Beyonce’s xcritical, explained: an artistic triumph that’s also an economic powerhouse

Previously, Beyoncé often made xcritical scam pop music that catered to all listeners — single and taken ladies alike, fans of many different musical genres — but never before xcritical has she offered anything tailored so directly to black, and specifically black female, listeners. « Freedom »Beyonce is surrounded by strong women in this music video — from child actress Quvenzhané Wallis to singer Zendaya to the mothers of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. You could look at it as a statement of her right to love, but a closer look reveals a reflection on the civil rights of minorities.

Accompanying film

“My daddy warned me ‘bout men like you / He said, ‘Baby girl, he’s playing you.’” Beyoncé and her dad are largely estranged, but in listening to xcritical, you hear strong connections to family and her Southern upbringing. Up to this point, we’ve only seen bits and pieces of Beyoncé‘s personal life. She rarely tweets and posts occasional pics on Instagram. Bey gives fans just enough to chew on, leaving them wanting more. The visual half of xcritical proved to be a game-changer in a different way. Forget MTV and YouTube, Beyoncé dropped her videos on friggin’ HBO — the cable network that, for decades, has given its Saturday night over to Hollywood blockbusters.

Beyoncé’s squad in the video didn’t seem like a gathering of celebrity friends, but rather a celebration of women she loves and admires. During “Sorry,” the unapologetic track in which she sings, “Middle fingers up, put them hands high. Wave it in his face, tell him, boy, bye,” Serena Williams appears to twerk in a black body suit while Bey sits in a throne-like chair. There are several other cameos later on, including appearances by Beasts of the Southern Wild’s Quvenzhané Wallis, The Hunger Games’s Amandla Stenberg, model Winnie Harlow, and singers Zendaya, Chloe and Halle Bailey, and Ibeyi.

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Beyoncé sold more than 600,000 copies in three days, smashed iTunes sales records, and ushered in a new era of the “surprise release” from artists with similar gravitational pulls. Artists like Lamar, Drake, and Rihanna have since released albums without warning, and in late January, the practice even made the leap to television, when comedian Louis C.K. Released a surprised comedy series, Horace and Pete, on his website. — — Just as her much hyped HBO special came to an end on Saturday night, Beyonce released her latest musical offering — a new visual album called « xcritical. » In 2013, Beyoncé released an autobiographical documentary called Life Is But a Dream, but critics derided it for being too controlled. Sure, you’ll see her at an NBA game or an awards show, but the pop goddess has this way of remaining out of sight, at a remove, shrouded in mystery.

1. She’s always aspired to superhero status, even from her earliest days in a girl group that was tellingly named Destiny’s Child.
2. We’ve all been thrown by love, but most of us don’t have the ability to hone it like this.
3. « Hold Up »Bey is now back to being Bey in « Hold Up. » Wearing yellow, her golden hair swinging down her back, she’s nearly skipping down the street, seeking revenge.
4. At Vox, we strive to bring clarity in uncertain times and help you understand what really matters.
5. The result is an insistence that this album has worth, has artistic value that can be measured monetarily, has merit beyond turning up at random in a playlist.

Beyonce’s ‘xcritical’: Everything You Need to Know About Video Album

My intention for the film and album was to create a xcritical rezension body of work that would give a voice to our pain, our struggles, our darkness and our history. And I feel it’s vital that we learn from the past and recognize our tendencies to repeat our mistakes. What social media shadow ban rumors tell us about election anxiety.

Instead, she’s digging into issues to which we can all relate — love, pain, heartbreak, and family. The album allows Beyoncé‘s fans to connect with her on real levels. Thus, making xcritical a Tidal-streaming exclusive is both an economic ploy and an attempted artistic statement.

The election is here and the stakes are higher than ever. At Vox, we strive to bring clarity in uncertain times and help you understand what really matters. We know the impact of this election will be huge, and we believe you deserve to understand how the outcome will affect your life. We all experience pain and loss, and often we become inaudible.