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.

Been sounding off about this in the album thread. First things first: LOVE them and wish them the breakout moment they deserve. That said, there are some glaring issues. While I generally think the argument that the "music isn't good enough" is low-hanging fruit and doesn't hold when considering how wack music does well, I do think there are notes for the material. They are taking the right steps to break out/crossover with songs like Leak It, Don't Break Her Heart, and Cry Ugly, but too much of the rest is still middle-of-the-road R&B. Just ilike the debut. It satiates their audience, but doesn't pack enough of a punch to get them out of the small bubble they are in. And it's not a genre thing. R&B can absolutely be big, compelling, and demanding of attention. They, however, seem content on playing in the middle. More than anything, though...The OP's # stack highlights the most pressing issue. They are doing an aggressive round of promo in the US, a market that clearly doesn't see it for them (chart-wise), yet not as much promo in their home market. I've always felt for them. They're legit between a rock and a hard place. They're a "UK group" pushing R&B in a region (the UK) that essentially doesn't push that. America, which does (celebrate the genre), has an overflow of homegrown R&B acts - thus making FLO's USP not as strong there. Those US numbers are dismal. Under normal circumstances, I'd be worried for their deal (especially with Republic in the US) and in a way I am. But, maybe their saving grace is touring $. They have a decent-sized following globally and seem to be always able to tour, which I imagine the label gets a slice of (360 deal). IMO, the future looks like any combo of the following: Album #3: Make-or-break project. Either they randomly pull off a surprise hit and benefit from cumulative audience building. Or, it's more of the same (not so much musically, but just this kind of coasting trajectory with no materially meaningful incline. It may sound slightly dramatic, but it really will be a deciding project IMO, because even from a product lifecycle standpoint, the group have already been together for six years now. By the next album, it will have been even longer. So, something's got to give in one direction or the other. Defining Season: Depending on the outcome of the next project, I think they are nearing that frame by which the type of act they will stand as will establish itself. Will they succeed as the next big girl group? Or be the group version of niche acts with cult (and mostly online) followings (like Tinashe, JoJo, Kelela). Booked and busy on the festival circuit, "freed" from the restrictions of major labels, but forever underrated/unsung. Solo: IIRC, I feel they've mentioned having spoken about this internally already, but are all systems go for FLO atm. The reality of the matter is that they are mid-ish 20s now, and will be further along come the next project. There is a time to strike, and it's arguably soon. At the same time, I'm actually not in a hurry for this. Loving their individual growth, but not sure I'd see it solo for any of them right now. Never say never, maybe the next MPG is currently in the group. Anyway this was way longer than intended, but love em, so invested!

I kinda feel the same. I am incredibly intrigued about their backend. Like, are they turning a profit? They almost certainly are on a 360 deal, so I can imagine the label makes $ back on their touring. But girl groups are a notoriously expensive operation. Then there's the three-way member split, all the writers, producers, handlers. Again, I'd love to know if - with these types of numbers - it's a profitable enterprise from a label perspective. That ultimately informs what the future looks like for our girls. If the numbers don't number from a label perspective, it becomes tricky. There'd be no business justification for more budget (unless the label does a make-or-break), which would probably make it hard for them to incline in any way and leaves them meandering at the level they are at now, which in turn expedites a possible indie run and/or solo projects. Something about them feels like "right group, wrong time". Because it feels like they'd have smashed in many previous eras in music (esp Y2K). But there's a seeming misalignment. Too R&B for UK mainstream success. Too UK to cut through in the US (with the wealth of homegrown R&B that's already there). Too Pop to dominate on R&B radio, too R&B/throwback to make any meaningful strides on Pop. They are also yet to have m/any meaningful features to help move the needle either. All that said, I am really willing them the best and hope everything ultimately works out. Be that with a breakout hit, cumulative success, or critical acclaim.

Love her down, but Cardi is so annoying sometimes. Everything feels so ad hoc. Why is she JUST doing a video for AH HA now? Like, is it that hard to plan a proper, timed rollout? Shoot looks great (and very happy to see her back in her choreo bag), but I worry she may miss the summer heat frame. It looks like the Kash Doll remix means they are looking to go all-out. Possibly with two videos? So, we'll see. Maybe a VMA performance? Willing her a top 10. But in her not aligning the "things", I worry it may instead serve steady hit and peak moderately rather than fulfil it's potential. We'll see.

Leak It randomly grew on me way later, but in hindsight, it really was the best lead. Success/virality-aside. The misstep, IMO, was dropping the title track at all. It caused a lot of confusion. As a casual fan who dips in most when the era is underway, it was a lot to process. The album is called Therapy at the Club (implying something uptempo, club-like) yet it was teased incessantly with the title track (snippets, live performances) that were anything but was in no way evocative of what was expected. Indeed, said song had the same sort of doo-***-y, syrupy slow jam vibe of unreleased tracks on their debut. More than anything, it's the antithesis of this project's title/alleged vibe. Then add in the fact that I'm certain we were getting snippets of other songs (like Remedy etc) at the same/similar time. It was all a bit confusing. DBHH is actually their best swing of a bat at a hit single in the vein of Cardboard Box since Cardboard Box. I've high-key been jarred with them because it's like they were doing everything in their power NOT to tap into that when in reality such sound is their strongest potential for making a commercial breakthrough. It works for all formats and still allows them to feel authentic to the rest of their discography. Leak It is indeed edgier and interesting sonically. But they have a weird predicament where they are both R&B and Pop. Pop (culture) would and somewhat did eat up Leak It, but I can't see it slaying R&B radio or Urban streaming (when ironically that is the hill the rest of their discography lives on). At the same time, the double-down on mid-tempo R&B for the rest of their output is unlikely to catapult them into MPG success. DBHH strikes the perfect balance. Had they been doing that consistently since Cardboard Box, I think they'd have been better set up to pounce commercially with the amazing Cry Ugly (which sounds like a darker, more grown take on the same theme). But, in a world where the GP "perception" of Flo is kinda still "that rising British R&B group, what are their names again?", I'm not sure Cry Ugly does enough to rope in the type of mass audience they are capable of . Would love to be wrong though. What I will say is that album #3 NEEDS to be their double down on whatever angle they want tot take for the future. So, If R&B act that feeds R&B lovers is their schtick, then more of the moody mid-tempos and less Pop attempts and hell no to Pose's lol However, if world domination is their aim, then Album #3 will need to be the back-to-front Poppy-bops, uptempo record they teased but didn't properly give us with this.

Great interview! They spoke in a lot of detail about their struggles:

And another thing....lol The Jay thing is jarring because I don't genuinely believe the Hive dislike him as much as they make out during frustrated vents. I think it's the reality that they stubbornly shove it down throats at the most ill-advised times. I think the culture receives them well as a unit (hence the buzz around whenever they pop out at each other's shows). But in later life, their team-up timing is so so off. We got the iconic BeyChella/Homecoming that left us salivating for the Lemonade follow-up. Instead, we get no album and OTR2. Bad timing. A Bey/Jay album was reportedly locked and loaded in 2014 around the buzz around DIL (perfect timing. Not released. By the time they force tour #2 on us, they don't have an album nor rollout planned, rush one during rehearsal, and flop worse than either of them have before. Bad timing. We're in the middle of a trilogy. Randomly doing B' Day reissue. No info. Fair if we are playing her mystery game. Fans confused and frustrated, but giving the benefit of the doubt. Her next play? Jay remix of a sleepy bonus track not even related to the album we're celebrating? Bad timing. It's not doom and gloom, because she always lands on her feet/wins. And I do feel some of this affects us as stans more than the GP cares or is even paying much attention to. But it's annoying mainly because if they played the timing card right, I actually think there is still a lot of mileage in the Bey/Jay collab thing. Let's not forget that Jay - in a very actual and factual way - is one of the greatest rappers of all time. When all is said and done, their musical legacies are inextricably interwoven, and some of their best work is with each other. They just need to line up their plans with what the culture wants and be ok with tabling said plans if it doesn't make sense in the moment.

I hear you, but I wouldn't say it's coast clear just yet. Stay with me lol. The Carters are clearly very culture-aware and, for as much as we drag, I think they read the room more than we give credit for. Note how, post EIL/The Gift (six-seven years ago!), Jay has generally fallen back and the "collabs" have largely been red carpet appearances, writing credits and the sporadic concert pop-outs. Nothing frontline on Rennie or CC. Not even the remixes. At the same time, it's about balancing their culture-awareness with two realities: a) they move as a unit and b) she loves that man down lol and thus will toss her own rulebook out the window to uplift him/them/their power couple status. As it stands, it's clear Jay is testing the appetite for him in the modern landscape with these spot stadium shows. There's a chance it's merely legacy polishing and some nice pocket change. Or, more realistically, it's a strategized lead-up to...something bigger. Roc Nation, just yesterday, denied that he has a new album ready to go. But I actually believe the rumors. The tea is that it's done, but he's looking for the right "partner" to push it. It's giving the vibe of his Samsung deal (remember that?). The tea-pourer verbatim said "he's not trying to do no 60k", so it's only coming out if he has the right infrastructure to push it. It makes total sense and is exactly how I felt any Jay album would have to land if not to flop post-444 and in the streaming era. After the tanking of EIL, I'm even more anchored in this stance. Bey IMO is his ace on a few fronts. It's a given that she will feature on any such project. He needs her more than the other way around musically. This, I imagine, they are probably very candid about with each other. But above all, and yes, it's been a slightly long-winded way of getting to it lol, Bey is crucially his ace card on the touring front too (where the real $$$ is made). Whether he has new music coming (which would almost certainly include new collabs with her) or a general need to hit the road in a more full-out way, it's clear as day that Bey will need to be involved to pull that off. From an optics perspective, he's pretty smartly done his "own thing" with these solo stadium shows, thus surface-countering any claims of relying on Bey should they announce OTR3 say...next year. As much I literally do not want it, stripping out all personal/stan-like feeling, there is a logical/practical argument that almost justifies them touring together soonish. Jay toeing the line of a comeback, Bey dropping Act III thus having a ton of new material. Good ol capitalism. Mixed with the reality, they, as a family, aren't about to go on separate stadium runs at the same-ish time. Long story short (lmao), with OTR3 feeling somewhat inevitable, I think the play simply ought to go: 2026 = Jay's spot shows + whatever this B'Day ish is 2027 = Act III music + summer tour Late 2027 or Early 2028 = OTR3, ultra-ultra limited, possibly even Vegas.

I hear you. But it's relative. Donk was presented as a "gift to the fans" and a light nod to the semi-virality of the sound on social. A signal of the countdown to the B'Day reissue. Without it "taking off" and simply doing "decently", they are now giving it the "lead" treatment. What's even more worrying is that, if she follows the same trajectory as Rennie and CC, we shouldn't brace for the pushing of any other song on the project...including the better ones lol.

For all the back and forth on here of late, THIS may be the most actual and factual take shared thus far! It's not that Donk is any worse than her other "ok" songs It's not that the Jay-Z remix is terrible - or, at least, not "as" terrible as claimed It's not there is anything wrong with her releasing this promotional single for the reissue BUT... Her going "relatively" hard with this is annoying when thinking about the level of dust she paid everything on Rennie and CC post the leads. I also don't get centering Donk (a non-B'Day song lmao)? I was certain we were about to get a new song/remix every couple of weeks. But sending to radio, playlisting, and now remixes and lyric videos. The confusion.

I've always wanted to weigh-in on the "she sabotaged Formation / missed out on an easy #1" thing. Because I'm not sure I agree. I really push back on this idea that she's this automated success ala some of her Pop-i-er peers. Taking an aerial view, Formation was actually a gamble. While Beyonce elevated hugely with self-titled and entered a new tier of respected/trailblazer because of it, the reality is that DIL was only "hit hit" from the era. I say that to say, it's not necessarily a given going into Lemonade that a Beyonce song that dropped out of the sky was guaranteed to slay. CRUCIALLY, then think about Formation itself: unapologetically Black, politically-charged visual, and sonically A LOT to take in. I think sometimes it's easy to look back with rose-colored glasses and hindsight is of course 20/20 because of how well things panned out. But I guess what I'm saying is that none of it's reception was a given. Also, for the very fact it was socially-anchored, I think it was a very smart move to all-at-once de-emphasise the commercial element, and center the message, while enjoying the virality and the "a top 10 that felt like a #1" status that comes with a unique smash like this. Had she pulled all the tricks etc for the #1, the convo could easily have pivoted to critique: Beyonce supposedly "exploiting" social climate for gain. IIRC, I feel like the video being unlisted at the time was actually semi-officially explained through this lens by her team or a "source" back then.