Beyoncé’s pregnancy photo album broke the internet
On Feb. 1, I looked down at my phone in the middle of class and I very audibly gasped. Sorry, professor. I got a Twitter notification that the queen, Beyoncé, announced she’s pregnant — with twins. Following that notification came a flood of texts from my friends who were almost as excited as I was. The social media world continues to buzz about the announcement and the stunning pictures released on Instagram and her own website, beyonce.com.
The timing of this announcement was impeccable. Known for her strong activism for racial and gender equality in “Lemonade,” Beyoncé released the artistic photos on the first day of Black History Month, which once again shows her unafraid and inspirational pride to be black. These pictures continue to prove to be the best press for the singer because they were released just a couple months after the world found out that her controversial yet brilliant visual album “Lemonade” was nominated for nine Grammy Awards.
The photo album, titled “I Have Three Hearts,” includes pictures of the singer posing as empowering female figures like Venus, the goddess of love. Several pictures show her underwater, and what initially caught my eye was the similarity of looks between the photos and her look in “Lemonade” right before the song “Hold Up.” I couldn’t help but think of the irony in the picture, since the song portrayed her as a crazy or jealous girlfriend that wanted nothing more than her significant other’s love. According to Beyoncé’s website, she is supposed to signify Oshun, an African spirit that represents water, fertility, beauty and love. Just like the musical goddess, Oshun also had twins — further blowing my mind.
Her daughter Blue Ivy also is featured in several beautiful and heartwarming shots that show her touching her mother’s belly and handing her mother flowers. The album, similar to “Lemonade,” is separated by quotes from poet and writer Warsan Shire. The sections include her first pregnancy with Blue Ivy, generations of pregnant women in her family and her love for husband Jay-Z. These themes are recurring — we first saw them in “Lemonade,” and Beyoncé continues to make the world question her every move.
Which leads me to make this statement: Beyoncé is the smartest musician and artist of our generation. Ok, yes, I am a part of the “Beyhive” and I basically worship her every move. But how could you not? Have you seen any other artist release a whole photo album with what seems like an infinite stream of deeper meanings? On top of that, you can connect these pictures to her buzz-worthy visual album that honestly should get a Grammy Award for best album in the history of the world.
I may sound crazy, but let me explain on behalf of the millions of Beyoncé fans — she is one of the only artists that has been able to bring conversations about race and gender into mainstream media. She has brought into light tough topics that people just looked past, and is unapologetic about it. The idea of feminism before “***Flawless” often had an image of bra-burning angry ladies around it. The idea of blackness and pride was, and still is, oppressed and unheard of before “Lemonade.” These topics are needed now more than ever, and what you think is just a pretty cool baby announcement actually means more to many marginalized communities.
So I just wanted to say, thank you, Queen Beyoncé, for blessing us with the phenomenal work that you do not only in the music industry, but in humanity. But obviously I can’t forget to congratulate you on your pregnancy. The world cannot wait for two more baby queens, kings, or anything in-betweens to grace us all with their presence.
Christine Chung is a senior communication and rhetorical studies major. Her column appears weekly in Pulp. She can be reached at chchun02@syr.edu.
Published on February 5, 2017 at 9:51 pm
