Beyoncé helped usher in a renaissance for African artists

Beyoncé has released her seventh solo studio album, titled Renaissance (2022). The album, an event in global popular culture, is the first of a three-part project by the American artist. His previous release, the visual album Black is King (2020), collaborated with a host of African artists. Renaissance pays homage to black dance music and again features African artists, including Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, who is living his own global moment.

In history, the renaissance era (from the 1400s) was characterized by the revival and renewal of culture and scholarship in Europe after a period of stagnation. Even today, art – painting, music, fashion – contributes to how people dress and behave, what they choose to post and talk about, and how they perceive and perceive society.

Over the past three decades, Beyoncé has played a major role in shaping global popular culture. She has continually empowered listeners and sparked debate, and her words have often been quoted in discussions of societal issues. Her views on monogamy on the album Dangerously in Love (2003), for example, offer a counter-narrative to the patriarchal portrayal of hypersexuality among black women.

On Lemonade (2016), Beyoncé uses musical genres beyond those expected of a black artist. In the process, she challenges the discrimination she faces. On Black is King, she reflects a renaissance of African art forms at a time when cultural norms dominated by Western thought are in decline and the African star is rising in popular culture.

In this article, I argue that throughout her career, Beyoncé has contributed to the renewal of various narratives in popular music and thereby engaged significantly with African culture and music.

African Collaborations

Beyoncé has involved various African artists in her projects and has often presented them to international audiences. Before Black is King, these include poetry by Kenyan-born Warsan Shire on Lemonade, a quote by Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on Flawless (2013) and choreography by Tofo Tofo – the Mozambique-based dance group – in Run the World (Girls) video.

Although not as prominently as on Black is King, Beyoncé has also included African artists on Renaissance, particularly on the song Move, which has an Afrobeats-inspired style and features P2J (Nigeria) and GuiltyBeatz (Ghana) as as producers, as well as Tems. as a writer and performer.

Tems (Temilade Openiyi), a versatile singer who also writes songs, shot to fame after being featured on Essence (2020) by Nigerian star singer WizKid. His discography consists of music from various genres, including alternative R&B, neo-soul and Afropop. Her debut single Mr Rebel (2018) showcases her R&B talents (as a producer and singer), while her 2021 feature on Canadian rapper Drake’s Fountains shows her ability to convey emotion through her voice.

Tems’ name is on everyone’s lips following the release of the trailer for the Black Panther movie sequel featuring his cover of Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry. She has contributed to the renewal of perceptions towards Afropop and commercial African music, and to its popularization throughout the world thanks to her unique style of music.

black is king

I believe that when black people tell our own stories, we can change the axis of the world and tell our TRUE story of generational richness and soul richness that is not told in our history books. – Beyonce

Black is King, Beyoncé’s previous album, is a celebration of African traditions with a “modern twist”. In the visual album, she incorporates a pan-African inspired lens and incorporates elements from several African countries. It partners with various African actors, directors, creators, choreographers and musicians, showcasing the diversity of the continent.

Viewers are exposed to African elements ranging from music genres like Afrobeats (Nigeria) and gqom (South Africa) to popular dance styles like Network (Ghana) and Kpakujemu (Nigeria). There are also visuals of landscapes across the continent.

Beyoncé should not be mistakenly credited with originating these elements, or even popularizing them. They existed and were loved by people long before she started filming. However, there is no denying the instrumental role Beyoncé has played in bringing these elements to the forefront of global popular culture through her platform as an international star.

Additionally, the visual album portrays a more accurate representation of the African continent and its diversity than other works that adopt an African label in global popular culture. Black is King ushered in a revival of the image of Africa in popular media and allowed many Africans and Blacks to finally feel more represented in mainstream popular culture.

Renaissance

Beyoncé has once again incorporated an element of revival on Renaissance. Through the album’s 16 tracks, she takes listeners on a journey with the stated intention of creating a safe space free from judgment, perfectionism and overthinking. Listeners are exposed to music that channels the Studio 54 disco era of the 1970s with effortless transitions into more contemporary pop, R&B and house genres.

Early disco music was influenced by late 1960s funk, soul, and jazz, and combined these styles with technologies such as synthesizers, multitrack recordings, and drum machines. This created a lavish, decadent form of dance-oriented pop music characterized by a steady beat and prominent, high-pitched, reverberant vocals. The genre was at its peak between 1975 and early 1979, with artists such as Donna Summer and Gloria Gaynor dominating the charts.

On the aptly titled Renaissance, Beyoncé brought this style back to the forefront of pop culture, introducing many young listeners to it. From the start of the first single Break My Soul, listeners are exposed to the album’s pervasive dance-pop and house style. Beyoncé successfully incorporates musical genres such as pop, electronic house, afrobeats, trap and soul, to name a few, in combination with various disco influences. Throughout the album’s lyrics, an overall sense of self-love and pride is portrayed. It sounds like the music of one of South Africa’s and the continent’s most prominent pop artists, Brenda Fassie (1964-2004).

Throughout her career, Fassie, one of the queens of African pop, has made disco and pop music influenced by her township roots. His signature music told the stories of black South Africans during the country’s apartheid era.

World Scene

When considering how popular music acts as a site of social change within popular culture, it is evident that Beyoncé plays a key role in shaping parts of popular societal thought.

Read more: This is Beyoncé’s world. We just live in it

Throughout his career, his music has challenged and renewed various narratives within the popular music industry.

Her work serves as a platform for African artists on the world stage, using various musical genres as a method to counter people’s perception of black female musicians. His latest album continues in this direction by introducing new listeners to a revival of disco with a contemporary twist.