The night that Coachella was the opening act for Beyoncé

The night that Coachella was the opening act for Beyoncé | Random J Pop

I was asked a few weeks ago during a podcast that I featured on whether I was a Beyoncé fan and I wasn’t sure how to answer. Those who know me probably thought ‘Bitch, DUH!’. But when asked, I couldn't easily say that I was. I mean, I’ve followed her career way back since the days of Destiny’s child’s “No, no, no” and have all of her albums. I’ve seen Destiny’s child in concert and attended her Formation world tour. So...I guess I am? But if there was any doubt or internal uncertainty as to what side of the fence I'm on, I've got clarity now thanks to Beyoncé's Coachella performance.

There is no real theme to this piece. It's just me making random observations about Slayoncé.

Now, I was expecting Beyoncé to perform a couple of songs and then bounce. At the very most, I thought she may bring out her new children of Destiny: Blue Ivy, Green Aloe and Red Tulip. After she pretty much hogged the VMA’s and dropped her Formation world tour right in the middle of that bitch, I don’t know why I expected anything less than what she actually gave. But Beyoncé went right ahead and made the whole of Coachella her opening act.

Now, Beyoncé COULD have just dropped the Formation world tour into her set, threw in her feature on "Mi gente", "Shining" and "Top off", call it a night and everybody still would have said that she slayed, snatched their wig and burnt the receipt. But nope. A bitch gave everybody a brand new concept, new themes, a brand new set-list which spanned her entire career, with revisions of every damn song, mash-ups and reunited Destiny’s Child. Beyoncé put a level of effort into her shit and gave a production which is usually reserved for world tours. Beyoncé was always on a whole 'nother level to most, but she really jumped some with this. If we're talking Final Fantasy level type stats, other bitches in the game are mere party members, Beyoncé is a summon now. This was some Michael Jackson level type shit. People will be talking about this set for a long time.

The night that Coachella was the opening act for Beyoncé | Random J Pop

I knew Beyoncé was 'bout to be super extra II Turbo when she had a whole Nefertiti look just to enter the stage. Just...to enter...the damn stage. Then a bitch changed into a WHOLE NEW DAMN LOOK once she started performing. Who the hell does that?

Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter is the fuck who.

As she’s become synonymous with over the past 4 years, Beyoncé’s shit was blickitty black. Now, let’s get one thing straight. Beyoncé has always been blickitty black. She’s never once claimed nor perpetuated to be anything but. But from Lemonade onward, Beyoncé began placing clear messages of blackness and black empowerment into her performances and visuals. If ya’ll thought Lemonade was a trip down negro lane, Beyoncé’s hijacking of Coachella was literally her standing on stage like...


In the past Beyoncé shied from making any real statements with any form of racial or political clout. But ever since becoming a mother she's relinquished her ability to give a fuck. Beyoncé steamrolled into Coachella and unapologetically hosed white people down with her blackness. With the few black folk in the crowd basking in that shit like holy water. Beyoncé did the most.

The concept of Blackyoncé's entire performance was HBCU. She sang the black National anthem "Lift every voice and sing". Placed in quotes from Malcom X, Nina Simone and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Some would say that Civilyoncé wasn't here for some white girl Forever 21 nonsense. And they may be right. It was clear from the offset that this performance and all it had worth unpacking was for black people. But the entertainment value was universal. Even if you're not aware of the references, the nods to New Orleans, Houston and how black culture in general was so carefully and masterfully woven into every second of Afriyoncé's performance, then you can appreciate how entertaining the whole thing was from start to finish.

The night that Coachella was the opening act for Beyoncé | Random J Pop

Beyoncé has often caught flack for her brand of feminism, with many being at odds with how a feminist can be making declarations of such when they’re pandering to the male gaze. But part of feminism is not confirming to a social standard and controlling the narrative. Feminoncé can pop her pussy and dry hump on bleacher in a vinyl body suit and thigh highs and still be a feminist. There is no one template that a woman nor man must adhere do in order to successfully be a feminist.

Beyoncé’s acceptance of her own sexuality, sensuality and the female body is empowering, because it's something that she has always controlled. It's been something that Sexyoncé advocated ever since we saw her strut in that opening shot of "Crazy in love". But there's a greater level of command with it now. And this tethers into those she keeps around her. Her stylists, her backing singers and her dancers. All of whom are a range of shades, shapes and sizes and predominantly female.

Equalityoncé past couple of tours have featured an all female crew of dancers and musicians, a statement in itself. But her Negrochella performance not only brought back an equal number of male dancers, but was a further display of sisterhood. Beyoncé's dancers are always front and centre, but they took a lot of the spotlight here, as they were always present. They were a as much of a vessel for her message and she was herself. If not, more-so. And there was literal sisterhood with a dance-off with Solange.

Soloyoncé has oft caught flack for hogging spotlight. Rightly so, as she is the star and who people go broke to see. But she's not adverse to sharing her platform and there was a change in energy when Solange, Michelle and Kelly were on stage with her. She seemed at ease and far more relaxed. Her smiles, her laughs and her embraces with them were completely genuine and showed a side of Beyoncé we rarely see. They also cut through the mood of her set like a knife, because they were the few moments where Roboyoncé softened. It was a reminder than in the midst of such a regimented and almost otherworldly spectacle, that Beyoncé is human.

Becoming a mother seems to have pushed Mumyoncé further into territories where she feels much more comfortable and inclined to make visual statements attesting to her blackness and her femininity in all of its forms. We've seen this for years. Maybe it's been because I kinda missed her over the past year. Or maybe her Blackchella performance was just that good. But there was something magical about what Beyoncé did on this night and it felt like a full circle moment. It was a celebration of Beyoncé herself and this performance was made up of everything that makes her. Her blackness, her womanhood, her love of her hometown of Texas, her love of New Orleans and the deep South, her love of soul, her husband, her sister, her mother. This performance engaged, because we saw Beyoncé for who she was and for the first time we could see ourselves in what she was serving too.

The night that Coachella was the opening act for Beyoncé | Random J Pop

As part of Oprahyoncé's continuing narrative of womanhood and sisterhood, it only made sense that she brought out her back-up dancers Kelendria and Tenitra to reunite Destiny's Child. Despite it being 14 years since Beyoncé gave them their P45's and it being 4 years since Beyoncé reunited them for her Super bowl performance, seeing all 3 ladies together again felt as though they've never really been apart. Holyoncé having had two children since her first Super bowl performance seems to have sparked additional compassion in her, because she not only allowed extra decibels on Tenitra's microphone, but she allowed her to take the lion's share of vocals during the reunion.

The night that Coachella was the opening act for Beyoncé | Random J Pop

Ever since Jay-Z dropped his confessional album 4:44 to confirm that Lemonade was in-fact autobiographical, members of the Beyhive have side eyeing Jay-Z, wondering how in the fucking hell he could cheat on Wifeyoncé. Whenever any rumours of break-up or talk of infidelity arise, we always see Beyoncé and Jay-Z show up court-side at a Basketball game together. Or Beyoncé has her social media exec Blue Insa-Ivy post pictures of Mommy and Daddy looking crazy in love. But Nuptialyoncé stays letting her husband know that he done fucked up and that he should try that shit again. When she performed her kiss off anthem "Sorry" which references how he better call Becky wid da good hair, she dropped in her rap from her B'day cut "Kitty kat" - a rap which Beyoncé had Jay-Z write for her about him neglecting her. When Jay-Z heard those "Kitty Kat" bars, his ass must've been backstage like...

The night that Coachella was the opening act for Beyoncé | Random J Pop

So when Jay-Z came out to perform "Déjà vu" with her, she literally dragged him on stage. Literally.

Beyoncé's Coachella performance was of such a spectacle and a masterclass that the question of 'Is she the new Michael Jackson' had arose. I have to admit, when I saw Wigyoncé's set; the magnitude, the relevance, the continual messages throughout and the polish of her performance made me think about it too. For me, Michael Jackson is incomparable. He was in a league of his own and shall remain as such until the sun decides 'Fuck it, I'm out' and the universe ceases to exist and the only thing left is Michael's best wig floating through space. But Weaveyoncé is definitely one of the top tier pop acts of this generation for sure. There is no other female act right now doing what she does. Taylor Swift may be selling more records, but show me one performance that Saltine chick has done that was remotely poppin'. Not to mention that her being white grants her a level of access that comes to the likes of her faster than it does to a woman of colour.

The night that Coachella was the opening act for Beyoncé | Random J Pop

Beyoncé is not the new Michael Jackson. Beyoncé is Beyoncé. She's not chasing Michael Jackson's legacy. She's created her own and her Coachella performance is the seal of that. We kinda knew from the days of Destiny's Chyild that Beyoncé would end up here, but it's quite gratifying to see that she's made it. Young girls and boys will remember this performance for years. And it's mightily important that it's a woman of colour who shook social media and sonned the shit out of Coachella with a blickitty black set, at an event with a predominantly white audience. And for that, whilst I wouldn't compare Beyoncé to Michael Jackson, his influence and essence ran through Beyoncé's Africhella set Michael Jackson not only made a name for himself because of his insane talent, but because of the way he broke racial barriers and occupied spaces previous reserved for white artists. And what Beyoncé has continued to do, more so over the past couple of years, is to occupy those spaces with messages and be black as fuck.

So, a question should be, which artist has Michael Jackson had the biggest influence on? And a top contender would be Beyonce. More so than the usual suspects of Usher and Justin Timberlake, simply because they emulate his music and physicality through dance.

There will only be one Michael Jackson. And there will only be on Beyoncé. Why spend your time chasing somebody else's legacy, when you'd be better off creating your own? And Beyoncé's done that.

Nefertitiyoncé's performance at Coachella has since been christened Beychella. And rightly so. Queen B. I salute you.

The night that Coachella was the opening act for Beyoncé: #Beychella B'Chella | Random J Pop

My prayers go out to who ever headlines Coachella next year. Because Inhumanyoncé done threw that fucking bar so damn high...

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