knows every video despite them being released on YouTube a year later. 2
ScorpiosGroove Posted April 11 Posted April 11 yeah she better put all night, daddy lessons, pycm, 6 inch and love drought on the setlist that's the LEAST her lying, trifling ass can do for us 1 1
ShouldersSideways Posted April 11 Posted April 11 Going with Renaissance first was the correct decision, but it seems to have thrown things askew. If this was conceived as a three act project from the beginning, it probably derailed a multi-year plan. Hell, imagine being Nadia Lee Cohen or any of those other people who probably don't even know themselves when or if what they worked on is coming out. I know we blame Parkwood employees a lot, but I've worked for an indecisive boss before. Working for someone who changes their mind day to day is incredibly taxing and we all know that's how she is. Something you worked on for weeks if not months can become obsolete overnight. I have no doubt this will all be worth it at the end of the road for us as stans, but I really hope we get insight into the process behind this trilogy and the work it took to get it out. 2
Crayzik Posted April 11 Posted April 11 (edited) Did ya'll know she wanted to release another album around December 2003? The 1st single was supposed to be Scent of You but nothing happened. The way we wouldn't have the iconic music video of Naughty Girl Edited April 11 by Crayzik 1
CécredSpaces Posted April 11 Posted April 11 13 minutes ago, Crayzik said: Did ya'll know she wanted to release another album around December 2003? The 1st single was supposed to be Scent of You but nothing happened. The way we wouldn't have the iconic music video of Naughty Girl It was pushed back to 2004 thanks to Naughty Girl, though. It still didn't come out but I always wonder what could have been. 1
swissman Posted April 11 Posted April 11 6 hours ago, Blue Rose said: you work for Parkwood cuz ain't no way I do think complaining about a situation where we ultimately got extra songs is finding a complaint. I'm not saying all people who complain about the physicals are making their feelings up, but that a lot of people (Beyoncé fans and haters) are just grabbing onto any perceived flaw (and this admittedly is one) to validate their "Parkwood is a mess" stance they seem to cling to at every turn. It's interesting you think I work for Parkwood because of what you've quoted, meanwhile you've cropped out the part of my comment where I was critical of the physicals going to stores after being labelled a "webstore exclusive".
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