Sunday, December 19, 2004
Beyonce is the new Shakespeare
I've just spent the entire day reading "Soul Survivors: The Official Autobiography of Destiny's Child, by Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and the other one. There is that little to do all the way out here. Though to be fair, it is quite the page-turner. Listen to this gem from Beyonce as she explains the cultural impact her song "Independent Women Part 1" had in Japan: "Until that song became a hit, young girls and teenagers there thought it wasn't cool to buy their own stuff. The thing to do was get a boyfriend and have him buy everything. Then after 'Independent Women Part 1' came out, all those girls were like, 'You know what? I'm going to pay my own bills. I'm going to get my own phone. I'm going to buy my own jewelry.' The youth culture changed -- for the better, I think -- all because of one song. A song I wrote."
Then, she talks about the impact her song "Survivor" had on sick kids: "That song makes them realize they have a chance. I have met hundreds of children who are suffering from cancer and they always sing it to me...They may not have hair, but they have beautiful smiles."
They should call her Saint Beyonce. Shit.
Also, there's a whole chapter dedicated to how everything in the group is perfectly equal and Beyonce isn't just stepping on her friends to get to the top and Kelly and Michelle are every bit as talented and important as she is and really she doesn't hog the microphone or the spotlight. It should be noted, however, that at no point in this lengthy section does Beyonce let Kelly and Michelle speak for themselves on the matter.
A few more amazing quotes from the book:
"I have learned to think with my mind and not with my heart. That's why it's called thinking." (Beyonce)
"Even Cher had a hard time breaking into movies, and she's Cher!" (Beyonce)
"If you're a singer, people just don't want to give you a chance to prove that you can do anything else. Take Mariah, for example. She delivered a wonderful performance in her movie Glitter, but people don't want to give her props." (Beyonce)
"When I was working on [my solo album], God spoke to me. He said, 'Girl, you will be fine. What are you worried about?'" (Michelle)
I would like to say that I just took a passing glance through the book for a yuk or two but I literally read it to the very end. Those ladies, they tell it like it is. Oh god, I can't believe that's the only thing I did today.
Then, she talks about the impact her song "Survivor" had on sick kids: "That song makes them realize they have a chance. I have met hundreds of children who are suffering from cancer and they always sing it to me...They may not have hair, but they have beautiful smiles."
They should call her Saint Beyonce. Shit.
Also, there's a whole chapter dedicated to how everything in the group is perfectly equal and Beyonce isn't just stepping on her friends to get to the top and Kelly and Michelle are every bit as talented and important as she is and really she doesn't hog the microphone or the spotlight. It should be noted, however, that at no point in this lengthy section does Beyonce let Kelly and Michelle speak for themselves on the matter.
A few more amazing quotes from the book:
"I have learned to think with my mind and not with my heart. That's why it's called thinking." (Beyonce)
"Even Cher had a hard time breaking into movies, and she's Cher!" (Beyonce)
"If you're a singer, people just don't want to give you a chance to prove that you can do anything else. Take Mariah, for example. She delivered a wonderful performance in her movie Glitter, but people don't want to give her props." (Beyonce)
"When I was working on [my solo album], God spoke to me. He said, 'Girl, you will be fine. What are you worried about?'" (Michelle)
I would like to say that I just took a passing glance through the book for a yuk or two but I literally read it to the very end. Those ladies, they tell it like it is. Oh god, I can't believe that's the only thing I did today.
