Béyonce Fights Back

**On 21st January 2013 the white house held the second inauguration of President Obama. It also marked the day that Béyonce joined the likes of Aretha Franklin in singing at the inauguration of one of the most high profile President’s in US history. Already an iconic song that has been covered by many glamorous singers, the anticipation around Béyonce’s rendition was great. And in true Ms. Knowles fashion, ‘B’ did not disappoint, giving a moving and powerful performance. However, the unexpected big news of the day wasn’t the inauguration speech or what Michelle Obama was wearing, but the utter shock that Béyonce chose to lip-sync the national anthem. There has been a fierce wave of backlash against Béyonce (who’s controversial decision now takes up more than 11 pages of Google search).**

Ever the Béyonce fan, my initial disappointment was soon abated. First I reacted with sympathy; not only was it Obama’s second inauguration which was seen by millions of people across the world (something anyone would be daunted by), to add to this the weather was not ideal for one of the most important vocal performances of a girl’s life. Then I reacted with anger, the criticism she received clearly overshadowed the amazing voice and adaptation, which I hope will receive proper acclaim in weeks to come. More convincing than any of my reactions or defences was Béyonce’s response at the Superbowl; Mrs Carter came back fighting with a stunning and very live ‘Star Spangled Banner’, ending her performance with a cheeky and defiant “Any Question’s? Ha Ha”. Pure brilliance.

It has been a very big few months for the mega star, with Béyonce set to follow the inauguration with a full set at half time during the Superbowl. Her appearance here marks the launch of her eagerly anticipated world tour. So naturally, expectation was once again, sky high. Motherhood clearly hasn’t deterred Béyonce from the drama of performance as she entered the arena, ever fierce and clad in patent leather knee high boots and a raunchy black ensemble befitting the diva.

Despite being slightly thrown by the remixes and combination of songs included in her medley, Béyonce nevertheless delivered classic hits with a fresh, electrifying performance; (quite literally so as the power cut out afterwards!) The set included her hit songs ‘Crazy In Love’, ‘Single Ladies’ and the steamy ‘Baby Boy’, whilst her newer releases ‘Countdown’ and ‘End of time’ blasted out to a very lively 75,000-person Superdrome and 100 million-person strong TV audience.

Béyonce’s appearance at the Superdrome gave an enticing glimpse into what we can expect from her next album and upcoming 2013 ‘Mrs Carter’ world tour. Whilst a great deal of hair flicking, powerful female attitude is a given with this artist, there is anticipation about Béyonce’s collaborations. Amongst the list of potential collaborators, it is still unknown whether Mr Carter will make it onto his wife’s latest album. What is suspected is that in this album we will see the maturity and experience of a slightly older Béyonce adding new depth to her songs. This has recently been indicated by the singer herself, hinting in interviews that one track may focus on the miscarriage she suffered two years ago.

I suspect, however, that judging by the electrifying appearance of Destiny’s Child back together at the Superdrome, with the grins they were all sporting during their performance together, the fun loving trio will be making more appearances in future. For me this was the highlight of Béyonce’s performance; we’ve all wondered whether there was any resentment over Béyonce’s solo success, but it was charming to see Michelle and Kelly performing ‘Single Ladies’ alongside their classic Destiny’s Child hits. All three ladies looked and sounded incredible. I think it’s safe to say that not only did Béyonce combat the controversy following the inauguration; she utterly defeated any recent criticism, re-establishing herself as one of the best vocalist and performer around.