How Brands Become Icons As Told By Beyoncé (Part I)
The 2003-2011 Years
Queen Bey.
Beyoncé is one of the most iconic artists of our time. If aliens landed on Earth and asked for our five best musicians, she’d be named without a doubt (but which album we play them is a story for another day).
Still, it’s always been clear that Beyoncé was something special, and her career also presents a fascinating case study for marketers to follow whether you like her music or not.
That said, we’re going to cover Bey’s career from 2003-2011 and break down how she went from being a new solo act to a global icon in less than a decade.
Because of what a massive undertaking this is in terms of research, this will be a two parter!
Sound good? I think so too. Let’s get it mayne!
So, how do brands become icons?
According to DB Holt iconic brands engage in cultural branding and they generally make use of 3 components to build their story:
National Ideology: A system of ideas that together forge everyday life
Populist worlds: Groups that express a distinctive ideology through their activities.
For Beyoncé the populist world consists of the country at large, and also her personal life which is subject to scrutiny as a public figure. Iconic Musicians usually use both for source material every time they make a new album.
Identity myth: A new type of belief that hopes to resolve larger cultural tensions that are created by the national ideology.
With each solo album, Beyoncé showed how in tune she was with what was going on culturally, and reflected that in a way that spoke to the tensions faced by many women across the U.S.
Her albums have served as tentpole moments in her career and are responsible for propelling her to iconic status, so we’ll use those as focal points of this essay.
2003: Dangerously In Love
Beyoncé’s Debut album "Dangerously In Love" proved what many fans already knew: she had star power and the potential to be a solo artist. Its success solidified Beyoncé as a star and became the first win in her climb toward icon status.
National Ideology: A Cloud of Uncertainty
When Beyoncé released "Dangerously In Love," the country was in disarray & women’s rights were under attack.
Four states passed laws to restrict women’s reproductive rights. Workplace discrimination was at an all-time high. And, because of an attack on the Twin Towers two years prior to this album’s launch, we were at war with the Middle East. Add to that the fact that President Bush was about to mount his reelection campaign and you’ll get a general wave of uncertainty that shrouded Americans' daily lives.
It was a hard road for women to traverse, and the world needed assurance. Domestically, people were looking for someone that could embody confidence, boldness, and getting sh*t done.
On a personal level…
Beyoncés career was in a state of uncertainty.
She had just announced that Destiny’s Child was taking a brief hiatus, and people questioned her potential as a solo artist. She had also gone public with her relationship with Jay-Z, starred in her second film Austin Powers Goldmember, where she had to speak up about body alterations that were made to promo posters featuring her.
In short, her world was changing and changing fast.
The Populist World: The Power of Personal Strength
People needed reassurance amid the uncertainty they faced, and women everywhere needed a beacon of positivity and strength to reignite their belief in love and relationships amidst walking into an uncertain future.
"Dangerously In Love" had songs that reminded ordinary people that they could tap into their internal strength and take control of their destinies.
The Identity Myth: Coming of Age
"I wanted to have an album that everyone could relate to and would listen to as long as I'm alive and even after... Love is something that never goes out of style. It's something everybody experiences, and if they are not in love, people usually want to feel that..."
Beyoncé was just 22, but she represented ideals that would help shape the future of women’s empowerment for years to come. She represented young women everywhere who were beginning to see the world for what it is, but needed someone to guide them through the changes of adulthood & relationships.
In keeping with the national ideology around freedom, love, etc. the music reflected a particular segment. A segment where culture collided with the coming of age for many women who were navigating how they felt about their lives & their relationships at the time. And, with the world in such an uncertain place, Bey was able to be a symbol for women everywhere.
"Dangerously In Love" provided brash, triumphant anthems at a time when Americans, and women specifically, needed to believe they were at liberty to love, and to love hard at that.
In the process, it won 5 Grammys, but that was just a taste of what was to come…
2005: B-Day
Sophomore albums can be difficult to make.
If your debut album is a classic, people expect you to make another one. If it's a dud, then album #2 has to be so good that they forgive album #1.
Bey delivered on album #2 and in the process, showed the world a different, more mature side of her — something sparked by her recent jump into film.
National Ideology: Internal Moral Conflict
Americans were still reeling from the effects of 9/11, and searching for a way to reconcile its deeply religious values with changes in the national paradigm.
Movies like Passion of the Christ served to reignite religious values throughout the country and gave America deep questions to answer about where it stood ethically & morally.
The country was knee-deep in internal debate, and the bi-product of that was the continued suppression of women’s rights everywhere and subsequent social movements that sought to help women in their pursuit of true equality.
The Populist World: Women’s Empowerment
I was so inspired by Deena, I wrote songs that were saying all the things I wish she would have said in the film… It's a pivotal moment when Deena finally does get the strength to stand up for herself and does know who she is and knows what she wants. I'm sure all of you women can relate to the lyrics. - Beyoncé, Encore To The Fans
In the interview clip below, Bey said that this album was heavily inspired by Deena, who she played in the feature film “Dreamgirls” only a year earlier. Deena spent a large majority of Dreamgirls being manipulated and undermined by her husband Curtis until she finally mustered the strength to leave him.
It left an indelible mark on Bey who was also was turning 25 soon.
In America your 25th birthday is considered a milestone and it’s a time when many young people, and young women specifically experience a quarter life crisis.
At 25, decisions about your partner, your career, and your overall future tend to weigh heavily on you, and Bey created an album that was entirely about women finding their strength, especially in their relationships and given the sociopolitical climate in 2006 it was right on time.
The Identity Myth: The Empowered Woman
Though it was her 25th birthday, Beyoncé was far from a quarter life crisis.
B’day signified that Beyoncé was here to stay as a solo force in the music industry and its rollout showed a level of growth and maturity that her debut showed glimpses of.
The themes of the album tie in squarely with the national ideology which was deeply rooted in keeping with religious ideals (which often seek to minimize women’s presence, and role in relationships).
Bey broke those chains & showed that she was in control throughout the album, and in its visuals.
In fact, “Upgrade You” became a hit that embodied female empowerment. Ultimately, it set the stage for her career to ascend to new heights.
2008: I Am… Sasha Fierce
"Sasha Fierce is the fun, more sensual, more aggressive, more outspoken side and more glamorous side that comes out when I'm working and when I'm on the stage," - Beyoncé, The Guardian
National Ideology: A Country Divided
It was 2008.
The Bush presidency ended, and a young senator from Chicago had just won the presidential election and in the process became the first Black President. Obama's win contributed to a national ideology centered around hope, self-advocacy, and pride.
However, for every step forward, there were two steps back.
While Nancy Pelosi became the first female speaker of the House a year prior, access to birth control was a huge political issue on capital hill, as was marriage equality, the wage gap, and abortion. The country was, in effect, divided.
On a personal level…
Bey had just married Jay-Z, and was continuing her acting career by playing Etta James in “Cadillac. She had also just finished “The Beyoncé Experience” tour — a 96 show sprint that supported the release of her 2006 album “B-Day.”
She was all gas, no breaks and it would all come to a head on I Am… Sasha Fierce
The Populist World: Modern Feminism
As Beyoncé progressed throughout her career she saw inequality play out on a national scale. She undoubtedly experienced issues in equality being in a male-dominated music industry and research from that year further affirmed how far away the world was from creating true equality for women.
While making Sasha Fierce she felt compelled to speak out, so much so that she embraced a new alter ego in the process and even penned the letter below on gender equality.
The Identity Myth: The Feminist Icon
As the comment says above (pulled from the YouTube comments of “If I Were A Boy”) Yoncé was in her bag & with this album she firmly solidified herself as a feminist icon.
With songs like “If I Were a Boy” Bey was able to challenge conventional gender roles and created conversation on a national level. And “Single Ladies” served to remind women of their strength without a man, especially one who proved to be non-committal and not willing to put a ring on it.
The visuals from I Am… Sasha Fierce also sought to spark critical thought about what it meant to be a woman, which was especially important coming from someone who advocates for the rights & equality of women on a global scale. It was clear with this album that B was not only tapping into her own personal strength, but she was indeed a feminist icon.
2011: 4
I run my world - Beyoncé, 4 Documentary
Beyoncés 4th solo album “4” came at interesting time culturally.
Oprah had announced that her show was coming to an end which was historic considering what she represented for Black women in media.
On the tech & music front Facebook had just hit 500 million users a year prior which many thought would be impossible and according to Pew Research, that was also the year that mobile device usage reached new highs (a number that’s probably been topped every year since)
All of this marked a shift towards social media as complete means of communication and a part of our everyday lives. And if that wasn’t enough, bootlegging was at an all time high in what many now refer to as “the blog era.”
We were officially in uncharted territory .
National Ideology: Yes, we can
Obama’s first term as president brought a lot of hope to the country, and it signaled a step forward for Black Americans who were able to witness a Black President for the first time in U.S. history.
However, America was embedded in conflict with Libya while still dealing with its battles in the Middle East. And Obama’s term was set to conclude in 2012.
Domestically, politicians were doing their best to suppress women’s rights in the years leading up to Beyoncés album. Worldwide the U.N. was doing what it could to help but world needed a personal reminder of who really ran the world.
On a personal level…
Beyoncé had just parted ways with her father Matthew Knowles as management. She was, in effect, in uncharted territory and feeling a sense of true independence for the first time as an artist. Coupled with the changes happening in media, and in her personal life — being a mother and wife, she used her personal experiences to tap into the wider national ideology for women around being bold, confident, and independent.
The Populist World: Women’s Empowerment
Harkening back to her women’s empowerment roots - a theme that can be seen throughout all of her albums, Bey used her personal battles to create a project that highlighted her newfound independence from her father, and her continued belief in the power of women.
Both of which were important given the sociopolitical climate in the U.S.
The Identity Myth: Queen Bey
Bey tapped into themes of infidelity, women’s empowerment, and celebrating diversity; in the process it propelled her to new heights. The ballads on “4” were big and triumphant, as were the visuals, and its level of polish. This is the record that signified a new era for Bey. She had always been Beyoncé, but with “4” she became Queen Bey.
EPILOGUE
What more can I say? This is just part one, so if you enjoyed this, don’t forget to share it with a friend. Catch y’all next week with part 2!
Peace.