Cbreezy

But the last part is the exact issue I have with the discourse: LITERALLY no one knows whether it's health-related or wealth-led vanity. And it's no one's business either way! Like, on what planet does it make sense to speak so flagrantly about stuff none of us has any actual intel on? To sprinkle a little logic and deductive reasoning into the mix: is it not possible for a wealthy woman to also have health issues and seek out surrogacy as either a preventative safety measure or the only option towards biological motherhood? Again, the critiques in the absence of facts are equal parts parasocial and sick.

Congrats Gagz! Sidebar: This thread has confused tf out of me. Maybe I'm sheltered, but I really didn't know people had such strong views on surrogacy. Add to that the fact that NONE of us, literally NONE of us, are at her medical appointments or know her broader medical history. So, it makes me perplexed at how anyone can fix their fingers to have a stance. Especially a negative one. I'm the furthest thing from a celebrity sympathizer, but this is further proof that some of y'all process celebs like fictional characters from a movie. Because there is no way you approach ish like this in your "real life" with such a lack of logic, lack of restraint in the absence of facts, and lack of compassion. There is a certain degree of understood scrutiny that comes with celeb life: critiques of the music, fashion, performance, looks, even personality. I get it. But THIS? Sorry, but it's kinda parasocial, bizarrely entitled, and kinda sick when you really (really) think about it. Get a grip!

I think our girls' days of total guerrilla marketing are in the rearview. At least when it comes to music. Factually, she (and most artists, tbh) need the buffer of pre-order frames, physical variants, merch etc. It's a trifecta outcome of the economy, having mass appeal but a generally older fanbase (who need to plan + budget), and just the general change in the music industry. Notice how she's doing more of a hybrid approach. She'll "surprise" announce a new album (ala Acts 1 and 2), but it will still roll out the conventional way: a preceding single 6-8 weeks before, pre-order, variants etc. That said, I could absolutely see her going the surprise route with something like the visuals and/or tour. Like, it's totally feasible for her to drop a trailer for either/both out of thin air. IMO, I really could see a return to the Lemonade rollout for the conclusion of the trilogy. A single out of thin air (ala the Formation drop) An immediate tentpole promotional vehicle (ala the Super Bowl performance with Bruno + Coldplay) Act 3 Announcement right after Tour Announcement in the same frame Echoville announcement + trailer Album + Echoville release Tour starting very close to both I think because of Act 1 and 2, we are all bracing for her usual album first, tour the year after rollout. But the simple fact Act 3 has not arrived on the anticipated timeline (likely because of chaos bts), I think it's the ultimate reminder that she can and will switch it up. Furthermore, if she's on a strict timeline about when she wants to wrap this all up, the way she's been handling ish of late actually gives her a lot of elasticity/flexibility to either stretch ish out or condense it to her benefit. I actually think it will be cool for her to close the trilogy out with a hyper-concentrated bang rather than rinse and repeating the stretched-out ish. It worked for Rennie but was not as potent for CC. We'll see.

I feel like several things can be true at once. She's for sure winding down, but I don't "get" the "she's lagging" and/or "doesn't care" stuff She has made it a point of duty to debut 300k-400k with the last two releases, has hustled a #1 from each project and multiple top 10s from each. I don't understand how some stans don't see in 4K that sis absolutely...cares and, to a degree, is doing "the things." That, by virtue, is NOT very Prince, Sade, etc. Yes, the streaming numbers between projects aren't anything to scream about. But there is always a healthy uptick when she drops. And with the right collabs (ala Perfect with Ed), there will always be strategized ways for "a Beyonce" to close the gap.

Yup! Lol. That flood of IG stories during the EIL week, OTRII, etc definitely makes it clear that a) she 200% cares about #s (contrary to the doom-and-gloom claims to the contrary) and b) she/her team do what they need to do to mitigate whatever drama she's facing. I find the 4/CC comparisons in here rather interesting, because I "get" it. Big openings, low on hits that stuck (cumulatively), and rarely pointed to as her best work (though my fellow 4 stans know it's "top 2" and sometimes is not #2 lol). If anything, it reminds how contextual audience reception is + how fickle the industry + audiences can be. 4 delivered one of the biggest openings of that year, yet the leaks, lack of top 10, and general "figuring it out as we go along" energy of the era make the story around it an "underperformance". Yes, unavoidable is the fact that it didn't perform as well compared to her previous projects at that time, but - call me biased - I will never get how a 400k-ish debut, solid overall sales, and a bunch of songs that are etched in pop culture history (regardless of their charting) can ever equal a "flop era" to anyone. Texas hitting #1, the cultural conversation around Country, solid overall sales, and winning Grammy AOTY can never make CC a "flop" by any definition. And while I get that the lack of hits beyond the debut week leaves questions around how much it actually stuck, I think presenting it as anything other than a "success" is fans doing a lil much during this drought IMO. All of that said, I'd actually put 4 significantly above CC in the "cultural sticking" stakes, with CC being important to her discography in its own way, but a project I predict she will probably revisit the least (the music doesn't lend itself to sitting easily within her discography when it comes to intefrating CC songs into future sets). A lotta loose thoughts, llol, but yeah I find the 4/CC thing interesting.

Jaded as the Hive understandably is with her antics, I actually think the "BIG" era you mention is still a possibility. I just think it's her ace card for when her career starts to cool commercially. Bey is in this unprecedented territory where she's skilfully managed to stretch out her cool and contemporary relevance for over 3 decades and avoided the nostalgia act trap so many greats settle into. The pro is that she's arguably more "relevant" to pop culture than ever; the drawback (for us, as fans) is that she can do whatever she wants as a result and still be successful. I've long had a hunch, though, that the second there's even a hint of a dip in her commercial clout, she'll play ball again. And guess what? It will be super effective. Because marketing 101 for a premium product like Bey is: the less you give, the more they want. Her momentarily swooping down to play ball for an era or two will essentially hit harder because of how long it wasn't the case. It wouldn't even need to be old-school Bey's "all-out" promo, either. But more of a premium-act rollout akin to what Adele did for her last two eras. Select award show performances, TV specials in key markets (or one all-reaching streamer special), a super-curated array of sit-down interviews (where nothing all that deep is disclosed beyond what she wants us to know), a week-long talk show performance takeover, and finally doing what we've long wanted: better use/flooding of social media. I'm sure this would be supplemented with whatever visual "thing" she cooks up for the era, too. Note how little of that actually requires her coming out of the house for long stretches or even travelling beyond LA? Again, IMO, she's doing all her shenanigans now because she can. Let there even be the hint of another 4, speak less The Gift, EIL, and she'll reignite the promo run asap, albeit curated and on her own terms.

I have a theory. Given that marketing 101 is that you can't oversaturate the same audience in a limited window (the likes of Taylor Swift being the exception to the rule), I get the sense that Bey is purposefully going OTT with the cost point of this B'Day ish to create a demarcation between fan-service (this side ish) and main-line Beyonce project (Act III). It is OBVIOUSLY a placeholder til Act III and filling the gap for what almost certainly was supposed to be the new album. At the same time, if she makes it accessible in the way she does her conventional projects, it blurs the lines and allows fans + GP to take an either/or approach. Ultimately, the subconscious takeaway will then be: I can get Beyonce at a $30 price point regardless of what it is. The reality now is that, all our moaning aside, she will absolutely swing by in a few months (hopefully) with Act III at a conventional price point in a way that won't make fans feel like they are overspending on her, given how few (see: only the ultra diehards) parted with coin for the insanely priced B'Day ish. All while maintaining her all-important "premium-ness" in the process. Marketing psychology is deffo a thing, and the fact that the $150 sold out as quickly as it did leads me to believe it was probably only an ultra-limited sum in the first place. FYI, I DO NOT endorse the wild pricing. But I legit think this may be more strategy than the very easy-to-go-to "capitalist" argument.

I have never seen a such a pronounced case of one cutting their nose to spite their face. They are all delusional sans Shannon lol. Aubrey: has been largely covered here, but she is poisonous and seems to be the nucleus problem-child of every lineup. Her antics in this season of being ousted are probably doing the most latter-day damage to the brand than anything else. A Bitter Betty who refuses to acknowledge any kind of role in the many messes over the years. Y'all won't like this, but her whole story arc has played out EXACTLY how Diddy warned her about on the show: chasing infamy instead of respect, pimped herself across every reality show going, de-centered music from her hustle, and is generally extremely messy and now doesn't have all that much to show for it. Aundrea & D. Woods: they're delusional peddling a duo take on the group. DK3 (the first versions) evolved the brand into a slick, advanced iteration of DK. This yanks it several steps back into a cheap nostalgia act. From the choreo to the creative to the fact they are pushing a 2-piece take on a 5-piece group. A mess. I felt (and still feel) D. Woods' exclusion when they originally reformed was quite unfair and almost certainly tethered to some mess from Aubrey (who was the most uncouth and vocal against her at the time). Yet, seeing her back in the fold (even alongside Aubrey and Aundrea) didn't give much. Aundrea IMO is the ditziest of 'em all. She actually is a huge asset and is generally as good now as she was before. Yet, she always hitches her ride to the wrong side. I wish she'd simply aggressively advocate for herself and establish herself as the indispensable force that she is. And I specifically mean this in relation to the politics of the group. She's way too laid-back. Given how central she is to the sound, aesthetic, and everything else of DK, it's wild to see her so willing to let others (especially the less talented Aubrey) drive the train. In a way, it seems she wants back in now and is doing exactly what I'm recommending, but it feels a day late and a dollar short, and also with the wrong team (D. Woods). Dawn: She hasn't handled things the best in the past, and I do think there has been a snakiness to some of her antics (MTB days). But I do like her willingness to tag back in when ish makes sense and her refusing to participate in the online melee of recent months. The irony of all of this is that I legit believe that another iteration of the group will surface at some point. The reality is that the allure of the "limelight" will always outweigh ego. For all of them, DK will always be their ace card.

Not a fan per se, but more of a casual observer who finds their trajectory quite interesting. I think Manon is gone, and this is either hopeful conjecture or a purposefully planted story to throw people off at the start of the tour. And the reason lies in logic and the realities of the music industry. The whole taking-a-break thing works as an excuse for the uninformed, but there are some very pragmatic reasons that suggest she's gone-gone: The group has moved on in almost every way, and the psychology of her absence has set in. She's not in the videos, songs, or performances, and for almost a whole year's worth of their trajectory, she does not appear. Is she supposed to just slot back in as if nothing happened? While not being featured in anything they perform/reference, etc from the frame she sat out? Then there's contracts and finances: the group has boomed commercially. Endorsement deals, branding deals, touring deals have all skyrocketed in her absence. I imagine some of this is blanket-covered by the fact that brands enter into broad pacts with "KATSEYE LLC", which likely covers all possible configurations of the group. However, at a ground, under-the-car-hood level, I do not believe there is a world where Manon is earning on work she has not been part of nor banking from campaigns she did not star in (though slay for herif she is) lol. All of this leads to... The Disparity: at this point, there is now a difference in earnings, experience, and seasoning between the current girls and Manon. Something I think makes the idea of her simply tagging back in extremely hard to see as feasible. The train, for better or worse, has kept moving, and I don't think it's as easy as some fans may think for her to simply hop back on. All this aside, I do think the member stuff - as crazy as it all is - actually is a cool ace/wildcard for them hype-wise. Especially as they keep drawing out the "debut album" arrival. There is a very small but exciting prospect of everyone being back in the fold for that. Again, unlikely af, but it would be interesting and a bit of a first in the Western market with a girl group.

While, of course, none of us are in her Parkwood meetings, I have a theory. Beyonce's whole "schtick" is scarcity marketing. Of late, we've seen her take on more of a "get-it-while-you-can approach" to her everything. It's dually annoying and genius. Bey does not have that religiously devoted/robotic idolizing audience that a Taylor (for example) has. So, there has to be some strategy around how to keep fans engaged/excited/wanting more. If she/her product are easily/ever-accessible, it takes away from the sparkle, premium, and the event-izing she's able to do around all of her key moves. I say that to say, I'm not at all surprised that she kept RWT off streaming and why there is no news on whether a CCT film even exists. It obviously doesn't make sense from a neatness or fan-service perspective, but it makes absolute sense from a scarcity marketing perspective. The literal translation is: "y'all better come and see me on tour (her real money maker btw) because there's no certainty you'll ever get to experience this moment again". Again, honing in on the reality that Bey still has to move strategically, I also think we have to factor in that she probably doesn't have an endless pool of streamer deals to spend on "live concert specials" when she almost certainly is reserving that ace card for what almost certainly will be a combined visual film for all acts. I'm not ass-kissing Hive, so I definitely do not feel her moves are always the right ones, nor do I feel she always has this grand plan she is executing (if anything, I legit feel she is making up a lot of ish as she goes along). To her benefit, the fact that her moves are so unpredictable will always make - even the wrong or impromptu steps - look like "the plan all along".

Hoping this turns into a hit-hit for her. The video and the discourse since have been interesting. Topline: Love the song and like the video - it does enough. I, too, have clocked that she isn't hitting the choreo as hard. It's the first time, sans the tour, that she's been tasked with going all-out with the choreo in a video and there's room for improvement. It wasn't a disaster and it's probably me/we as fans being pedantic, but she has definitely nailed her choreo with more gusto in the past. This time, it felt like the dancers were needed to allow for her to blend in more, when previously it felt like she kept up with them count for count. One positive, and it's a bit nuanced: I LOVE her isms. To the point that it almost makes up for the so-so execution of the choreo. Her commitment to the "character", the motorcycle scene, her popping it from the back. Gold.

This is my kinda comment, because you touched on so many interesting points. One of the most jarring things about The Gift/BIK is that it was the literal opposite of the music/visuals being bad. The overall venture is one of her best. Particularly in this "new" era of Beyonce. But it's a textbook example, like you said, of context being everything. She's not perfect (will get to that in a second), but I do feel for her with how it played out. Because as someone with a quite literal lineage link to the Afro diaspora, I felt the "Mama Africa" and "Wakanda" ish to be so dense and counterproductive. Like, on what planet is Beyonce - the biggest star in the world - celebrating our culture and, by heritage, her own, a bad thing? Afrobeats was popping, the social climate was right, and there was excitement around her involvement in The Lion King. IMO, it was the latter part of the pandemic, and social media was bored, so zeroed in. As we've seen time in and time out, every so often, there's an anti-Beyonce wave. Haters and the fair-weather folk jump on it and then turn right around to praise her and go to her shows when it's a more favorable time. It's a crazy, yet incredibly consistent pattern. But it's not just the haters' fault; you made a very on-point observation about image and SEO. Around that time, she was being ridiculous. So "artsy" that she didn't cover EIL or The Gift (her presence IS a potent marketing tool). And, like you said, she had- in the deluxe edition - the perfect opportunity to align it with the newly released BIK visual. An easy case of 'The Gift: Black Is King'. It even sounds cool and symbolically marries the earlier-released album with the newly released visual. But, no I remember screaming about this on ATRL so loud at the time. I want to say that she has learned her lessons since, because as fraught with their own issues as they were, Rennie and CC were handled significantly better and yielded better results. But the truest test will be how she handles another new side project (and no, this B'Day ish doesn't count).

So incredibly sorry for your loss. Sending you and your family much love.

If this were to ever happen, I don't want to hear anything negative about Jay lol, because this is a chef's kiss rollout and is borderline altruistic. And that's even with them being in the same household. Which artist would headline Halftime and then hand another artist (albeit their wife) a coveted commercial slot to promote their own solo tour? Saint Hov lol. For real, it would actually be the most logical and thus likely to leverage HT towards the push for an OTR3, but it's safe to say none of us actually want that. The irony being that Halftime would be one of the only vehicles powerful enough to make OT3 an easy-ish venture for them. The audience is massive enough to offset any stan moans with enough GP to fill those stadiums. We'll see.

MTE. Atp, the "announcement" will be imminent or it really is some digital-centric repackage comprised of bonus material she can tack on to a streaming edition with minimal notice (if any at all, ahead of Sept 4) While I feel like sis stays making ish up as she goes along (e.g., this repackage to begin with), I do feel like this intentional muteness on her page is absolute strategy. Either to maximize the surprise factor when she does eventually post or because she is protecting her social capital to spend on Act III. Given that she/we are now sandwiching this random B'Day venture in the middle of a trilogy, the marketing geek in me is really intrigued about how she will make a demarcation between what is "main event" Beyonce content (e.g. Act III) and what is side-ish. It's such a random curveball that, of course, wasn't a thing with Acts I and Act II. I know some of y'all want promo, promo, promo. But I will preach this til kingdom come: Bey does not have an automated/bot-like base who will inhale any and everything she announces/pushes. Her thing is scarcity marketing, shock and awe, and capturing the zeitgeist. So, spending and replenishing this ought to be (and typically has been) a very strategized and tactile play. She's now in a spot where she has to make this B'Day thing feel big but not too enough to distract from what ultimately matters most: Act III.