beyonce by beyonce. i am completely obsessed with this album lately. i listen to it at least once a day. i know i know i know i am pretty behind on this, because it came out over a year ago. but i feel like it's better to discover something like this later than never. every song is so good and the production story is just so fascinating (right down to the mystery producer "boots"). i've read a lot of things about the album (best that i've read being this article), but beyonce turning her squeaky clean image on its head with this album is an endlessly beautiful thing. in an age when practically all female musicians are turning their nose up at being feminists--taylor swift, meghan trainor, katy perry--it's hard to forget that beyonce was once among them but also hard not to forgive her when this shit is happening:



i just relate to the record and its origin story, as far as how beyonce identified herself, so much. is she a feminist? yes. is it weird-hard being a feminist, and is she always evolving as one? yes. how's work? sucks sometimes, but she's learning to be her own woman. are there problems in her marriage? yes. is her marriage good though? unequivocal yes. is the sex sexy? yes. what's it like being a mom? unlike anything else (and "Blue" is unlike anything else on the album). who seriously needs to ask a woman these things? i feel like that is the heart of what she gets at with this album. who needs a promotional period for your album when your album is simply an answer to all the ridiculous, but societally acceptable, questions you've been asked your entire career?



i just love this so much, because it's my life.

I'm climbing up the walls cause all the shit I hear is boring

All the shit I do is boring

The 9 to 5, just to stay alive

The 9 to 5, just to stay alive

The 9 to 5, just to stay alive

All the people on the planet

Working 9 to 5 just to stay alive

How come?

people bash her for being like a robot but when you listen to how hard she is on herself to become better and to be in control it's inspiring. no one says that about michael jackson, who was notorious for his perfectionism and artistry. people bash on her because she doesn't "write her own music," but what's truly astounding is how those people don't understand branding in a day when it's the hottest business tactic in the market. beyonce owns and runs "beyonce", and the fact that she can bring all the biggest names in the industry together and they all tell her "there's something wrong with you" because she's so good is wonderful. some of what i've read has bashed her for pretending like she relates to the problems of everyday women--problems with beauty standards, with jealousy, with marriage, with work. but listening to this, we are definitely understanding each other on some very, very important and fundamental level.

and can we please talk about this?

 

 i mean, come on. and this:


 i want to record a cover of this for my dad when he dies. nothing has ever expressed quite so perfectly how i feel about my dad. we fought for you the hardest. it made us the strongest. but heaven couldn't wait for you. so go on, go home.