Cbreezy

The thing is. Everyone is right. This is literally one of those "several things can be true at the same time" scenarios. For the cautious critics: yes, there is an issue with the optics. Jay-Z being in charge and giving the slot to himself + his wife does not look good on the surface and factually will invite critique. The scale of which we won't know until the time. The actual show would be excellent, but the risk is that the chatter/social discourse could ruin the vibe around it before it even happens. Something that was never the case for her previous Halftimes. For those in favor of it: I agree: there is no bigger platform than Halftime. It's huge. She'd slay it. And the benefit to her Act III era would be both immediate and epic. I'm very much of the mindset of: if you think something is such a bad idea, then can you provide 3-5 comparable alternatives with the same scale and reach? When it comes to the enormity of the platform and the resulting benefits (touring, selling the album, etc.), it's hard to argue against it - even in the face of a potential optics issue. The Middle Ground: this is kind of where I sit. I'm not really fussed one way or the other. If it happens, great. I'm on board and will brace to see how they navigate the difficult aspects. If it doesn't, then back to the trenches we go until we see how she kicks off Act III. The more I think of it, though, the least issue-laden route and easiest way forward is just having a Rock act who she has a collab with headline (which will will tick box the growing, arguable need for an act that appeals to a "certain" demographic after years of "Urban" artists). I'd then have Bey added as a co-bill later ala the Coldplay/Bruno show. Or have her pop out as a surprise to circumvent the noise. Though, I'm sure for ratings, they will want the "Beyonce returns to Halftime" news beforehand. Either way, pair that with an album and/or tour commercial after, and boom, we're so back!

I wanted that for her, too. And it just seemed like a lock, given that it was in her home country and how many damn artists they had across the whole thing (opening and closing ceremonies). BUT... Seeing what they did, just from a production standpoint alone, I'm glad she didn't. It was SO... amateur. Beyond the rumor that they weren't biting on her desire to center all-new music (rather than the hits), I just think she's so seasoned at these type of things that it's best to avoid it if those producing don't share the same vision about scale and what she's trying to come across like. That Halftime watched like the 90s Super Bowl Halftimes before it all scaled up in the 00s/10s. Tacky and late. Same as the Olympics.

Longtime Monster here, but I'm going to be slightly controversial. While I don't think Abra has a "bad" performance, I'm not sure it has a barnstormingly great one either. It's ranged from serviceable to good. But never great. I think my issue is that the video is so incredible (literally one of her very best), and none of the live performances mirror that magic. Never liked her standing in that red contraption for most of the first half of the song and slipping in and out of choreo for such a choreo-driven song. Very aware of her physical limitations re health and understand that even the best performances have to draw on tricks of the trade to pace themselves out, but yeah. Don't think there's an Abra performance to date that have me the feels that the video did.

Don't shoot me, but I feel a lot of the Hive's gripes with Jay and the Jay association in general are a little... overcooked. Yes, he's polarizing to some, and his presence in her narrative has been quite jarring in recent years (Tidal, OTR II, EIL, and general mistiming of when they do stuff together). But they are also still celebrated as one of Hollywood's top power couples and have a ton of bops together. More than some of the Hive give credit for, they've also actually been quite separate as acts in recent years. On the front end, at least, he was nowhere to be found on either Rennie or CC. Saying all that, I guess the fairest issue/complaint here again would be: timing. She's in the middle of a trilogy. Distractions, especially with the scale of confusion around her current rollout, don't...help. My question, though, when it comes to a possible Halftime with Jay, is there any actual, legitimate...harm? So long as it's not another EIL or OTRIII, would it not just be another slight side-quest (ala the B'Day nonsense) enroute to Act III?

All fair, rational points. I guess this is where my stan-ism kicks in, because I think I ultimately just want to see her on big stages any way possible. Albeit while being careful and considered about the impact on her brand. She is such a rare sight nowadays (which is a perpetually hard pill to swallow having beein raised on her omnipresent promo), that I can't, in good faith, vote against her big platforms like Halftime as and when they are available to her. Like, I'd gratingly take a co-billed pop out (with Jay or a Rock act) at Halftime over another era that effectively is defined by: dropping a single, doing virtually nothing till album release, a lil whatever come release week, and then going on tour....a year later lol. It's just not it anymore. That said, I think you're onto something with her seeking out other big platforms. If her game is agreeing to gigs that she can spin more $$$ out of via concert specials etc, a back to Brazil special would be...chef's kiss. The only slight issue, and thing to always center is that Bey is a US/western act first and foremost...with global appeal. Those Brazil etc shows are great for the "she's huge overseas" narratives, but she has albums to sell in the US and her core secondary markets (UK etc). And doing that will always be easier by engaging the biggest platforms in those regions: Super Bowl, Glastonbury, etc.

I get the Jay part (not that I agree with it), but why not? It's the biggest platform there is and we have an album to sell?

Interesting. Have very loosely followed their narrative since the Netflix show. They are unique conceptually. Multiracial, with mixed sexual orientations (publicly), and have an image + music that feel like a timely callback to the Y2K heyday of boy bands. Atlantic seems to be pushing hard, too. And there IS a fandom. At the same time, they legit look like they met while working at Abercrombie vs ever being folk that would roll together in "real life" lol. They undoubtedly all look good, but so much of selling music is having the masses buy into a narrative and a fantasy (which, for a group like this, would be authentic/organic friendship and brotherhood). To their defense, they were made on a show where not knowing each other, or even seeing each other, was baked into their beginning. So, making magic out of a slightly unusual beginning can actually be their USP. For me, though, I think the focus should be less on trying to (literally) serve forced cohesion (I just don't buy the tank top, Timberland, snapback cap combos from "some" of them lol). Instead, I think it would/could work with more of a Spice Girls approach. Upsell the differences within the framework of still being cohesive on some fronts.

Generally, trying to map out Bey's era-launching moves these days is hard because she has kind of boxed herself in with how much she's centered her premium, innovative, and rare attraction status. Fairly sure I remember watching something around ST and her team saying that, moving forward, she ONLY wants to do things she hasn't done before. Be that concepts, platforms, ideas, etc. We've seen how that's benefited her in the time since, but I also think it's kind of restrictive at THIS particular point. She's positioned herself as such that she's too big to perform at most award shows, has already done the big festivals, and even carved out concert specials from those. It's to the point now that it's like, if you want to see me perform, you have to pay for it on tour. If you want to watch my videos, you have to watch on whatever streaming service I've cut a mega-deal with. As someone who basks in fave being as revered as she is, taking an aerial view of things, I actually think a lot of her shenanigans help her have this exact status (marketing 101 for premium products is: limit the supply, increase the demand). But standom aside, Bey is not bigger than the programme and, thus, needs wide-reaching promotional platforms to leverage for her next era. So, I say all of this to say, for Act III, I want everything from Halftime (whichever way they can spin it) to Glastonbury (it's been long enough since the last one), and just...more. Rennie had the hype of being away for so long, CC benefitted from the success of Rennie. I don't think she should chance or assume good grace will sell Act III on its own.

In letting my delulu flag continue to fly, I've "decided" (lol) that her best route back to Halftime is via a... ROCK ACT Headliner So, a Kings of Leon, U2 or similar kind of co-billed thing. Naturally aligns with Act III (especially if she's collabed with them on the album) and, of course, serves as the perfect springboard to the new era (e.g. commercial immediately following, etc) In reality, I'm much more aligned with the idea of Jay + Friends (with Bey being folded into that), but I legit think the haters, sheepish GP, and fans that don't know how to keep kitchen-table-talk frustrations internal) will sully the moment with the expected complaints. Preferential treatment, we want her solo, etc. Less biasedly, I do think it may be difficult for Jay to have his cake and eat it, too. Optically speaking. Being positioned as the all-powerful decision-maker on who headlines to then effectively "choose" himself and his wife lol has its...issues. As someone offline described it, it's like setting and marking your own homework. So, yeah, maybe a slightly different approach may be best.

Also, and don't shoot me for being delulu... But anyone else surprised they've not announced the Super Bowl headliner yet? Save for one time it was announced in Nov, it's literally always in Sept. It's now early Oct and...nothing. I keep thinking there is some validity to the Jay + Friends murmurs, which if so, surely guarantees a Bey appearance? And maybe (maybe) explains the refreshed look, Act III delay, and mystery around what is going on BTS. We'll see.

For my non-sensitive Hive, I find her game-shape transformations and the timing of it hella interesting. Our girl always looks great, but let's not play: she typically gets trimmer when something is happening. I'm the firmest believer that an all-encompassing visual is still coming, as well as Act III and all of the visual material that will accompany that (teasers, trailers, promos, covers, looks etc). So, wondering aloud if she's shooting that side of things now. It's anyone's guess what will survive the editing room floor, reshoots, and new footage from now, but it's clear from the CCT interludes (and the clear difference in how she looked then and the initial Rennie clips) that she is still shooting. From a visual continuity standpoint, it will be interesting to see how it is all sewn together, because she legit has been shooting for like four years straight lol.

LOVE me some Bruno (love!), but I am so mad at him for this non-event of an album. Like, and I promise I'm not being a hater, it's actually mind-blowing that THIS was THE solo comeback. Tour was great, but moreso from a "I like Bruno, so can stomach the new cuts in the name of getting to the hits". Something about the album legit feels like he threw it out because he knew he had a tour booked. I really hope he has another ace up his sleeve for the next one, or even just his next big move, because it would be sad for him to settle into a touring legacy act when he very clearly has the capacity and the popularity to deliver big, resonating, and ever career-sized hits still.

Not me getting tugged at in here earlier only for pretty much ALL of social media to be saying the same thing I did about the album in unison. I actually feel for her a little, because this was always meant to be the elevation moment after Jaguar II / On My Mama/ Alright. Let's not be OTT, because it's not doom and gloom. It's just that the moment was meant to be...more.

Interesting. Don't particularly care about him per se, but interested in whether this will set a precedent. I'm sure there are other artists lining up to claim the same. Equally, I'm sure labels will push back and throw everything and the kitchen sink at claiming they spent this, spent that, and are technically owed for sales that didn't recoup. Still, if there are artists willing to do the David vs Goliath thing, there may be some interesting developments with this as law and contracts could still end up in their favor.

Ok, lol. Shade detected, but after listening to the album quite a few times now, I stand by what I said. Cute in places, but doesn't pack enough of a punch for a 22-track project. Simple. Pretty much most of the singles are better than the bulk of the album (though she has obvious singles available with songs like Head to Toe and Single with Bryson). Ps. I live and breathe both music and the music industry (and offline *may* have a relatively close proximity to it), so - respectfully - my "analyses" are never going to be the "love it/hate it/pile on anyone who doesn't agree with the status quo" responses that tend to be rife online. I want Vicky to win, so I'm predisposed to listening to projects with that in mind: will this elevate her? Is there another / bigger On My Mama here? Will the big-name collabs give her a leg up? Across the board, the answer atm feels like...no.