It is a brand new year, and the best time to look back at one of the iconic moments of 2023: The Beyoncé tour era of 2023.
Over the course of five months, Beyoncé embarked on a cosmic stadium tour (yes, a tour whose capacity could only be held by full-on stadiums around the world.) The scale and excitement were exponentially heightened as this was her first tour since 2018 and coming off the of the worldwide COVID-19 quarantine. It is thought that Beyoncé ushered in a renaissance for us all. In reality, after seeing her film, she truly ushered in a renaissance for herself. Now, before the Beehive turns up a well-drawn eyebrow, this is meant with the utmost respect. Beyoncé’s renaissance comes from where she knows best, and everything encompasses her whole journey. She expresses all of her modes, eras, and, of course, the fans who have shaped her and created this next wave. The album titled tour was full of glitter, futuristic imagery, and a strong Virgo foundation that caught my eye. There’s a lot to expound upon from the Houston native’s recent evolutionary exploration. Here’s the Beyonaissance unpacked from a Virgo point of view.
A VIRGO MOVEMENT
The word renaissance is often associated with powdered faces, bright red lips, pasty big wigs, and petty coats. For the more melanated, the word brings to mind Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Billie Holiday, and more. To some of the nerd persuasion, it means possible LARPing, cosplay, and giant turkey legs. But to millions of Beyoncé fans, it’s an era of pure silver-glittered transcendence. There is something to be said about the immense joy spread across Instagram during the age of the Renaissance tour.
I found myself as an onlooker. Scrolling each day as one does, with every other post being a silver sequenced hat and western vested people galloping in droves to large stadiums across the world. Learning what ‘on mute’ truly meant as people were ex-communicated for ruining a sanctified moment. I was perfectly fine not attending the tour and living vicariously through the rest of the world. (Dem tickets were a level of funds I could not conjure up.) I will also put out there that I am an avid respecter of Beyoncé’s art form, a long-time listener from Destiny’s Child to Black is King through now, but I have never fully joined the beehive. That is a level of fandom, I’ll be honest, I can’t keep up with. Y’all are ride or die, and I honestly respect the way you empower yourselves around an artist and how her work can empower you beyond measure. That is the whole reason I took up arms to write this article. When the film hit theaters, I jumped at the opportunity to join the wave.
I entered the theater not knowing what in the slightest I was getting myself into. You know the rules if you are an Alamo season pass customer like me. No talking, no texting – this is a quiet zone. Welp, not this time. This is a “rowdy zone!” I was taken aback… I thought, what is about to go down? The lights dim, and it begins. The same imagery I saw on the gram. Glittered excellence, smiles larger than life, veracity that reaches another echelon. Then, tears as she entered the stage. I’ll be honest, I got a little overwhelmed…crying? Losing our composure? It was a lot. I realize it had been years of our lowest points, so much loss, diminished hope, and severed connections. This was the first time many will have been inspired in person in connection in a long time.
As the film progressed, I sat with my critic hat on. People in the audience had brought personal folding fans and ceremoniously whipped them in and out. I was not prepared. I went from being taken aback to mouth agape to singing to hits that I didn’t even realize I knew all the words to. I was engulfed by it all. I had no idea it would be the full concert, but Beyoncé’s Virgo nature would not permit her to do anything less.
VIRGO VISION
Us Virgos live in two spaces at all times. The past, to remember how much we messed up or were right. Also to take note of what others did so we can remind them not to do that again. We simultaneously live in the future. Our vision is precise, pointed, and we have the innate mutant power of fruition. It’s more than speaking things into existence. It’s the will and determination to make them our reality. The words ‘stop’ or ‘no’ have been removed from the vocabulary. The only words that live in our minds are – ‘make it work.’ Beyoncé expresses this in the first moments off the stage. Not only is she explaining how she calls each and every person out, we see it in real-time. She says I want the lasers to do this – they say, that’s impossible, she says, when I painstakingly researched this before you were even a thought in my mind, I saw and know for a fact that it is possible. Go do it. I said damn! Why even ask when you already knew? See, this is a Virgo tactic. We need to see if you are as down as we think you are. I know it is possible, but you are the expert, and if you say anything other than yes, I will get you the specifics and timeline. Then this conversation is going on too long! That is the DIVA in her as well.
Her creative vision is astounding. If you were ever confused about what a producer or director does, you can see it in full effect. Her vision for who she wants to work with and how to bring them together is purposeful. She knows how to tell a story through imagery and compose movements that work seamlessly together. Even down to the way she thinks about light and its importance in conveying a feeling or enhancing a mood. Her mind has had so much time to think freely and beyond limitation, a privilege I wish all Black and Brown folk could reclaim with ease.
Beyond the sheer will to make the difficult (not impossible) possible, the foresight of a Virgo is unmatched. This brings me to the Beyolume. For the Mandalorian fans out there, this comes from the awe-inspiring series Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian. In this behind-the-scenes series, we were introduced to the innovative technology of “The Volume.” A gazillion screens that seamlessly depict ultra-realistic landscapes to paint the scene of one’s choosing. The Beyolume is exactly that. Thousands of screens are constructed and dismantled for each show, and when illuminated, interact with Beyoncé and the surroundings, transporting the audience to unreal heights pushed through psychedelic imagery.
The screens show anything from celestial outer space to Beyoncé’s iconic gams. Now, each scene that is displayed on those screens has to be filmed or animated, and the vision is so cohesive and intentional. This is what happens when a Virgo’s dream lives a full life.
Of course, having your dreams come true as Beyoncé is a very different thing than the everyday exceptional Virgo. She is Beyoncé. While we see the challenges the artist is met with, she still has all the resources possible at her disposal. The obstacles she faces are wildly different from someone who has a dream and nothing but 2-cents and a bunch of naysayers in their pocket. I take with an extreme grain of salt everything I see and feel while in this theater, lit only by the massive glow of the Beyolume. It is only inspiration for what is possible in my own life and my own circumstances. That may be her point. Watch me whip this, and you’ll find your way too. Is that not the goal of any true artist?
A VIRGO’S SELF-CENTERED SELFLESSNESS
Throughout the film, we see her actualizing this massive performance and using the stage to give space to cultural changemakers who are on the ground making history. I’m talking Big Freedia, commentator Kevin JZ Prodigy, and Honey Balenciaga. Plus, Beyoncé has single-handedly secured Les Twins’ future retirement. These were the moments that brought tears to my eyes. Her all-women-identified band rocking stadiums around the world is a sight to see. I was in awe of trumpet player Crystal Torres gracing every stadium front and center while growing a whole a$$ human. To see ball culture done by the participants on a stage that large was unreal. I’m always scared of the repercussions of bringing something so integral to the culture to a widely viewed mainstream medium. This was the big concern with the show Legendary. Will this bring unwanted attention to Ball culture? Will it get exploited or commodified? This has been the age-old question.
It’s a new year, so leading with positivity, I know there are those who would never let that happen. Torch holders who will work hard every day for the culture to remain a space of empowerment and safety for those involved. At that moment, I felt great elation for those who may be further inspired by ball culture on another level. The thing is, and I’ll speak for myself and the Virgos I know, we are constantly doing things for ourselves with literally everyone else in mind. If we can get this right, everyone can come along. Everyone can benefit, and we can create a new path for others to do the same. It’s grandiose and a selfless act we Virgos can sometimes get carried away with.
A VIRGO’S SILENT WORK
Over the past couple of months, Beyoncé’s level of doing for others came into question. Her film aired in Tel Aviv to spectators using her song and the auspicious opening night event to rep Israel while chanting the iconic “You Won’t Break My Soul” (among other things.) This prompted a call out for a comment from the artist herself. As many people on social media and other places have noted, Beyoncé has yet to speak directly to… well any major social issue. Her imagery, music videos, and overall construction of her work seem to stand for all Black art and excellence, or at least winning at their game our way (hence a whole video in the Louvre.) She herself was quoted in Forbes magazine, “One of the main purposes of my art for many years has been dedicated to showing the beauty of Black people to the world, our history, our profundity and the value of Black lives.” While she is clear on what her art sets out to do, I personally would not regard her as a human rights activist, a cultural organizer in social justice, a politician, or even a social justice-focused artist. This isn’t to say her work does not move people and create change, or as a human of this world, she does not feel like many of us. But I am not holding her to any standard other than that of being Beyoncé. My expectation of her is to make art that empowers women and Black people.
Now that is layered, of course, because I personally believe that if I can feel the collective pain and anguish of people around the world, this means I, too, am not free in more ways than one. But this way of fighting, expecting celebrities to speak up in order to unite across causes and make change, that truth is unsettling for me. On one level, I understand. If these are the tools we have, why are we not using them to their full extent? As someone who has created art for provoking radical thought, I can only hope we find a way to separate ‘celebrity’ from our viable tools. As we know, it can also be a weapon, and I am a firm believer in creating our own tools.
Silence can say a lot. This is nothing against those who have felt hurt or offended by Beyonce’s silence on the issue, but to expect her to speak up in truth is hoping to complete a narrative we’ve created about who this person is. She may be quietly providing resources in ways we will never see. I know she gives funds to a slew of foundations when people seem to think she doesn’t give a dime. Who knows, maybe we’ll wake up one day to a secret visual album and film release that rebukes genocide altogether. Or maybe we’ll just sit in anticipation for all time.
I do not pose some sort of answer or solution. I’m a writer. I see things, analyze them, and give y’all my findings and honest opinion. There are celebrities out there who use all of their resources for liberation. Kendrick Sampson, Diane Guerrero, Susan Sarandon, and even Leonardo Dicaprio, who considers himself a climate activist. Actors like Melissa Barrera have been ridiculed for speaking out, and Jenna Ortega, who is an active and outspoken advocate for social change, said, “We’re not going to get anything done by holding back” (Jenna Ortega, quote courtesy of The Cut.) I thank them for working towards a new industry space for people to speak their minds as loud as possible. In the end, I cannot deny the immense owner of millions of dedicated followers, but I sincerely believe we can and have found even more powerful tools than the influence of celebrity. The truth is, there are millions of people taking to the streets and courtrooms, calling reps, and bringing visibility like never before. That work has my focus and utmost appreciation, and my personal work aligns with that path.
A VIRGO’S LAMENT
While Beyoncé may not say in targeted words how she feels about certain injustices, she is a human who shows a level of vulnerability that can be an example for some on how to open their hearts and minds and find their fight. The central theme throughout the film, Beyoncé’s renaissance, as you will, is an end to the fight against herself and the restrictions she’s put in place. Speaking about personal freedom for a Virgo – is like witnessing a miracle. She speaks about rehearsing at nausea to ‘get it right’ so she can ‘finally be free.’ I could have cried at this moment. For us [Virgos], the work is never done. Constantly looking to the future means we cannot stop to notice the present, so the work is limitless.
Throughout the years of touring, recording, being a mother, wife, and daughter, and having Virgo-sized ambitions, this performance helped her express what she’s done. The future is exhausting, and watching the present fly by almost makes the work not worth it. She exclaims how she is finally free. Free from her incessant need to get it right. Letting go of the idea of working until her body quits on her. Doing all of this so she can finally say, now I can rest, rather than spending so much blood, sweat, and tears to prepare to be free, instead – just being free. This is a foreign idea to me. I struggle constantly with my own thoughts of the future. I tell myself if I can just keep going, keep pushing, keep fighting, THEN I can rest.
The perfectionism of a Virgo is lost on some, but it’s not perfection we Virgos seek. It’s an immovable goalpost. A Virgo’s 110 percent is everyone else’s 150 percent, and we think we’re actually giving only 70 percent. With all of the freedoms and privileges Beyonce has had, she was able to plant the goalpost, and her 100 percent is actually 100 percent. The extra mile IS the mile, and that’s that. Can I use Beyonce to inspire my planted goalpost? Not exactly. In the film, she returns to her old stomping grounds in Houston, TX. It was enlightening to see her childhood home, this large house, and her driving by her old private school, where she reminisced on fond memories. This is not my story. It’s not an average story. Public school and much smaller living situations have undoubtedly limited my mindset, and I push against that narrative to realize my true potential every day. But the film does ignite a spark in me to find my means and the ways I can plant my goalpost. How to see my future in silver-glittered reflections, and I simply live in the present.
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