Cbreezy

Some of y'all will sneer, but I actually agree with her. Not in totality, but for the most part. The issue with her is threefold: 1) She never quite articulates her situation in a way that will land universally. 2) It's clear she's rationalizing her new reality in real time, which is both awkward for her and the reader and ironically also causes the first point. 3) I've yet to see her hone in on her own role in some of why, as she puts it, the discourse about "her" as a celeb supersedes her music. Staying on the latter: while I "get" that there was a major interest in her weight that almost required her to participate in the raging discourse, I think she over-indulged. Granted, she was likely asked over and over about it; it felt (at least as a casual fan) that she was speaking about it every other week. Whether it's being loud and proud, defending herself, shaking ass, or literally crying about bullies online. And I think this era of faux-relatability did not help either, specifically when it came to clapping back and over-speaking in general. Y'all like to get on Beyoncé and certain other celebs for saying so little, but it honestly works. Obviously, to different degrees for different artists, but the point remains. Another thing she keeps missing and will probably never get firsthand is that she actually never had a locked-in fanbase to begin with. IMO, she had a string of popular songs that landed with casuals, who had allegiances to the catchiness of the songs...not her. The buzzy layer of debate around her weight and her role as a body positivity advocate gave the illusion of celebrity, but it was just that IMO...an illusion. At least the supposed scale of her celebrity. Add to that the sad public disdain for people who don't fit the status quo and yeah, it was not the best recipe for longevity. I 200% feel sorry for her with the legal stuff, which always read as BS to me. But I think the SCARY (af) swiftness and willingness of people to toss her out with the trash actually 1000% confirms every other point made above. Edit: IIRC, the cracks were already showing pre-legal drama. Rumors with a peak-Cardi tanked in 2021 post-Lizzo's breakout success. And, after recalibrating, About Damn Time was heading for the same fate six months later in 2022. It "randomly" went viral and gave her a lifeline, but it didn't negate (IMO) the reality that the clock was ticking. Or, at the very least, that there was a brand-music-genuine popularity disconnect at play.

Slowly coming around (deluding myself lol) to the possibility (possibility) of the re-issue being the ultimate bait-and-switch. Or, at the very least, a potentially quick springboard into Act III. Maybe conjecture, but I found Hits Daily Double referencing her revving up the engine for Act III when reporting on Donk this week pretty curious. Could just be a guesstimate, but they are an industry-first kind of publication, so maybe they know or are hinting at something? Bey's schtick is surprise. The slight issue being: there are only so many ways to pull the same stunt. Seeding us news of one thing (i.e. B'Day reissue) could be the ultimate engine to generate authentic surprise should she announce Act III now or right after. I'm also generally not getting the secrecy around the B'Day reissue rollout thus far. As of right now, we have zero clue if it's a digital-only thing and merely a means of rolling out the bonus tracks and igniting a lil buzz around the anniversary? Or an all-out re-issue with vinyl, etc. If the former, it really could be the ultimate rouse when it comes to announcing Act III soon-ish. If the latter and we're getting physicals, etc, then Act III may indeed NOT be around the corner (she won't hard-sell two different products in close proximity to each other). Now the Jay show/birthday thing. If it were just her birthday and he had a show, fair. It's effectively just another day. BUT...her promoting B'Day re-issue and her hubby/most frequent collaborator from that album having a show on the same day...a performance feels feasible. Should it happen and go down well, surely it'd make sense to quickly build on the buzz? Again, all conjecture and it's probably Q1 next year. But we'll see.

I'm really intrigued about this. Could be as simple as her creating a demarcation around the re-issue and indirectly (yet purposefully) making clear that this is a side thing. If so, I could see her letting the rollout happen "around her" and the sole acknowledgement being one grid post day of release. That, or she'll use her social for the main announcements around it. We'll see.

I'm trying not to be too pedantic, as I actually like that our girl is playing the nostalgia game... a bit. But it's kinda jarring seeing how "big" the initial buzz around "Beyonce is back" and "dropping new music" for Donk. Like all the DSPs, all the media outlets, etc. It feels like the type of hype one should reserve for Act III. In one regard, she's "Beyonce." So, they'll do all of this come the time for Act III. But, in this being pushed as a "thing-thing," I can't help but feel they are wasting a bit of her hype capital on this. We've seen what happens when the novelty of a "new or surprise Beyonce release" becomes the norm or a card they overplay....it doesn't hit as hard (e.g. the underperformance of The Gift + BIK, much as I love them...not to mention the quiet list of underperforming collabs, remixes, etc). Hey, maybe I'm being OTT and she'll have additional promotional levers to pull come Act III (like Netflix for visual component), but I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want her to spend her consumer/media/ and stan attention-capital carefully if we know Act III is the focus. Who knows, maybe they have this all planned out impeccable and are more data-led than my conjecture-based worries. We'll see.

Was actually coming to say this. Interesting as the B'Day reissue is, it all but confirms that Act III is at best dropping end-ish of the year but more realistically next. it's simple consumer logic. With the B'Day reissue being worked as a "thing" (60 day countdown, which will likely encompass more song drops) and there sure to be a physical component (vinyl etc), it would be consumer fatigue coming right behind that with Act III. The Hive don't have endless pockets and there is a science to how artists "spend" their audience attention. In this economy and era of shorter than ever attention spans, trying to sell too much too soon (reissue and new album) would work against the success of Act III IMO. Not surefire, but potentially. With that, the next realistic frame would be late Q4. And while that would/could benefit album sales (holiday purchases), dropping a single in any proximity to the Xmas flood is asking to underperform. So, it almost feels like the next safe window is early Q1. This woman and the torture. I say all of this to say, I really don't think it's anything to do with what Jay's doing at all. IMO, he's reheating his presence in the marketplace by reminding folks of classic material. Bey, IMO, is simply filling the gap that was supposed to be Act III with that whatever she can to tide fans over. Because, not doing all of this for DIL but randomly starting with B'Day while in the middle of the trilogy doesn't scream "this was the plan all along" nor does it read all that ideal given that she's in the middle of a trilogy! A trilogy that she has been moving militant during (eg. Releasing nothing unless it's tied to the era she's in). All of a sudden between Act II and Act III, it's "time" to pause an honor B'Day?! Girl…

Have kind of avoided the thread as there's not been anything to do outside of rankings. The surprise Donk drop is interesting, as is the whole B'Day reissue news. She's not leaned in on the nostalgia side of things her whole career, so her tapping in now is intriguing. Total conjecture, but IMO this is more proof that Act III was indeed delayed (outside of the nothingness that accompanied the Met Gala) and they are filling the gaps with whatever they can. Now, what I'm intrigued about is whether this really is just gap filling or if they are warming up her presence on streaming ahead of the Rock drop. Also, wondering if there are other songs they will service to streaming. Cus, no shade, Donk has never done anything for me. Let's get Back Up, Lost Yo Mind on there. They're so good they give the type tracks that would go viral now and finally find their way onto new set lists, especially if it's more uptempo. We'll see!

This Donk drop is interesting, as is the whole B'Day reissue news. She's not leaned in on the nostalgia side of things her whole career, so her tapping in now is intriguing. Total conjecture, but IMO this is more proof that Act III was indeed delayed (outside of the nothingness that accompanied the Met Gala) and they are filling the gaps with whatever they can. Now, what I'm intrigued about is whether this really is just gap filling or if they are warming up her presence on streaming ahead of the Rock drop. Also, wondering if there are other songs they will service to streaming. Cus, no shade, Donk has never done anything for me. Let's get Back Up, Lost Yo Mind on there. They're so good they give the type tracks that would go viral now and finally find their way onto new set lists, especially if it's more uptempo. We'll see!

They are a MESS! And, in this particular scenario, it's all of them (Aubrey + the duo). Aubrey is pressed af and I think we are seeing what happens when the clown comes back to bite. Again, we've spoken about it ad nauseam, but she has been the puppeteer for so long, and it's somewhat poetic justice that the two most absent members swooped back in and snatched the control. And I say this as someone who deep down actually likes Aubrey (or at least her hustle). It's literally comical and was on no one's bingo card. With the girls, they did "ok", but (it pains me to say) D. Woods sounded pitchy af in a lot of key places. Definitely not in any way that could ruin the overall performance (the scale, the dancers, the energy were solid), but noticeably enough for it NOT to be the slam dunk some of the defenders are claiming in here. What I will say, though, is that if @Rugrat's point about it merely being them fulfilling a date somehow attached to tour is true and this is them simply closing that out, then that further reinforces my belief that DK will be back in some form (not as a duo). It will become clear from both a financial and a demand standpoint that no one wants a duo, and Aubrey is not a compelling sell as a soloist. Some or all of them will eat humble pie; it's inevitable, especially when backs are up against the wall. One thing of interest and a potential impasse to that, though, is D. Woods' heavy creative input. Credit to her, she did not come back as merely a "happy to be here" passive member; she brought her crew. Her sister is doing the creative direction and choreo. I get the sense the dancers are attached to that too. That had been very much Aubrey's terrain before and I have a hunch that she wasn't bracing for D to come back so full force and wanting agency in the BTS of it all given how much the train had been moving in the 12 YEARS that DK had been back together (on and off). And, at a human level, I actually get it (Aubrey and Dawn are very much the central engines of the modern DK sound, aesthetic, format, everything). But again, that's what Aubrey gets: she proactively dogged D for ages, but magically became besties with her and wanted her back in the fold when she randomly started beefing Dawn out of thin air. Beyond the original lineup, I actually prefer most of the versions of the group sans D (who I actually like and have no issue with). At the same time, there are so many valuable lessons to be learned for all (especially Aubrey) about how all of this has gone down. The primary one being: play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Any videos of the duo's performance? Surely they can't think it has long-term potential? There is zero appetite for them as a two-piece among what is already a very niche fanbase? Outside of a few fairground-like gigs, it just ain't happening. We've debated this ad nauseam, but I wish they were all collectively smarter about their own financial betterment. Even if it was about being selfish and being wise enough to align to get the bag. Aundrea and D. Woods staging a coup is wild because it's SO short-sighted. I don't wish them bad at all (as people), but it's giving they'll be back to their normal lives imminently. Like, I think about these things at a hyper-granular/real-life level. Aundrea lives real regular in the middle of nowhere; D has been hustling doing borderline extra work in ATL to maintain some kind of "presence" in entertainment (but it's not constant, and she's arguably hustling in her 40s in a way that would have been noble in her 20s. it's kinda sad/awkward). DK remains their biggest opportunity, and yet they've squandered it...again. I don't doubt that Aubrey is HELL to work with. It's clear. But what's the lesser evil? Getting on with it, playing one's part and getting coin in the process? Or staging an ill-advised coup for... a handful of Pride gigs? Aubrey, as problematic as she is, has more of a profile as one of the core faces of the group as well as her reality TV notoriety (for better or worse). So going around performing DK ish solo may actually work best for her. If anything, looking at the scale (or lack thereof) that they are all dabbling in e.g. Prides and bars, it may even be to her financial benefit her carrying on lip-syncing DK tracks and not having to split the check lol. The irony of all of this is that I'm still relatively firm in my belief that at SOME point, another viable version of the group will rise from the ashes to "reunite." I can already see the cliché BS of "sisters", "healing," and "communication" being touted come that time. We'll see.

You're actually right and it's such a nuanced take that a lot of the newer Hive will never truly understand, having not lived it in realtime (no shade at all, btw). Make no mistake, I've been Hive since the start of DC (with increasing vigor as each era played out). But I remember initially finding it hard to take in the B'Day era. Initially lol. The reasons included: DIL era was so huge and so specific sonically and aesthetically that some of the switch-up wasn't easiest to adapt to. For example, so much of the debut solo era was about big female dancer numbers (ala CIL, Naughty Girl), so her launching Deja Vu dancer-free at BET had me ignorantly disappointed, with it taking me years to appreciate the ferocity of what she did without the need for dancers. I also remember feeling a way about the direction she took with Deja Vu video. Again, it had little in the way of the conventional dance formations that she spent the entire debut era getting us used to. Instead, more vibes and freestyled movement. I definitely remember not being alone in being kinda WTF about this, with there being calls/petitions for her to drop a different video. There was also an air of the overall release trying to replicate the magic of CIL, but kind of paling in comparison. In fairness and full transparency, even now, I think some of the critique had merit. But the song is actually one of my favorite Bey releases to date. The scramble was tangible. Rushing out (the arguably jarring-sounding) Ring The Alarm after Deja Vu's so-so performance and then Irreplaceable after RTA fared even worse kinda placed this cloud of uncertainty above the era. A very tangible feeling of: is this about to be a sophomore slump? Which shouldn't, in theory, affect perception of music, but as we see over and over in stan-land, it is sadly...a thing. Even with Irreplaceable blowing, I remember feeling conflicted, because while I was happy she was slaying finally, it was such an on-the-nose "Ne-Yo single of the time" that it felt kinda faceless. Given how obsessed I was with the debut era, I felt she was a bit above a song like that and, as still happens now, it is so irksome when it's the meh-est song on a project or from your fave artist is the one that performs best. Thematically, it was kinda thin. It honestly does not matter at all in hindsight now, but coming up at a time when "serious" artists (as Bey was positioning herself right from debut era) adopted the "deep", "worked on this project for years" approach, songs like Suga Mama and Kitty Kat came across kinda hollow. Add to that her whole "I made this in two weeks" spiel (which, in places, the album sounded/felt like lol). Then the forced attempt at tying it all to Dreamgirls ("B'Day is what I wanted Deena to say to Curtis"), which was/still is the reach of life lol. It all just felt, in a way, less organically exciting (initially) than the storm that was the debut and felt more like the corporate cogs were turning (by force) to legitimize her by any means necessary. And it worked. I guess a lot of the above simply serves to highlight that it wasn't without its bumps along the way. Above all (long story short lmao)... I think, divorced from a lot of the context above, the album stands tall because it's solid af as is. Stripping away all the broader context, commercial expectation, recency bias (for era 1) at the time, B' Day is a great, iconic even, jukebox album that captures Bey (in certain regards) at somewhat of her peak (...somewhat). For example, I will maintain that the companion tour, The Beyonce Experience, is her best live outing if we're basing it purely on hunger and being the genesis of her rep as the greatest living performer (for fellow MJ fans, effectively what the Bad Tour was to everything elevated that came after it). I also think the album being anchored in a lot of live instrumentation/band vibes (which is timeless in and of itself) has aged it very well. In a way, despite Bey's heartiest, consistent, and successful efforts to become a "serious" artist (from whom each new release has this deliberately deep, meaningful, culture-shifting impetus), B'Day succeeds in diluting the necessity of that agenda in that it proves she can be equally as potent playing the "jukebox of bops" game that made the likes of Rihanna such a thing. At the same time, I like that it's nestled early in her career and she has made a concerted effort to ensure each project (post IASF lol) has heart and intention. Equally, though, having been so successful with that approach, I would not mind a somewhat mindless (just having fun) album again for B10. She's definitely earned the right to.

Lol, i think it's coming. They are just being hyper-intentional in promoting their show.

They talk new music here:

Now that the made-up May 29th ish is in rearview, a few thoughts: If, as I hope, Act III is still this year, one upside is a more condensed frame between the album and the tour. These year-plus gaps between the music and its live component have been...something. Especially with the absolute NOTHING she typically gives in between. Granted, I'd take the music ASAP, I like that we are likely pacing towards a more conventional-"feeling" era of the music landing close to when she takes it on the road. If she then drops the visuals in between that same frame, there's "arguably" a rollout plan that will, at the very least, "feel" more maximalist than we've had with the previous acts. Sometimes it's not how much one does (we know it has a cap), but it's the when/how/flow. Grammys: will be very interesting to see how she navigates the Act III campaign in this regard. We are basically in June and no sign of anything just yet. I am firm in my belief that she won't surprise drop for a while, as she needs the order frame to maximize sales. If she needs at least 4-6 weeks of preorder avails, the frame to make the Grammy deadline (August 31) is closing...fast. It'd be very interesting if she were to submit and push the lead single for this upcoming Grammys (ROTY, SOTY) and the album for the 2028 cycle. Allows her to be a centerpiece of both broadcasts. Given all the surprise drops, and tight single-to-album frames in the past, it would be the first time this would have been her predicament for a while (if ever it has been). Random but related: I'm more convinced than ever that Act III will arrive ala Rennie and CC - sans visuals. The all-encompassing film should land within Act III's release frame but only once the dust has settled 1-2 months. There was a time I thought it would be the perfect companion piece for Act III, but attention spans are short and virality is hard to predict. I always chuckle and wince at the possibility of something random af from Act I or II visuals going viral over Act III...which ironically is the Act that would need to benefit the most. In short, the film can and should tie everything together and be released in a way/at a time that enhances that rather than take anything away.

She's an icon. Legend is pending, but it's inevitable. Big parts of me think she already is because besides time/age, the same things that make her a pending legend now are the same things that will cement her as a legend in, like, 5-10 years. She's not LegendTina for nothing!

Interesting question. IMO, it goes: Better Range: Rih (dabbles in falsetto + head voice and occasionally belts). Better Control: Katy Better Power + Projection: Katy (Rihanna could not sing Firework, for example) Better Overall: Rih. Not even a fan, but her tone is her USP, and I think her voice is slightly more versatile overall.