Beyoncé's transcendent performance at the 2017 Grammy Awards had a lot going on. There's a ton there to analyze in terms of, say, the religious allusions, which ranged from Judeo-Christian to Hindu to Renaissance era-art. But, like nearly every performance Queen Bey gives these days, there was a relatively simple but powerful concept at its core: Who run the world? Girls.
Beyoncé sang with women, about women, and to women on Sunday night. The themes of feminism and female strength were woven throughout, showing up in nearly every detail and dominating the Lemonade medley.
First and foremost, tonight was all about motherhood for Beyoncé — before she even set foot onstage. Having her mom, Tina, introduce her and praise her maternal touch set the tone for the next few minutes. She made her pregnant belly a centerpiece; the mere fact that she was shining a spotlight on her pregnant female form, on the stage of the Grammys, is groundbreaking. The mom also evoked imagery of both a fertility goddess and Mother Mary. We heard a voice over of Bey talking about motherhood. And we saw her daughter Blue Ivy incorporated into the show. The whole thing was an ode to the miraculousness and beauty of maternity. It was about Bey's bond with her mother, her child, and her future children, of course — but also something of a love letter to all moms and the miracle of life they gift.
Then, of course, there's the fact that for those 10 minutes, it was ladies only on the stage. Bey had around two dozen backup dancers, without a man in sight. How bad-ass and refreshing is that?! The voiceovers throughout reflected on the incredible strength of women. Her words were as empowering as they were lyrical.
The greatest line came at the end: "If we’re going to heal, let it be glorious," Bey told us. As in, if we're going to right the wrongs society has done, and is doing still, against women, then let's rise up stronger than we thought possible. And in the wake of the country's failure to elect its first female president, as well as the avalanche of impassioned women's marches since Trump's inauguration her message about healing and empowering ourselves was truly more timely than ever.
So thank you, Beyoncé, for giving us a glorious reminder that the future is female. We won't be seeing a Grammys performance quite like that ever again.
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