She added new territories 

Not comparing Neck to Gucci when Gucci did in fact run their business into the ground not once but twice by pandering to the masses

 

 

She's not comparable to any luxury brand. She's comparable to the UK monarchy, complete with the cracks in the facade. The public may be curious to peep the majesty, the pomp and circumstance, once every few years, otherwise she's largely a non-factor. Just like how she planned.

 

3 minutes ago, Mitsouko said:

Not comparing Neck to Gucci when Gucci did in fact run their business into the ground not once but twice 

 

suddenly the rumored Neck x Gucci collab makes a lot more sense, she wants more advice on how to fumble your business 

3 minutes ago, Mitsouko said:

Not comparing Neck to Gucci when Gucci did in fact run their business into the ground not once but twice by pandering to the masses

 

 

She's not comparable to any luxury brand. She's comparable to the UK monarchy, complete with the cracks in the facade. The public may be curious to peep the majesty, the pomp and circumstance, once every few years, otherwise she's largely a non-factor these days. Just like how she planned.

 

Shade LOL! But you get my point (hopefully) lol. And I get yours (for the most part). 

 

I must say that I'm not endorsing her shenanigans. I'm saying I get what she's angling for with her brand and positioning and get how she sometimes succeeds with it and sometimes misses the mark in a way that is detrimental.

 

That said, to suggest Bey is a non-factor in a manner similar to the royals is wild.

 

She's basically in unprecedented territory. In the full picture of her career from DC to now, literally no one else lasts this long on "top" save for the few like an MJ and a Madge.

 

They too had their titles (King and Queen) but had to pivot what success "meant". LOADS of artists that came after them outsold, but they each established metrics that reaffirmed their regality. Largely with touring and savvy legacy moves. 

 

Bey DOES need to maintain a certain commercial benchmark to uphold her status, but much of her Queen status comes from the length of her reign, quality of her output, and the way she continues to make people stop, look, and listen with most of her moves (album drops, touring etc).

 

Measuring Bey's relevance/resonance against whether she is matching the likes of Taylor Swift and co (who were literally children and in some instances babies) when No, No, No came out is wild.

She’s very successful but the constant sabotage has definitely left its mark 

18 minutes ago, Cbreezy said:

That said, to suggest Bey is a non-factor in a manner similar to the royals is wild.

Only because the post-ST phase or “Parkwood era” of her career resembles an antiquated institution, consistently out of touch and unrealistic, and not in the glamorous high-life way. It’s not about the quality of the work, which always was and still should be the differentiating factor. It’s about the approach. To present her high quality goods in the “hush-hush private-club I’m-so-wealthy-and-mysterious” manner strikes me as fairly…obvious? Unimaginative. It’s not unexpected or subversive or anything. She didn’t invent that approach and she’s not doing anything new with it. It worked for couture salons before WWII. It worked for the black Amex card. It doesn’t work when it’s baguette dance music and certainly not when all it does is alienate and confuse both the masses and the stans. It is time for her to go back to the drawing board in a way she hasn’t since 2013.
 

**** at least Queenie Liz used to pop up on TV once in a while tf

 

Exactly 2 weeks (14 days) from now. 

 

OMG 

As for all of the discussion, I think her "power" and "exclusivity" comes from literally putting out excellent work, then staying private.

 

No one's checking to criticize if she's over-promoting songs or sending to radio or desperate for a chart hit. That's literally her JOB.

 

I think she's simply bored of chasing commercial success and the tradeoff to that will be waning star-power. Everyone knows Meryl Streep is the best actress, but no ones rushing to see a Meryl headlined film. Jennifer Lawrence used to be the hottest thing since sliced bread, she took a break for herself and now nobody cares (see her latest flop movie) -- we have Zendaya and young budding stars now.

 

Nothing lasts forever. That's why eye personally want her to capitalize on her current success/prominence in the culture.

31 minutes ago, Kassi said:

As for all of the discussion, I think her "power" and "exclusivity" comes from literally putting out excellent work, then staying private.

 

No one's checking to criticize if she's over-promoting songs or sending to radio or desperate for a chart hit. That's literally her JOB.

 

I think she's simply bored of chasing commercial success and the tradeoff to that will be waning star-power. Everyone knows Meryl Streep is the best actress, but no ones rushing to see a Meryl headlined film. Jennifer Lawrence used to be the hottest thing since sliced bread, she took a break for herself and now nobody cares (see her latest flop movie) -- we have Zendaya and young budding stars now.

 

Nothing lasts forever. That's why eye personally want her to capitalize on her current success/prominence in the culture.

Jennifer Lawrence latest movie wasn't a flop at all . It was an R-rated comedy sold on her name alone basically and it did very well at the box office for a movie of that kind in 2023 and then really well on streaming as well. Zendaya doesn't have a movie that she carries on her back alone to be responsible for its flop or success. Can't compare.

 

Beyoncé, in my opinion, is already a legend but she's going the elusive route waaaay too much and waaay too soon. She's barelly 40 and it's already behaving like Meryl Streep (if that even makes sense) .

Just wanted to bring up how her jumping on her husband's failed streaming service damaged her career as well.

She was Apple's crowned jewel with Self Titled (the fact Apple kept it a secret is a bigger accomplishment than her team keeping it a secret imo), and she could've been Apple Music's darling but instead she let Taylor fill that space and look what it did for her career in the long run.

She’s still an Apple Music darling, it’s Spotify that hates her

1 hour ago, Rafael said:

Jennifer Lawrence latest movie wasn't a flop at all . It was an R-rated comedy sold on her name alone basically and it did very well at the box office for a movie of that kind in 2023 and then really well on streaming as well. Zendaya doesn't have a movie that she carries on her back alone to be responsible for its flop or success. Can't compare.

 

Beyoncé, in my opinion, is already a legend but she's going the elusive route waaaay too much and waaay too soon. She's barelly 40 and it's already behaving like Meryl Streep (if that even makes sense) .

Points were made.
 

Maybe I didn’t pick the best examples, but I’m basically trying to say that she’s capping her commercial peak in exchange for a more balanced personal and career life. It seems like the most simple (Occam’s Razor) explanation.
 

I just don’t see it having anything to do with “branding”. She’s always been seen as premium artist based on the way she carries herself and the quality of the work she puts out. Even when her promo schedule looked like:

 

Sidenote: This is what I be tryna tell y’all.

 

 

People are WEIRD when it comes to Bey. Fake activists taking up real issues to try and disparage Beyoncé with them.
 

I don’t know if some Hive are dumb or hate her, but if you been around long enough, you’ve basically seen every iteration of this pattern. Remember when these same idiots wanted her to write a public letter in support of Kesha or she wasn’t a feminist? If Bey responded to every single issue in the world, she would be a full time activist.
 

I’m sorry but I don’t want my fave to become Alyssa Milano’d.   I just want uplifting music that spotlights her talent and occasionally speaks to our times. 

Not Alyssa Milano'd She really is the worst.

 

I'm so over this idea that everyone (including non-celebs regular people) has to be posting about every issue. One of the smartest things Bey ever did was stay away from social media.

2 hours ago, Kassi said:

As for all of the discussion, I think her "power" and "exclusivity" comes from literally putting out excellent work, then staying private.

 

No one's checking to criticize if she's over-promoting songs or sending to radio or desperate for a chart hit. That's literally her JOB.

 

I think she's simply bored of chasing commercial success and the tradeoff to that will be waning star-power. Everyone knows Meryl Streep is the best actress, but no ones rushing to see a Meryl headlined film. Jennifer Lawrence used to be the hottest thing since sliced bread, she took a break for herself and now nobody cares (see her latest flop movie) -- we have Zendaya and young budding stars now.

 

Nothing lasts forever. That's why eye personally want her to capitalize on her current success/prominence in the culture.

I think Jay-Z recent interview where he said to releasing new music “it has to mean or saying something” is likely the same wavelength Beyoncé is on. 

 

She could have switched gears after ST and went full commercial appeal again but she didn’t. Taylor and Drake are two artists I think really capitalized on re-peaking during the streaming era, but I don’t personally think much is being added to their legacy beyond stats. The gratification for their fans and stans is the stats more so than the actual music to me. Regardless of streams and stats, Lemonade and Renaissance MEANT something to people beyond being good music. 

I do think she can at least promote her music more but I think overall she’s not in the same mindset of trying to achieve commercial success. It’s probably why so many of her decision during the streaming era is frustrating cause the streaming era is immediate numbers and immediate gratification & she’s trying to make art that lives beyond that mindset. 
 

2 hours ago, Kassi said:

As for all of the discussion, I think her "power" and "exclusivity" comes from literally putting out excellent work, then staying private.

 

No one's checking to criticize if she's over-promoting songs or sending to radio or desperate for a chart hit. That's literally her JOB.

 

I think she's simply bored of chasing commercial success and the tradeoff to that will be waning star-power. Everyone knows Meryl Streep is the best actress, but no ones rushing to see a Meryl headlined film. Jennifer Lawrence used to be the hottest thing since sliced bread, she took a break for herself and now nobody cares (see her latest flop movie) -- we have Zendaya and young budding stars now.

 

Nothing lasts forever. That's why eye personally want her to capitalize on her current success/prominence in the culture.

You'll change your mind if she goes full on Namie Amuro on us lol 

51 minutes ago, Kristie Kuwa said:

You'll change your mind if she goes full on Namie Amuro on us lol 

she’s basically on her way there the way she treats her album eras now 

 

speaking of Japanese legends, we need Bey to give us her Somewhere Near Marseilles i fear

 

 

im surprised more people don’t try to cancel bey for being a carnist 

 

Spoiler

@Mitsouko 

 

Today I was reminded that this photo exists, this outfit single handedly altered my brain chemistry. 2014 was so yass/idgaf coded

 

59 minutes ago, SashaDevachelli said:

Today I was reminded that this photo exists, this outfit single handedly altered my brain chemistry. 2014 was so yass/idgaf coded

 

this is so iconic to me 

sorry to triple post on this dead ass corpse of a base but

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/beyonce/s/Alm4NNrxhc

 

mightve missed it if someone else already brought it up a while back, but Neck got mentioned in that Me. I Am Barbra… the Reclusive Chanteuse memoir

53 minutes ago, cloudbusting said:

sorry to triple post on this dead ass corpse of a base but

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/beyonce/s/Alm4NNrxhc

 

mightve missed it if someone else already brought it up a while back, but Neck got mentioned in that Me. I Am Barbra… the Reclusive Chanteuse memoir

Two queens, joint slay, etc 

6 minutes ago, Mitsouko said:

Two queens, joint slay, etc 

I almost tagged you but I figured you’d find it yourself either here or in your own reading

 

we love a literary legend (you, not the hag)

Not sure if anyone has posted this yet, but a “Beyoncé reporter” is absolutely insane. 
 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/11/13/usa-today-network-tennessean-appoint-inaugural-beyonc-reporter/71560251007/

 

Must be a fun job, though!