[I believe that when Black people tell our own stories, we can
shift the axis of the world and tell our REAL history of generational
wealth and richness of soul that are not told in our history books.
– Beyoncé]
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BEYONCÉ HAS HELPED USHER IN A RENAISSANCE FOR AFRICAN ARTISTS  
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James Chikomborero Paradza
August 4, 2022
The Conversation
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_ I believe that when Black people tell our own stories, we can shift
the axis of the world and tell our REAL history of generational wealth
and richness of soul that are not told in our history books. –
Beyoncé _

Beyoncé on stage in South Africa in 2018. Her new album is called
Renaissance. , Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival:
Mandela 100

 

Beyoncé has released
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her seventh solo studio album, titled Renaissance
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(2022). The album, an event in global popular culture, is the first of
a three-part project by the US artist. Her previous outing, the visual
album Black is King (2020), collaborated with a host of African
artists
[[link removed]].
Renaissance pays tribute
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to black dance music and again features
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African artists, including Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, who is
having a global moment
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own.

In history, the renaissance era
[[link removed]] (from the 1400s) was
characterised by the rebirth and renewal of culture and scholarship in
Europe following a period of stagnation. Today, still, art –
paintings, music, fashion – contributes to how people dress and
behave, what they choose to post and talk about, and how they perceive
themselves and society.

For the last three decades, Beyoncé has played a major role in
shaping global popular culture. She has continuously empowered
listeners and sparked debate, and her lyrics have often been quoted in
discussions on societal issues. Her views on monogamy on the album
Dangerously in Love
[[link removed]] (2003), for
example, offer a counter narrative to the patriarchal depiction of
hypersexuality in black women.

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The vinyl cover art for Renaissance. Parkwood Entertainment

On Lemonade
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Beyoncé uses music genres beyond those expected of a black female
artist. In the process she challenges the discrimination she faces. On
Black is King [[link removed]] she reflects a
renaissance of African art forms in a time when cultural norms
dominated by western thinking are on the decline and Africa’s star
is rising in popular culture.

In this article, I argue that throughout her career, Beyoncé has
contributed to a renewal of various narratives in popular music and
has in so doing engaged meaningfully with African culture and music.

African collaborations

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

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

Tems (Temilade Openiyi), a versatile vocalist who also writes songs,
rose to fame after being featured on Essence
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vocalist WizKid. Her discography consists of music across different
genres, including alternative R&B, neo-soul and Afropop. Her debut
single Mr Rebel (2018) displays her R&B talents (as both a producer
and vocalist), while her 2021 feature on Canadian rapper Drake’s
Fountains [[link removed]] shows her
ability to convey emotions through her voice.

Tems’ name is on everyone’s lips following the release of the
trailer [[link removed]] for the Black
Panther movie sequel set to her cover of Bob Marley’s No Woman, No
Cry. She has contributed to the renewal of perceptions towards Afropop
and commercial African music, and its popularisation across the globe
through her unique style of music.

Black is King

I believe that when Black people tell our own stories, we can shift
the axis of the world and tell our REAL history of generational wealth
and richness of soul that are not told in our history books. –
Beyoncé

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 integrates elements from
several African countries. She partners with various African actors,
directors, designers, choreographers and musicians, highlighting the
continent’s diversity.

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

Beyoncé must not mistakenly be credited with originating these
elements, nor even popularising them. They existed and were
appreciated by people long before she started filming. However, one
cannot deny the instrumental role Beyoncé has played in bringing
these elements to the forefront of global popular culture as a result
of her platform as an international star.

Moreover, 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 has introduced
a renaissance of Africa’s image in popular media and empowered many
African and black people as they finally feel more represented in
mainstream popular culture.

Renaissance

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

Early disco [[link removed]] music was
influenced by the funk, soul and jazz of the late 1960s, and combined
these styles with technology such as synthesisers, multitrack
recordings and drum machines. This created a lavish and decadent form
of dance-orientated pop music characterised by a steady beat and
vocals that are prominent, high and reverberated. The genre was at its
peak between 1975 to early 1979, with artists such as Donna Summer
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and Gloria Gaynor [[link removed]] dominating the
charts.

On the appropriately titled Renaissance, Beyoncé has brought this
style back to the forefront of pop culture, introducing many young
listeners to it. From the outset of the lead single Break My Soul,
listeners are exposed to the album’s pervasive dance-pop and
house-inspired style. Beyoncé successfully integrates music genres
including pop, electronic house, Afrobeats, trap and soul, to name a
few, in combination with various disco influences. Through the lyrics
on the album, an overarching sense of self-love and pride is
portrayed. This resembles the music by one of South Africa’s and the
continent’s most prominent pop artists, Brenda Fassie
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(1964-2004).

Throughout her career, Fassie, one of the queens of African pop, made
disco and pop music that was influenced by her township roots. Her
iconic music narrated the stories of black South Africans during the
country’s apartheid
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era.

Global stage

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

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

Her work serves as a platform for African artists on a global stage,
using various music genres as a method to counter people’s
perceptions of black female musicians. Her latest album continues to
do this by introducing new listeners to a revival of disco with a
contemporary flair.[The Conversation]

James Chikomborero Paradza
[[link removed]],
Doctor of Music Candidate, _University of Pretoria
[[link removed]]_

This article is republished from The Conversation
[[link removed]] under a Creative Commons license. Read
the original article
[[link removed]].

* Music
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* Culture
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* Africa
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* Women
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