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The movie Homecoming: Queen B's legendary Coachella performance
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The film Homecoming reaffirms Beyoncé's status as one of the world's greatest entertainers. The focus of the film: her legendary performance at the Coachella Festival in 2018, which went down in the history books. Netflix followed Queen B's breathtaking performance with its cameras and packaged it into a 137-minute documentary.
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The rise to pop icon
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, also known as Queen B, was born on September 4, 1981 in Houston, Texas. At a young age, Beyoncé's class teacher discovered her incredible singing talent. As a result, she took part in a singing competition, where she took first place. In the 1990s, Beyoncé became part of the all-girl quartet Destiny's Child before taking off as a solo artist in 2006. Her musical style is as diverse as she is, spanning a wide range of genres, including R&B, pop, hip-hop, and soul. She is now one of the most successful female artists of all time, and it's hard to imagine show business without her incomparable voice. But Beyoncé is not only a gifted artist, she is also a fearless feminist and activist. She uses her platforms largely to address important political and social issues, including racism, women's rights, and LGBTQ+ rights.
A tribute to the history of HBCUs
In April 2018, Beyoncé became the first black woman to have the great honor of headlining California's infamous Coachella festival. Queen B dedicated her stunning performance to all HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities). At the time, she said she had always dreamed of one day being allowed to go to an HBCU as well. But that dream never came true, as she was groomed for show business by her parents. You could say her "school" was being in the band "Destiny's Child," and life was her "university." Coachella is the long-anticipated homecoming, i.e., the big school dance, which she was never allowed to experience. Hence the sparkling college sweaters seen among the various on-stage outfits.
To honor the importance of HBCUs founded for African Americans, Beyoncé hired only black dancers for her show to represent her classmates. Although HBCUs are also attended by white people these days, they continue to represent the pride of the black community. While Queen B is not the first African American singer to be vocal about her community, she is the first "mainstream artist" to do so. The film Homecoming was viewed by an incredible 16.6 million people worldwide within 24 hours of its release.
As a native of the South, Beyoncé describes herself in Homecoming as someone who is not satisfied with just being good. To this day, she must always be the best and works tirelessly to ensure her success. With an estimated fortune of 500 million U.S. dollars, she could have retired long ago, but that is out of the question for the icon.
Beyoncé's penchant for perfectionism
For those who are confused by the fact that Beyoncé appears once in a yellow costume and once in a pink one, the clips of the performances are two different performances that Beyoncé put on within a week. If the costume colors were not different from each other and if the cast were not different, the viewers would hardly notice this - once again proof that the film crew has succeeded in highlighting the perfectionism that Beyoncé displays in her stage performances.
Anyone who has ever attended a Queen B concert knows that these events run like clockwork. Perfectly rehearsed choreographies seem to be synchronized down to the millisecond. Every hip swing is just right. The tendency to perfectionism is hard to miss. The only noticeable flaw apparent in the film Homecoming is a garter belt that opened up on Beyoncé's thigh during the performance. It is the perfect staging that allows such minor details to immediately catch the eye of viewers. The fact that not everything always runs smoothly in reality could have been expressed more often in the film Homecoming.
In the film Homecoming, glimpses of Beyoncé's private life remain the exception
And yet Beyoncé reveals that pregnancy with her twins was anything but easy. What's more, the pounds didn't fall off after the birth at the pace she would have liked. Physically, it is still a challenge for her to keep up with her dancers. The camera shows Queen B in a quiet moment when she Skypes with her husband Jay-Z and proudly tells him that thanks to her strict diet plan she finally fits into her tight outfit again. Those hoping to see Jay Z in front of the camera more often in Homecoming will be disappointed, however. He assumes something of a cameo role in the film. Even on their joint hit "Crazy In Love," Beyoncé refrains from performing with her husband. Other camera shots show Beyoncé cuddling her three children, saying a prayer with her team, and letting off steam at a party. If you expect things to get more private, you'll be disappointed in Homecoming.
Enjoy the article? Want to read more exciting stories about the lives of other famous singers? Then take a look at the mukken Blog. In the Books & Movies section you'll find some great articles about other world-famous singers like Billie Eilish or Taylor Swift. If you are also a musician, you have the opportunity to exchange ideas with like-minded people in our mukken network. Take advantage of this unique opportunity and make new contacts now!
Originally published on April 12, 2023, updated on April 12, 2023
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