Beyoncé on Why ‘Cowboy Carter’ and ‘Renaissance’ Lack Music Videos

Beyoncé’s Bold Decision to Skip Music Videos

Beyoncé is a woman on a mission and no amount of fans crying for her to “release the visuals” is going to stop her.

Beyoncé’s Interview with GQ

In a recent interview with GQ, the Grammy-winner defended her decision to skip music videos for her two latest albums, 2022’s Renaissance and 2024’s Cowboy Carter. Despite previously teasing the possibility of releasing visuals, the “16 Carriages” singer now admits that it was a purposeful decision to avoid them entirely.

“I thought it was important that during a time where all we see is visuals, that the world can focus on the voice,” she told the outlet. “The music is so rich in history and instrumentation. It takes months to digest, research, and understand. The music needed space to breathe on its own. Sometimes a visual can be a distraction from the quality of the voice and the music.”

Beyoncé’s Perspective on Visuals

She added that given “the years of hard work and detail put into an album that takes over four years” she knew the songs would be able to stand on their own. 

“The music is enough,” she continued. “The fans from all over the world became the visual. We all got the visual on tour. We then got more visuals from my film.”

Beyoncé’s Response to Fan Expectations

The “Break My Soul” singer previously addressed the lack of visuals for the recent records when she embarked on her Renaissance tour, with a sassy video directed at her complaining fanbase.

“I know you hear me,” appeared onscreen during opening night of the world tour. “You’ve asked for the visuals. You’ve called for the queen. But a queen moves at her own pace. Bitch.”

Beyoncé’s Success Despite Lack of Visuals

As for the albums themselves, they were not held back by the lack of visuals. Both records arrived to commercial and critical acclaim: Beyoncé became the most decorated artist in Grammy history with her four Renaissance wins in 2023 and further cemented herself in music history with the success of Cowboy Carter. The album’s lead single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” made her the first Black woman to have a No. 1 country song and to reach the top spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

Beyoncé’s Musical Evolution

In the same conversation with GQ, Beyoncé said that despite her pop star status, she isn’t too concerned about sticking to a blueprint.

“I retired from the formula of the pop star a very long time ago,” she said. “I stopped focusing on what’s popular, and began focusing on the qualities that get better with time and experience. Good music and strong messages will never retire.”

Proving that point, she pointed to the fact that she has always taken inspiration from different genres and forms of music.

“From the start of my career and on every album, I have always mixed genres. Whether it is R&B, Dance, Country, Rap, Zydeco, Blues, Opera, Gospel, they have all influenced me in some way,” she noted. “I have favorite artists from every genre you could think about. I believe genres are traps that box us in and separate us. I’ve experienced this for 25 years in the music industry. Black artists, and other artists of color, have been creating and mastering multiple genres, since forever.”

FAQs

Q: Why did Beyoncé decide to skip music videos for her recent albums?

A: Beyoncé felt it was important for the focus to be on the music itself, allowing it to stand on its own without visual distractions.

Q: How did Beyoncé’s albums perform despite the lack of visuals?

A: Both Renaissance and Cowboy Carter received commercial and critical acclaim, with Beyoncé making history with her Grammy wins and chart-topping singles.

Q: What is Beyoncé’s approach to music genres?

A: Beyoncé embraces a diverse range of genres in her music, believing that genres should not limit artists and that they can draw inspiration from various musical styles.

Credit: ew.com