How Brands Become Icons As Told By Beyoncé (Part II)
2011-Present
What up!
If you missed last week’s post, this part 2 of a breakdown using Doug Holt’s book “How Brands Become Icons” to showcase how Beyoncé became an icon over the past two decades.
To recap: the idea is that Beyoncé taps into different populist worlds at key moments in time, and by performing what Holt refers to as identity myths, she is able to reinvent herself and stay relevant.
As with any brand, Each of Beyoncé’s projects uses her personal life as source material for a potent myth, and when infused with relevant cultural issues of the time, her music, visuals, and everything in between connects with people across the world in an authentic way.
Last week was about 2003-2011, so today I’m gonna breakdown her career starting from the self-titled album to present day.
Y’all ready? So am I.
*Talk to em Bey!*
2013: Beyoncé
It had been two years since Beyoncé had released her fourth album, “4” , and up until that point, she had been radio silent. That meant very few interviews, press sightings,and no music.
Culturally, streaming platforms finally reached maturity, making them the the number one way to consume music. Fans were primed to visit iTunes (or bootleg) their favorite albums, and blogs were responsible for bridging the gap to consumers on behalf of artists and labels.
They weren’t keen on hearing three singles on the radio with months before an album date announcement, and because of the invention of DSLR cameras, music videos weren’t as special anymore — anyone could make one.
For all intents and purposes, traditional album rollouts were dead… or so we thought.
One night, Beyoncé shocked the world by announcing her 5th album, a self-titled visual endeavor. The catch? she gave ZERO warning. Fans had no time to prepare as the album dropped hours after the announcement.
National Ideology: A Nation on Edge
Obama’s first term as President had concluded, and he was gearing up for a tense reelection campaign against Mitt Romney.
On the cultural front, news of Bill Cosby’s past sexual assaults went viral on Twitter, ultimately leading to the formation of the #MeToo Movement worldwide. Women everywhere were finally able to have a voice, and hold men accountable for their actions behind closed doors, and it felt like a real shift was taking place in the country.
Between the impending election ,and the #MeToo Movement, America was entering a new era — one marked by facing the ugly truths that had gone unconfronted for too long.
On a personal level…
Beyoncé had just become a mother.
She was experiencing a new chapter in her life. Because of that, news from or about her was relatively minimal, aside from a few headlines of her & Jay-Z fundraising for Obama’s second term. However, rumors were swirling that she was prepping two projects for 2013.
Fans wondered how motherhood would affect her music career — an eerily similar battle she faced when putting out her debut album “Dangerously In Love.” Also, knowing how strongly she advocated for the rights of women worldwide, many were curious about what Bey would have to say that could help women feel empowered in such a turbulent time in the country.
The Populist World: Back To My Roots Newstalgia
Time waits for no one, and eventually, we’ll all get old. But, as we age, the search for happiness doesn’t diminish, and in that search, people tend to cling to nostalgia and the joy that it brings. It reminds them of simpler times when life had a clear trajectory, the food was better, and toys were unmatched.
For her self-titled effort, Beyoncé tapped into a period with her production that harkens back to an era where many of her fans grew up — both old and new. She drew on 80s pop/disco vibes for songs like “Blow” and opted for more carefree records like “Drunk In Love.”
The Identity Myth: The Old Bey
Although Beyoncé was in a new chapter of her life, she was able to tap into the feelings that she had earlier in her life & career for her self-titled endeavor.
With her visuals, She reached back to an era where many of her fans, both old and new, were raised — one filled with vibrant colors, and skating rinks.
On a song like “Blow,” she leaned into 80s pop/disco vibes, and on songs like “Drunk In Love,” she expressed the same carefree joy that most 20-somethings did when they were drunk… and in love.
In the clip below from the album documentary, Bey talks about how the inspiration for “Partition” came from remembering when she and Jay first met and how “he was trying to scoop her.”
The result of Bey’s nostalgia? She made hits. And, “Beyoncé” became the fastest selling album in iTunes history.
2016: Lemonade
National Ideology: Make America Great Again
The Obama era was officially over & the country was more divided than ever.
The deaths of Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Mike Brown, and more led to rise of the Black Lives Matters movement two years prior, and civil unrest happened across the nation once it was revealed that in many of these instances that the officers involved would not be held accountable.
On top of that, Donald Trump was running for president and his ideology brought the country to uncharted territory with his threats to undo the ACA and empowerment of far-right political groups who sought to undo America’s progress.
On a personal level…
Bey had just been in a very public incident involving her husband & sister in an elevator. Rumors swirled about what caused the incident, and whispers of infidelity filled the tabloids and blog websites. The Carters remained silent, but the world was anxiously awaiting a response. Lemonade delivered that.
The Populist World: The Faithful to a Fault
Following the Met Gala incident with her husband, social media chatter ensued around rumors of what allegedly sparked the elevator incident between her and Jay. It led to conversations around infidelity, trust, and so much more. But in the process, this highly personal moment in Bey’s career uncovered a populist world that she could center her next album around.
Faithfulness.
Bey tapped into a feeling that many in long-term relationships could relate to i.e. the idea of being faithful to their partner, constantly fending off advances, and more, only to find out that their partner folded at the first sign of temptation.
More to the point, fans would be curious to know how she dealt with her personal situation as they look for inspiration for handling their own situations. After all, if it could happen to Beyoncé, that meant it could happen to “normal” people.
The Identity Myth: A Woman Scorned
On Lemonade, Bey uses Kubler Ross’ model of the five stages of grief to move forward the narrative of the album.
Using the strong source material of her personal life, Bey was able to create an identity myth where she embodies the woman scorned in songs like Hold Up (featured below) and ultimately turns those feelings into ones of healing and redemption by the end of the album with songs like “All Night.”
Bey’s journey on Lemonade helped spark healing for women everywhere who thought she was immune from the same situations they faced in their lives.
The album affirmed that not only does Beyoncé go through the same trial and tribulations that most marriages go through, but it also reaffirmed her commitment to showing a women’s plight. Because of that, Lemonade stands high on the list of fan favorites and serves a cultural moment that looms larger than music.
2022: Renaissance
“With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again. I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible.” - Beyoncé, Harper’s Bazzar
Bey’s most recent album (and the one currently prepping for tour) came unexpectedly. It had been five years since the release of Lemonade and fans knew they were overdue for a Beyoncé album. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar she expressed how he she felt a renaissance (pun intended) emerging.
National Ideology: A World in Peril
In 2020, COVID-19 swept across the world and countries everywhere were forced into lockdowns that isolated them from family and friends. No one knew how long the orders to shelter in place would last, or when things would return to normal but it was clear that the world had changed forever.
If that wasn’t enough, The murder of George Floyd led national protests decrying police brutality and demanding accountability from the police officers who were responsible for the death of George Floyd.
For a while it truly seemed like the world was ending. People were isolated, fearful of COVID, and after the sanctions lifted ready to party.
On a personal level…
Beyoncé had been relatively quiet. Almost too quiet. Aside from a few magazine covers and an appearance at the Grammy’s, no one could be sure what source material Bey would tap into for her next endeavor. All one could gather is that, like most of us, she had spent most of her time inside hoping to dodge COVID-19.
The Populist World: Queer Culture
At the heart of it, Queer culture is embodies a strong belief in not being boxed into one label — that means not being defined by a specific sexuality, or gender expression. In essence, Queerness is about freedom & liberation.
For Renaissance, Bey explored Queer culture as the populist world. It’s a culture filled with a variety of subcultures & movements that are historically underrepresented in the mainstream. And while Queer culture is sometimes limited in its association with genres of music like House, the culture also aligns closely with Drag, Disco, and high fashion — all of which provide source material for an icon to perform an identity myth.
For Bey, this was an untapped territory and territory that would make the most sense for her to explore if she chose to make a dance album. It also made sense as she’s advocated historically for the Queer community — something she’s made very clear throughout her career.
The Identity Myth: Queer Icon
Renaissance tapped dance & house music respectively which both have roots in Black culture and specifically within the Queer community (House being an innovation of queer Black DJs in the 80s like Frankie Knuckles)
The themes of Renaissance swirled around identity with records like “Cozy” talking about being comfortable in your skin, and liberation on songs like “Break My Soul.”
More to the point, the album is dedicated to the memory of Beyoncé’s late Uncle Johnny who she cites as an inspiration for the album, and her introduction to much of the source material she used to craft Renaissance.
Ultimately, Renaissance would prove to be another strong addition to what has been a stellar career, and as of the time of this article Beyoncé is selling out another U.S. tour (with 3 dates in Atlanta, no less) showing that this album made a huge cultural impact; so much so, that fans are still clamoring for more content (like the videos) months after its release.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS…
Beyoncé is an icon with much more to do.
It’s almost unfair to end things right here, but who knows? A few more years from now when SNOBHOP is a multi-million dollar endeavor, and Beyoncé’s collecting her 40th Grammy for her 12th album, I’ll have to revisit this series. Hopefully it’ll happen via a live interview with Bey… Or, maybe I’ll produce a record on her album (a guy can dream, right?)
Peace.