I could really use some new Beyoncé music right now

Dropping now is a terrible idea. Bad Bunny is dominating, Taylor, Bruno and Harry are still pushing hard, Olivia Dean is still smashing. There's too much competition. Hopefully things will have calmed down by April.

She would NEVER do the SB with Jay being the one that "chooses" the performers. The amount of think pieces that would be done about her being "privileged" would overshadow the moment leading up to the performance.

She's not releasing yet. She would've been first row at the Super Bowl/attended the Grammys otherwise.

Harry (Columbia) is releasing first week of March. Last time they released two months apart.

My bet is a Vogue cover for May (MET issue, which would be released mid April) with a Prince-inspired lead single (it would be 10 years of his death on April 21st). And then the album 6-7 weeks after.

yeah, single in April and album in May seem more plausible with every passing day

36 minutes ago, Draper. said:

a Prince-inspired lead single (it would be 10 years of his death on April 21st). And then the album 6-7 weeks after.

you might be onto something here

page 100

I agree. Right now is too packed.

And, as @Draper. pointed out, Columbia has one of their biggest focus acts (Harry) at the start of his era. I get the sense there are select artists who get the "all hands on deck" treatment. Bey is one of them, Harry is one of them, but it's just not commonpractice to "work" them all at the same time label-side.

Harry's album drops in March, so I could see a scenario where it's "coast clear/all systems go" for Bey at or around then.

Sidebar: As Chart Hive, who absolutely basks in Bey still being a commercial force this late in the game, her present-day releases give me slight anxiety lol. Primarily because she's yet to misfire commercially (solo), and I know the level of bloodlust is for her to flop. It's also hard for any act to bounce back from that when it eventually happens.

I say that to say, I was hoping for a Q1 drop (single + album) to benefit from the quieter frame, points needed for #1 singles, etc. But, much as the Hive drag Bey's team, I really think they crunch the numbers and know their stuff when it comes to ensuring her release windows are optimized for her to win. I don't think it is any kind of coincidence that she snatched a #1 single with each of the last album campaigns.

What are the chances that someone who doesn't promote, spent years purposefully sabotaging her single choices, and isn't a streaming machine, magically scores two back-to-back #1 leads? So, whether Q1 or nearer Met Gala, I'm sure all will be fine.

39 minutes ago, Draper. said:

My bet is a Vogue cover for May (MET issue, which would be released mid April) with a Prince-inspired lead single (it would be 10 years of his death on April 21st). And then the album 6-7 weeks after.

I'm gonna need that pre-order-ish to be better handled this time round.

In an admitted go-touch-grass moment, the Chart Hive in me was so jarred by how long they took to put the pre-order up after announcing Act II and dropping T'HEM.

Hindsight is 20/20 because they were probably navigating the unfinished Beyince vinyl drama behind the scenes, but it was so aggravating watching someone who doesn't stream the most squandering weeks of hype that could easily have gone towards physical pre-orders. She had the world eating out of her palm with the Verizon ad and Texas, and IIRC, they left the pre-order up to like 2 weeks before release despite announcing Act II itself like 3 weeks before that lol.

Ultimately, everything worked out. But I will always be of the mindset that more is more. Why sell 400k first week, when there is a strategy to easily sell 600k instead?

I guess spring it is pfff

14 hours ago, 7672 said:

Unpopular opinion: OG Super Bowl is not even in top 100 Beyonce performances.

Meant to be her big comeback but it was the same old standard setlist condensed into 12mins, same old choreo except she was doing wayyyyy too much this time, popping her body so hard instead of moving naturally (esp in EOT AND SL, which resulted in the unflattering photos), way too much running commentary over the music ('How y'all feelin?', 'Sing!', 'Mamas!', 'Horns!', 'Sing it!', 'Put your hands together!', "Everybody sing!', 'Come on!', 'WHERE MY RING AT!!' every 5 damn seconds), underwhelming production.

The performance stopped and started way too many times; a halftime setlist should flow and transition naturally through to the end, but she said 'Thank you!' so many times after the songs just stopped that I thought the performance was over at least twice before it actually was.

Makeup and outfit were also horrible.

I genuinely think she looks back at this performance with some regret and has learned from it because she never really revisited it and didn't repeat these mistakes.

I also think she was giving A LOT (too much) to prove she could still perform after having Blue (which we saw she also did for Coachella post-twins), and she clearly could but a lot just didn't land right.

She comes off better when she's aiming high but slightly more relaxed.

2016 and Beyonce Bowl >>>>>>>>>>>>

It's not in her Top 5, but not in Top 100 is crazy.

The unflattering photos bit is especially odd to call out as a negative against this performance. Her ferocity is what makes this performance so good. She was GIVING it. I don't think she ever gave it as hard in Single Ladies (especially after DC left), and it's amazing to see.

And I think the callouts were what made it so personable, evening out how locked in she was. The moment near the end when she is smiling then suddenly changes the direction she's looking at and locks in (during Halo) is a great example of this: Sasha Fierce vs. Beyoncé at its finest.

The hair and makeup aren't my fave either, but rewatching it and seeing the duplicate versions of her in Baby Boy made me reallllllly glad that she didn't do the side-swept hair that was filmed for that section, which I'd assume was the intended hairstyle until they did it parted in the middle.

AND I think it's her greatest entrance. I get chills EVERY time.

4 minutes ago, swissman said:

AND I think it's her greatest entrance. I get chills EVERY time.

It really is. I'm so glad she performed in a stadium with a closed roof and the outstanding lighting gave it a great dramatic punch. I just love a grand entrance, that is maybe why her 2024 show didn't catch me right away.

19 hours ago, www2 said:

well, i disagree / Jolene is awful for her standards and song that does nothing for the album, the least interesting song on the album. And im beyhive. So not cool to call people you disagree with "haters" / it is immature and does not lead to productive discussion at all.

Awful for her standards? Why? Is it produced badly, is it sung badly, are the lyrics out of the ordinary for her?

I don't think it's fair to say it does nothing for the album. As mentioned, it exemplifies the ethos of the project: Beyoncé, through the most iconic female country song of all time, rewriting the genre to make it HER'S ("This is not a country album, this is a Beyoncé album"), rather than changing herself to be country. Beyoncé didn't "go country", country "went Beyoncé". And I think it's a brilliant, lighthearted addition to the album. Whereas AMERIICAN REQUIEUM outlines this with gravity, with JOLENE it's done with a sense of humour and the DOLLY P intro sets it up as such.

Lastly, I was speaking to NO ONE in this thread when I mentioned JOLENE's "haters". If people were talking about it already, I did not see it and was not meaning to reply to them. And factually anyone who hates the song is a hater. I didn't say "if you don't enjoy it, you're a hater". I said "...I am soooo here for Beyoncé's JOLENE. I really think its haters are hating in bad faith." So I was talking about people who hate it. And there are people who do, very strongly. If this isn't you, then there's nothing to be offended about.

Edited February 10Feb 10 by swissman

6 hours ago, Rafael said:

She would NEVER do the SB with Jay being the one that "chooses" the performers. The amount of think pieces that would be done about her being "privileged" would overshadow the moment leading up to the performance.

Ya this is a good point.

TBH I think in general she would probably be more interested in breaking ground in another performance slot, the same way she made Coachella more of a global event for its headliners, or how she launched the Christmas Bowl, etc.

As much as people were mad at the vinyl drama, I still think it's amazing and entirely RARE that we have in our collections a TRULY limited edition of the album, a first draft, a peak inside her mind via what she changed, what she thought needed to be added, etc.

It should have been marketed as such from the start and she'd save fans a lot of complaining, and perhaps even had more interest in it with a stronger narrative ("I started this album in 2019 and was ready to release but felt we needed to dance and in that time I listened with new ears and wanted more for it... but here is the first pressing, the only of its kind, perhaps the rarest vinyl I'll ever release").

36 minutes ago, swissman said:

As much as people were mad at the vinyl drama, I still think it's amazing and entirely RARE that we have in our collections a TRULY limited edition of the album, a first draft, a peak inside her mind via what she changed, what she thought needed to be added, etc.

It should have been marketed as such from the start and she'd save fans a lot of complaining, and perhaps even had more interest in it with a stronger narrative ("I started this album in 2019 and was ready to release but felt we needed to dance and in that time I listened with new ears and wanted more for it... but here is the first pressing, the only of its kind, perhaps the rarest vinyl I'll ever release").

Exactly, the problem was not the output, but the marketing. BIG TIME!

Next to your description, they couldve even highlighted special renditions of songs like 2Hands2Heaven, which has an extended outro on this pressing.

There were multiple ways to go about it in an appreciative and respectful way towards fans, and they went with the worst one.

Edited February 10Feb 10 by Kristie Kuwa

6 minutes ago, Kristie Kuwa said:

Exactly, the problem was not the output, but the marketing. BIG TIME!

Next to your description, they couldve even highlighted special renditions of songs like 2Hands2Heaven, which has an extended outro on this pressing.

There were multiple ways to go about it in an appreciative and respectful way towards fans, and they went with the worst one.

There is a possibility that she changed the album at the very last minute though, more than just its title/cover. It's kind of a long shot, but there's also no indication as far as I have seen or recall that it was changed before the pre-order was out. The final track listing came out about 15 days later.

literally what made y'all think she was releasing anything this month to begin with

Bey and her team need to step it up for this era. I'm tired of the she doesn't care about being commercial excuse. This album is the end of her trilogy. I already know she is taking a lil break after this album so why not go all out. Bey is a legend and not a legacy act but chooses to act like one. I know Act 3 is going to be a banger but this is the era to really go all out especially if it's rock music. Rock is expressive and this the perfect era to be bold. **** all the hiding from fame **** she been doing. She can hide once act 3 era is over with.

1 minute ago, swissman said:

There is a possibility that she changed the album at the very last minute though, more than just its title/cover. It's kind of a long shot, but there's also no indication as far as I have seen or recall that it was changed before the pre-order was out. The final track listing came out about 15 days later.

And even so: I have higher standards for thr brand "Beyoncé" than how they played out Cowboy Carter + Renaissance.

Matthew said that Bey is always very concered about her art and whether she can make her fans proud and give them something worth while - I would very much appreciate the same sentiment when it comes to marketing and selling the art.

I dont want to see prices that are 1 US dollar short of free shipping just to scam people into paying additional shipping fees. I dont want to see false advertisement. I dont want to see lack of accountability.

Thats NOT what the brand "Beyoncé" should ever stand for.

I am 100% eager to listen to and appreciate Act3 fully, trust. But the way she handled the release of anything that is tied to her website has left a sour taste in my mouth. So much that I will not engage in any first or second week shenanigans. I will wait and see if the product is actually worth the money.

Also I don't give a damn about interviews so I don't care for her to do that. I just need visuals and better promo.

Act iii must reflect the times... the world is changing in front of our eyes and rock is perfect for that. The visuals are another question. I hope her scope isn't limited by her shenanigans!! I think the acts so far have been incredible but B has kinda kept them from reaching their full potential and moment, tho Renaissance did better overall.

_{Personally, CC missed one mark for me with her not saying anything about Sudan or Palestine... two genocides televised and she opened her album with... can we stand for something?! smh. I do think it diminished her cultural standing, even in terms of her art. Her cultural capital is her strength, go all the way ma'am}

23 minutes ago, ScorpiosGroove said:

literally what made y'all think she was releasing anything this month to begin with

right? the whole "she did it like this last time" thing doesn't work for Beyoncé.

These ******* go around typing any old crap and the ugly ones believe it.

And who want her to drop Act III now, give up. Only after Harry's album, use your brains.

I would definitely live for a new interview and at this point I want a BTS of the whole trilogy era more than the visuals. The concept of dedicating an entire decade of your career to something like this is just mind-boggling to me, totally Bey-like when you look at the 2010s, but still a big move for her and honestly unprecedented in popular music.

Beyoncé bowl is not better than 2013's halftime show.

The recency bias a lot of you have is questionable