Life

Even non-Beyoncé fans have a go-to Beyoncé song

Beyoncé, as a global superstar, has always been a polarising figure – with a die-hard fanbase and people that believe she is overrated – but everybody has a Beyoncé song that they like.

Over the years, as Beyoncé has continued to dominate the music industry, thoughts and commentary on her popularity has been a contentious issue that has polarised popular culture. It goes without saying that fans of the superstar can proudly provide their list of favourite Beyoncé songs, enough to create a concert setlist. In having conversations with people that claim to not be fans of the singer, I am yet to come across a person that can honestly say that there is not a single Beyoncé song that they enjoy.

This thought was sparked by Beyoncé’s opening performance at Kobe and Gianna (Gigi) Bryant’s memorial service at the Staple Centre on Monday, 24 February 2020. Beyoncé opened the service by performing what she stated was Kobe’s favourite song by her, X.O. The song was even used in the late basketball icon’s 2015-released documentary, Muse.

Back to the issue at hand, while viewing the reactions to her performance, I came to the realisation that there is not a single person that I know, fan or not, that has ever stated that they do not have at least one song that they like and listen to from her.

Moreover, as a fan of Beyoncé, I still marvel at her ability to continue raising the bar for live performances, as she did at the memorial service. From the yellow and purple-themed outfit she wore, to her nails spelling out Kobe and Gigi on each hand, Beyoncé continues to cement herself as the leader in delivering well thought-out and memorable live performances.

Sabelo Makhubo