To reach the level of an icon isn’t easy. However, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter certainly earned her recognition as a music icon and influencer at a young age. From her origins in Destiny’s Child to her groundbreaking solo albums and sold-out concerts, she continues to test new musical genres and showcase her talents as a dancer and all-around performer.
Beyoncé’s early life and background
Born on Sept. 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter was the first child of Tina and Mathew Knowles. In her song “Formation,” she proudly proclaims, “My daddy Alabama, Mama Louisiana.” Her sister, Solange, another talented musician, came along in 1986.
Beyoncé started her artistic endeavors at a young age with music and dance lessons. She continued to showcase her skills by participating in talent shows.
She attended private school at St. James Elementary, where she would meet future group member LeToya Luckett after accidentally sitting in her seat. The girl group in question, Girl’s Tyme, was created by her father, Mathew Knowles. Other members included Kelly Rowland, Tamar Davis, LaTavia Roberson, Nikki Taylor and Nina Taylor.
The group eventually made their way onto the popular talent show “Star Search” hosted by Ed McMahon. After losing the competition, her father decided to manage them full-time under his own company, Music World Entertainment. They would eventually rebrand under the name Somethin’ Fresh, with only four members. The final name came in 1993 — Destiny’s Child.
The late Michael Jackson was among Beyoncé’s influences. She saw him in concert when she was 5 years old and was inspired to do what he did. When Entertainment Weekly asked about her musical inspiration, the Houston native named jazz singer Rachelle Ferrell, Anita Baker, Diana Ross and Lauryn Hill.
She called Lauryn Hill “gifted and blessed.” When speaking about Diana Ross, Beyoncé gushed, ”She’s an all-around entertainer: a great actor, a good singer and a beautiful, elegant woman. She’s one of the few singers able to cross over into really good movies.”
Beyoncé would one day perform “Proud Mary” on stage with another idol, Tina Turner, at the 2008 Grammys. She also honored Turner at the Kennedy Center Honors.
Destiny’s Child: Breakthrough success
The group consisting of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett signed to Columbia Records in 1997. Their self-titled debut album came in 1998 and spawned their first hit song, “No, No, No.” The song was a collaboration with Wyclef Jean. The album peaked at 67 on the Billboard 200. “Killing Time” was the first official single released from the album and appeared on the “Men in Black” soundtrack.
Soon enough, the other albums followed suit, including:
- “The Writing’s on the Wall”: This was the group’s 1999 follow-up album containing the hits “Bills, Bills, Bills,” “Say My Name” and “Jumpin’ Jumpin.” They had a #1 hit and Grammy-winning song with “Independent Women Part 1,” which was part of the “Charlie’s Angels” film soundtrack.
- “Survivor”: “Bootylicious,” “Emotion,” and “Survivor” were the biggest songs on their third album, “Survivor.” The titular song won them another Grammy.
In 2000, there was another lineup change when Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin replaced LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett. By the third album, they were a trio consisting of Beyoncé, Kelly and Michelle. The time between 2002 and 2004 marked a hiatus for the group that would help send Beyoncé’s career on the destined path of a solo artist.
While Beyoncé’s solo career has reached stratospheric levels, Destiny’s Child’s impact as a group is forged in music and culture. Their biggest hits emphasized women’s liberation and refusing to be taken advantage of in relationships. Their tight harmonies on albums and live energetic performances earned them praise.
Don’t forget the coordinated fashion style reminiscent of Motown legends of the past. When being compared to Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande interjected, “I grew up listening to Destiny’s Child. I would try so hard to mimic Beyoncé’s little runs and ad-lib things. They are so precise. It’s like math.“
Beyoncé’s impact on music: Redefining pop and R&B
In 2003, Beyoncé released her long-awaited debut album “Dangerously in Love,” which sold 317,000 copies in its first week. The album spawned the hit “Crazy in Love,” which featured her future husband, Jay-Z. The debut earned her five Grammys.
This success marked the beginning of the end for the group that made Beyoncé famous. “Destiny Fulfilled” was the final album from “Destiny’s Child” before the artists went their separate ways in 2006. Beyoncé’s cultural impact was about to hit new levels.
Albums that changed the industry: ‘Lemonade,’ ‘Beyoncé’ and more
Beyoncé’s solo career started off big and remained at unprecedented levels to date with numerous world-famous albums.
- “B’day”: Beyoncé continued her solo career with the release of “B’day” on her actual birthday in 2006. This venture marked her first visual album, a concept she would expand upon in later albums. As she told USA Today, “I always wanted to do a video album,” noting that her fans “can watch it whenever they want and not have to go to YouTube.”
- “I Am… Sasha Fierce”: As Beyoncé told Oprah, Sasha Fierce is the alter ego she uses on stage in contrast to her more introverted private life. “I Am… Sasha Fierce” was released in 2008 and spawned the hit “Single Ladies.” The black-and-white video’s dance scene was performed over 50 times all the way through so the video would feel like a single shot.
- “4”: She released “4” in 2011. By this time, Beyoncé was pregnant with her first child, Blue Ivy Carter. Her VMA performance that year was topped off by the pregnancy reveal on stage.
- “Beyoncé”: In 2013, she surprised fans with the widely praised visual album “Beyoncé.” The release was truly a surprise and was a move other artists would later follow.
- “Lemonade”: In 2016, she delivered another visual album and her magnum opus. The album “Lemonade” is a defining moment in Beyoncé’s career, packed with deep messages about the complex feelings of infidelity, healing, reconciliation and community. It has been so impactful it inspired college courses at The University of Texas at San Antonio and Valdosta State University. Dr. Kinitra D. Brooks at The University of Texas at San Antonio used the album for her course “Black Women, Beyoncé & Popular Culture.” As the professor told Time Magazine about Beyoncé’s work on “Lemonade,” “She’s having a conversation about how Black women can heal from pain.” It earned nine Grammy nominations and was expected to take home Album of the Year, but lost to Adele.
- “Renaissance”: An ode to house music, Black ball culture and simply having fun at the club, “Renaissance” was released in 2022, followed by a record-breaking tour.
- “Cowboy Carter”: In 2024, Beyoncé once again broke ground with the release of “Cowboy Carter,” marking the Texas native’s entry into country music. Her album brought the narrative of the Black presence and historical influence on country music to the surface.
The power of visual albums and music videos
Music videos are nothing new, and artists like the late Michael Jackson, Prince and the band Pink Floyd have all used the medium in extended formats. A visual album is when every song on an album, no matter how many songs there are, is accompanied by a non-linear short film that enhances the concept or story. They allow the artist to dive deeper into the meaning of the song or album concept.
“Breakthrough Long Form Video” is now a category at the VMAs to honor the format that has become more popular. With the rise of YouTube and watch patterns that favor video formats, it’s no wonder that artists want to use the medium to the fullest. In her work, Beyoncé has used the visual album format often to represent her hometown, Houston, Black hair, fashion and cultural pride.
Musical style and influences
Beyoncé’s powerful vocal style and music beats have blended R&B, pop and hip-hop. With “Cowboy Carter,” she would continue to bend genres by gravitating to country music.
In addition to being a strong dancer, Beyoncé has a mezzo-soprano vocal range that can alternate registers and intensity to tell a story. Like her idol Tina Turner, she’s known for singing and dancing live at high intensity and synchronicity.
Beyoncé has had numerous collaborations, including with:
- Her husband Jay-Z on the song “Drunk In Love” and the “On the Run” tours
- Missy Elliot on Missy’s second and fourth albums
- Shakira on “Beautiful Liar” on her album “B-Day”
- Lady Gaga on the song “Video Phone” featured on “I Am… Sasha Fierce” and the song “Telephone” featured on Gaga’s album “The Fame”
- Kendrick Lamar for the song “Freedom” on “Lemonade”
- Megan Thee Stallion for a 2020 viral song and equally hot dance craze “Savage”
- Willy Nelson and Dolly Parton for “Cowboy Carter”
Fashion and influence: Beyoncé as a style icon
Beyoncé has worn some memorable items on stage and on the red carpet. Her style often involves sequins, shine, various textures and figure-hugging clothes. Her mother has heavily influenced her style and created many of the outfits she wore.
Being a style icon, Beyoncé naturally gravitated to her own line, named Ivy Park. Ivy Park is the name of a park in Houston that she often went running in. The clothing line is athleisure wear and the company previously had a partnership with Adidas.
Impact on social justice and activism
Beyoncé used her Lemonade-era Super Bowl performance to drop “Formation,” and the video showed harrowing post-Hurricane Katrina images and made a statement about police shootings of Black youth. After Katrina, she donated $250,000 to help Louisiana families transition to Houston. The mothers of Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, Mike Brown and Eric Garner were with her on the 2016 MTV VMA red carpet. She also had some of the mothers make cameos in the visual album.
Beyoncé was in support of Hillary Clinton and spoke out on women’s rights during her endorsement for the 2016 presidential campaign. After Houston was impacted by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, she met with victims in her hometown and made generous donations. Her organization BeyGOOD, teamed up with local organizations to collect donations for the victims.
Awards and achievements
Like her idol Diana Ross, Beyoncé was able to make a transition into acting. Her roles included films “Carmen: A Hip Hopera,” “ Austin Power: Goldmember,” “The Fighting Temptations” and her most high-profile role in the film based on the acclaimed play, “Dreamgirls.”
Beyoncé became the first Black female headliner of Coachella and gave more than a performance. The two-hour extravaganza honored HBCUs and Black culture. It resulted in a Netflix special and the album “Homecoming: The Live Album.”
Beyoncé has also received more Grammys than any artist in history. As of 2023, Beyoncé’s career has earned 32.
Personal life
Beyoncé first met rapper/music mogul Jay-Z in 2000 when she was 18, and the two began dating a year later. They weren’t “red carpet official” until the 2004 MTV VMAs. In April 2008, they married in a top-secret ceremony. She debuted her pregnancy with their first child, Blue Ivy Carter, during the 2011 MTV VMAs.
Blue was born on Jan. 7, 2012. Beyoncé would later give birth to twins, Rumi and Sir, in June 2017. Blue Ivy would go on to join her mother on stage during the Renaissance tour.
Beyoncé’s upcoming work
As of 2024, Beyoncé released the Cécred haircare line and the SirDavis whiskey brand. There are rumors of further genre exploration after “Cowboy Carter.” Some think she may go hard rock. Even opera is possible, as she is a mezzo-soprano. Time will tell what the third act will be.
Beyoncé as a cultural icon
Since childhood, it was clear that a performing career would be part of Beyoncé’s biography. She has gone on to perform with and honor many of the musicians who influenced her.
Today, Beyoncé’s cultural impact shines in her music and social activism as she speaks out on sexism, racism, LGBTQ rights, Black cultural influence and more. In an era of autotune, Beyoncé’s raw talent and work ethic are undeniable with her praised vocal and dance performances. She has truly become the child of destiny.