19 minutes ago, Cbreezy said:

I'm actually bracing for an album that's definitely longer than Rennie, and possibly just as long as Cowboy Carter (give or take a few songs).

I LOVE Bey, but as realistic Chart Hive, I feel like I've been clocking her tactics for min. IMO, I do not believe there is a world where Bey ideally wanted to put out an album as long as Cowboy Carter. Her career-long bag has been quality over quantity.

IMO, Cowboy Carter was her playing the streaming game and winning. More tracks = more streams = more sales. Even from one-and-done curiosity listens. The proof IMO is in how many half-tracks, unconventional runtimes, and interlude-esque songs there are. Not to mention her GOING BACK in to add even more songs (hence the digital having way more than the original vinyl).

Cowboy Carter was always going to do bigger sales than its predecessor, thanks to the momentum of Rennie. But I doubt it would have been a whole 100k more if it wasn't for the intentionally longer tracklist.

Seeing that it worked and knowing she isn't a streaming beast (let's call a spade a spade), she'd arguably be setting herself up to potentially underperform should she not have at the very least a Rennie-sized tracklist but more likely CC. Not ideal, but it's the nature of the game - and she is absolutely still playing it IMO.

CC being longer gave it a big debut but it had none of the longevity her previous albums had and it was extremely unstable. Cohesively it wasn't near Renaissance's level (but the music itself was great).

1 hour ago, CallumDavies said:

She needs to drop all non music ventures apart from Cecred. If she really goes hard it could be massive. She also needs to get real and post more content of her using the brand. That's a big part of why Skims and Haus Labs are so successful. I know it annoys her but she's a celebrity and this is a celebrity brand. Part of what people are buying is her.

The 'let the product speak for itself' will only take you so far. She needs to invest personally, with her face, now to build a brand that sustains itself.

39 minutes ago, Ja_making said:

Skims is hugely successful and valued at billions. Idk who told you Haus Labs is a huge brand but it's not even remotely close. Cecred is a bigger brand lmao.

She's going to keep swinging the bat with these extracurricular activities until something sticks, and mentioning Skims highlights why.

Beyond being a good idea and solving a gap in the market, it's a pretty simple offering/operation that essentially relies on Kim K's celebrity (at least initially) to sell. Now it's automated af, has a super low cost to produce, and profit margins are insane.

It's low effort for maximum reward kinda game, and Kim is winning.

Same-ish with Rihanna for Fenty. In reality, it's "another celebrity makeup brand", but it won out of the gate with its marketing as being super inclusive, and having a broader range of hues compared to established brands. And, of course benefitted from Rihanna's aggressive leveraging of her star power. Despite not overly reinventing the wheel in terms of what makeup actually is conceptually, it worked as a disruptor for its simple USP of catering to all. Rihanna wins and probably doesn't have to do that much to water it outside of those seasonal shoots that annoy her fans because it's not new music lol.

Relating this to Bey, it must be all at once jarring and appealing.

She is this super respected artist who makes her coin from busting her behind on the road. She unquestionably is more respected than the aforementioned, but at what expense and to what benefit? Touring is brutal; it's time away from family, it's a much harder grind, and in a way, she is tasked with needing to stay musically hot to be able to tour to the extent she does.

By contrast, Rih is sitting at home for a decade, popping out baby after baby and reportedly making tour-level gross annually from doing,...not much. Same with Kim.

As a Bey, I could see a world where it's desirable for her lifestyle and potentially the ability for her to win at both (i.e., being this iconic, revered artist/performer and also have her passive income become her primary income with off-stage moves). The reality, though, as she/we are seeing, is that it's not as easy to have one's cake and eat it too.

That said, long story short (LMAO), I agree that Cecred is the ride she should drive to the max. It's actually not even in retail globally yet, so there is still so much exciting ground to cover. Especially as word of mouth is keeping it hot organically.

I'm not anti-SirDavis. But, if she's adamant on doing it, then I ironically feel it's the brand she should be way more on the nose spamming compared to Cecred (which word of mouth and retail partnerships can do the heavy lifting for). I say this specifically in terms of featuring it in her videos (lol), songs (more "Davis in my bones"), and celeb endorsements. Being quiet about it or only remembering when she wants to have tour venue activations/parties is setting herself up to underperform, which begs the question...why do it in the first place lol.?

Edited January 25Jan 25 by Cbreezy

honestly expecting 40 songs

I cant believe Hive is incapable of starting a viral Schoolin Life moment.. that song was made for TikTok and highkey ahead of its time. An eternal bawp

Same song released by Bruno would pull 10mio daily

Edited January 25Jan 25 by Kristie Kuwa

The replies...

X is a cesspit and only represents the views of the culture of that platform. It has no bearing on real life. Lots of artists are putting out and promoting albums.

10 minutes ago, V$. said:

The replies...

How DARE American stores sell sth! Businesses should all close and only post **** online to appease people with performative activism

The trilogy is interesting as we're sort of behind schedule. What I mean is that, the majority of this music was recorded over the pandemic. We know that B is essentially always recording. By the time we finish with Act III there will be a five year gap between when she recorded and put out/promoted music.

If she has been recording in the interim / what will she do with all of that material?

After the trilogy I would be interested in B going back to basics. Maybe do album of 10 songs that only have 5 tracks: lead vocal, percussion, bass, chords and one flexible track that could be BVs or synths or something. I'd also like to hear a self written project.

I'd also like to hear her experiment outside the constraints of the album format. Perhaps putting out some really left field mixtapes. But again something lo-fi.

But in general, smaller, simpler, shorter and more focussed projects.

The balloons referencing Drunk In Love, Dangerously In Love and Crazy In Love…

Deep In Love is coming on Valentine's Day.

Another thing im really excited about is the narrative Act3 will have.

While Renaissance had the "lets get out and be free and happy again"-narrative, CC had the "I was shunned by the Country industry and wanted to prove to them and myself that im just as capable and Country as they are".

Act3 will have the "revolution"-theme and she has PLENTY of references from her life and past work (similar to Rennie) that shes always carried that Rock genre in her (being huge fans of Stevie, Prince and Tina Turner, multiple performances of Rock over the years, working with Jack White, etc). Rock will have much more credibility and narrative then CC, which makes it that much more exciting.to me at least.

Uh, I'm happy that the things I enjoy don't cease to exist because the US is a shithole. If they want to abstain to prove a point, let them.

5 hours ago, V$. said:

The replies...

have they heard the music?

5 hours ago, Draper. said:

The balloons referencing Drunk In Love, Dangerously In Love and Crazy In Love… Deep In Love is coming on Valentine's Day.

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

1. I'M THAT GIRL vs AMERICAN REQUIEM

2. COZY vs BLACKBIRD

3. ALIEN SUPERSTAR vs 16 CARRIAGES

4. CUFF IT vs PROTECTOR

5. ENERGY vs TEXAS HOLD EM (pony up remix only)

6. BREAK MY SOUL vs BODYGUARD

7. CHURCH GIRL vs JOLENE

8. PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA vs DAUGHTER

9. VIRGO'S GROOVE vs SPAGHETTI

10. MOVE vs ALLIGATOR TEARS

11. HEATED vs JUST FOR FUN

12. THIQUE vs II MOST WANTED

13. ALL UP IN YOUR MIND vs LEVI'S JEANS (I REFUSE TO CHOOSE! BOTH 10/10)

14. AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM vs YA YA

15. PURE/HONEY vs RIVERDANCE

16. SUMMER RENAISSANCE vs II HANDS II HEAVEN

17. MY HOUSE vs TYRANT

Rennie: 9 CC: 9

Balanced, as it should!

I do love the black and deep burgundy almost purple colors of this drop. I do hope it's part of the album theme/packaging.

I hope act iii is more braggadocious than anything. I hope she reworked a lot of this album, especially to address her 2024 hate train. I want her to talk her ****. I want a duet with an electric guitar that tops I Care

Honestly her voice, on record, has never sounded better and we truly have never seen anyone/thing quite like favé

1. I'M THAT GIRL vs AMERICAN REQUIEM

2. COZY vs BLACKBIRD

3. ALIEN SUPERSTAR vs 16 CARRIAGES

4. CUFF IT vs PROTECTOR

5. ENERGY vs TEXAS HOLD EM

6. BREAK MY SOUL vs BODYGUARD

7. CHURCH GIRL vs JOLENE

8. PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA vs DAUGHTER

9. VIRGO'S GROOVE vs SPAGHETTI

10. MOVE vs ALLIGATOR TEARS

11. HEATED vs JUST FOR FUN

12. THIQUE vs II MOST WANTED

13. ALL UP IN YOUR MIND vs LEVI'S JEANS

14. AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM vs YA YA

15. PURE/HONEY vs RIVERDANCE

16. SUMMER RENAISSANCE vs II HANDS II HEAVEN

17. MY HOUSE vs TYRANT

:/ assassination

Me, Myself and I just came in shuffle and the way that song is aging like fine wine, still one of her best ever

20 minutes ago, Toxic Love said:

Me, Myself and I just came in shuffle and the way that song is aging like fine wine, still one of her best ever

Honestly, one of her best melodies and such a universal message. She should push it more now a days, the perfect track to remix into a country or rock live performance

MM&I gotta make a comeback on act iii tour.

5 hours ago, Babymomo said:

1. VIRGO'S GROOVE vs SPAGHETTII

Her best song vs her worst song nnn

I don't think she should address the hate train on act iii. She should just keep the vision of the trilogy the way it was planned. She could, however, address her image and the hate she gets in the album that could potentially follow the trilogy. I think there's a lot of things to be explored there like how does she deal with it, how does that impact her family, what are her answers, what is the truth, what is it like to be this larger than life celebrity that people either adore or despise, etc.

I also feel that the time for DC reunion is getting closer. I think that would work well for her image. It doesn't need much costs as she wouldn't have to make a big film to go with the album. It could be something like EIL with her husband. And also I am pretty sure that the most of us won't like her moves after act iii. I don't think she will retire, but I could see her doing another The Carters project by the end of the decade

I'm so perched for Act 3 fgnfjfj

I'm expecting her to pop out at the Grammy's in the new look…or the superbowl