In doing so, she has come to occupy a unique position: Her cultural clout looms larger than her commercial power. In contrast to some artists that are “always on”, Beyonce takes six years off in between albums and has distanced herself from the public apart from sporadic Instagram posts. It’s been at least a decade since she participated fully in the pop music industrial complex – through which stars will agree to endless interviews, appearances and performances, in exchange for radio plays and spots on influential streaming playlists.
Her other number one hits as a solo artist all occurred between 20.īreak My Soul, the lead single from Renaissance, peaked at number seven on the Billboard chart, trailing acts like rapper Jack Harlow and singer Lizzo.Īt the time of writing this, Break My Soul was the eighth most popular song on Spotify in the US, behind Harry Styles and Bad Bunny.Īt 40 years old and more than two decades into her career, Beyonce has shifted towards making albums as conceptual art. The last time one of her songs topped the Billboard chart – the traditional benchmark for success – was 2008 with Single Ladies. This is probably why people are sometimes surprised to hear that Beyonce has not hit the top of the singles charts in nearly 15 years. I would challenge you to find a music critic who doesn’t count her as one of the most influential American artists of the past few decades. She is one of a handful of performers who can fill a stadium on tour. With her 28 Grammy awards, she has achieved the most accolades of any singer in history, and sold tens of millions of albums.
The cultural power of Beyonce is undeniable.
I even witnessed one man playing Renaissance loudly through his phone while dining in a restaurant (no one complained). NEW YORK: Is Beyonce still a pop star? It’s a question I’ve been asking myself over the past week as I walked around Brooklyn, where her latest album has been blasting steadily from cars and portable speakers, providing a soundtrack to late summer barbecues and block parties.
0 kommentar(er)
