Standing in the crowd at Coachella almost one year ago, the energy pulsing through the crowd was tangible and we all knew we were about to witness something historic before Beyonce took the stage and delivered one of the most powerful, personal, and poignant performances of her career.
Now, people around the world will get to witness some of thematic that the fortunate folks at the annual music festival were treated to in 2018 thanks to Netflix’s new documentary, Homecoming.
‘Beyonce: Homecoming’ brings Bey’s brilliance and Blackness to Netflix
Card-carrying members of the BeyHive may want to take a personal day off to absorb all of the swag she’s serving up in the 137 minutes of magic, and those who can’t can take a look at five of our favorite moments until they have time to watch (and re-watch) the masterpiece Queen Bey just blessed them with.
The music.
Beyonce called every single shot when it came to her groundbreaking performance now and forever known as #Beychella. Instead of belting out her winning medley of beloved tracks as usual, the hand-picked marching band, drumline, and orchestra that backed her on the custom bleachers she built on her stage elevated her hits to a whole new level. She curated her list of favorites and included some of real showstoppers including The Black National Anthem (“Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing”) and their own rendition of “Do Whatcha Wanna” by New Orleans-based Rebirth Brass Band.
The vision.
As the first Black woman to ever headline the annual music festival, Beyonce made sure to make her mark for the culture. Throughout the film, she explains how she was influenced by witnessing Battle of the Bands as a child and how her father’s attendance at an HBCU affected her upbringing. From her elaborate costumes, to the hand-picked orchestra, dancers, drumline, and majorettes; every aspect of the show was meant to highlight the importance and impact of the HBCU experience. Hearing Beyonce describe her intention and watching her pull it off will likely leave even her harshest critics in awe of her talent and her vision.
The grind.
The 8-month journey to #Beychella was no easy fete and Beyonce shows off a much more vulnerable side than we are used to seeing when she invites us to watch the grueling work it took to cast and prep the magnificent main event. Less than a year after giving birth to twins, Rumi and Sir, Beyonce grapples with the same self-doubt so many women and mothers will relate to. Can her body bounce back? Can it do what it used to? Can she dedicate the time and energy her work requires while managing to be an attentive mother? In one particularly candid scene, she admits she was 218 pounds when she gave birth to her twins and reveals that in order to meet her goal, she gave up pretty much everything from dairy to carbs to alcohol. Unlike so many other A-listers, she doesn’t drop this knowledge like it’s nothing, but instead admits “I’m hungry.”
The kids.
Bey and her husband, JAY-Z have managed to keep their twins out of the public eye for the most part but Rumi and Sir are front and center in several scenes of Homecoming. The adorable toddlers are gorgeous and we get to see them interact with their parents and get a deeper sense of what kind of kid Blue Ivy is growing into. (SPOLER ALERT: She’s a BOSS)
The moves.
Homecoming serves up TONS of performance footage from both nights of #Beychella, providing fans with a much closer look at the complex choreography she and her team of dancers make look so easy. Fans will get to see a lot of the folks who helped Beyonce pull off the historic performance and will recognize some familiar faces like Ashley Everett and Les Twins along with some new talent showing off some serious skills.