End All, Bey All

Alex Bailey
Let’s make one thing clear, I like Beyoncé.

Image from Forbes.com

I won’t lie and say that I have every album that she has ever made or sang along to every song she performed at a concert. I would say that I’m the Beyoncé fan that followed her throughout the Destiny’s Child years and just happens to know all the popular songs that she's made as a solo artist. She has redefined elegance, grace, and sexiness with one foul swoop; simply put she’s a boss. She's had an extremely successful career in music while still having the time to be a mother, daughter, wife, and sister. They see her success, lavish lifestyle, and “perfect family” but don’t realize what she had to sacrifice to get that. She never had the chance to have a normal childhood, suffered a miscarriage, and had her parents’ marriage fall apart because of infidelity. Handling everything flawlessly, she is the all-encompassing role model that all black girls (or girls in general) look up to when we had no one else.

But what happens when the person that we aspire to becomes the epitome of who we should be? It seems as though girls today use the mantra “What would Yonce Do?” rather than looking to themselves for the answer. How can the same person who convinces us that we run the world, tell us to bow down to her and remember who really runs things? The intention of her message is confusing sometimes, especially to someone who isn't an avid listener.

Janelle Monae
Image from Grammy.com

I prefer the messages of current artist Janelle Monae who speaks on not sexualizing women in the music industry and using her music to start movements to spark change to social injustices. At the end of the day, both are strong black women who have changed the game of music, so it’s not about competition, but personal preference. Being able to think for yourself and taking a stand for something is something that is important to every girl to have and that’s the most important message the media should be telling.