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Last evening, Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance at the London debut of Renaissance: a Beyoncé film, a documentary concert showcasing the singer’s 2023 tour. Swift reportedly traveled via private jet from Arizona to attend, in return for Beyoncé attending the premiere of Swift’s own concert movie. This led Swift to share a complimentary post on social media, stating “She has not only taught me, but also every artist in this industry, to challenge conventions and defy norms.”
One could see it as insincere praise from famous individuals, but amidst all the praise, Swift makes a valid point. Beyoncé’s recent career suggests that she is aware of her unshakeable position in pop culture, where anything she puts out is met with intense critical acclaim and sells in enormous numbers. As she mentions in the Renaissance movie, she has nothing left to prove to anyone and sees this as an opportunity to freely explore her creative desires.
Her involvement in house music on The Renaissance album was a remarkable achievement, as this genre is typically avoided by R&B and hip-hop artists. The album not only achieved great commercial success, but also received rave reviews that seemed to imply Beyoncé had single-handedly legitimized the existence of house music. Her tour following the album’s release featured a bold set list, lasting three hours and prioritizing new material over greatest hits. Despite this unconventional approach, the tour broke box office records and even the BBC reported that its arrival in Sweden had a significant impact on the country’s economy.
The song “My House” gives off a strong message of self-confidence and not needing to impress anyone. It was unexpectedly released as a single after being featured in the movie Renaissance, where it plays during the end credits. Despite being by a well-known artist, it is far from a desperate attempt to please the masses and achieve mainstream success.
Beyoncé and The-Dream collaborated to create this song, which has a misleading title. Unlike other songs from Renaissance, it does not have the usual four-beat pattern; instead, the beat stutters and takes inspiration from both Houston hip-hop and experimental electronica. The structure of the song is episodic, incorporating a beat switch similar to the style of rappers Drake and Travis Scott. It may have also been influenced by the breakbeat and Miami bass switch on Rae Sremmurd’s song “Flaunt It/Cheap” released earlier this year.
The sudden change between the first and second parts, marked by a loud synthesizer introduction and a powerful bassline, is both surprising and exhilarating upon initial listening. It is clearly intended for the club scene, drawing inspiration from both the vogue balls she experienced on Renaissance and the current trend in pop for the raw and relentless style of Jersey club music. The repetitive nature of the song and its reliance on shifting dynamics rather than catchy melodies may make it difficult to find a hook that sticks in your head. There is no traditional chorus, but there is a spoken-word section where Beyoncé showcases her rapping skills with lines like “me and my thug bae gon’ slide tonight”. In fact, Beyoncé’s rap persona is more prominent in this song than her singing voice. However, there is a powerful moment around 1:50 where she delivers wordless vocals, and the song ends with a short a cappella section.
The words in the song are quite provocative: shiny pink nipple rings covered in diamonds, excessive drinking leading to unconsciousness, and the use of the word “fuck” 22 times. If this were coming from someone else – like Taylor Swift, for instance – it would be seen as a surprising and unconventional move to challenge societal norms. However, as we already know, Beyoncé exists in her own realm where she is free to do as she pleases, as evidenced by the bold and uncommercial track “My House.”
Source: theguardian.com
