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Martha Kasım 02, 2021

beyonc songs

The Beyoncé Mass places black women's stories at the center—and proclaims God's love - The Christian Century

Posted: 10 Jun 2020 10:29 PM PDT

CONNECTION: The Black Girl Magic Ensemble and a local choir sing during the Beyoncé Mass in Atlanta on March 2. (Photo by Faith J. Jones)

Growing up in the 1970s as an African American woman in the South, my widowed Baptist mother was not playin' when it came to waking up her children and ensuring we were properly dressed and prepared for church. She had rules for us: Take your Bible. Pay attention. You better not misbehave (talk, laugh, chew gum, or fall asleep—especially fall asleep).

It seemed brutal to me, as a kid, to sit still and listen to someone talk for an hour, especially the older preacher with no degrees after his name who called the biblical juniper tree the "Jennifer tree" and the virtuous woman the "virgin woman."

Per Mama's rules, we also couldn't "listen to the blues" on Sunday—this meant any secular music. Sundays, above all days, were sacred.

Those memories flooded my mind when I heard about the Beyoncé Mass that, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, was taking place in several cities throughout the country. Hebrew Bible professor Yolanda Norton used the megastar's songs to create a worship service with womanist themes. I wondered, How do you mix Beyoncé's empowering yet edgy music with church? At least, with the church I was raised in?

In my day, to hear a word like bitch uttered in church would be just blasphemous. So when I heard that Beyoncé's song "Flaws and All"—"I'm a train wreck in the morning. / I'm a bitch in the afternoon"—was used in the service, my interest was piqued even more.

I wasn't alone. On March 2, Spelman College's chapel kicked off its Women's Herstory Month programming with the Beyoncé Mass. At the event, Tresa Jennings of Atlanta told me she read about it in the local newspaper. She came to Spelman, a prestigious African American women's college in Atlanta, "to see how they would incorporate [Beyoncé's] work into an actual church service."

When I walked into the chapel before the service began, a huge screen said "Beyoncé Mass." I was told to sit anywhere except the first few rows—they were reserved for Spelman students. A group of excited students in the first row were already dancing and singing Beyoncé's "Love on Top," which was playing over the chapel's sound system. I could tell this was going to be an exciting service just from the mood of the crowd.

Earlier I caught up with Norton, organizer of the Beyoncé Mass and chair of black church studies at San Francisco Theological Seminary, via telephone. She was at the airport traveling to Spelman. This would be her ninth Beyoncé Mass since she began them in 2018.

Beyoncé's music is empowering but also edgy. How do you mix it with church?

That year was when Norton, a 37-year-old author with a powerhouse voice, first taught the course Beyoncé and the Hebrew Bible at SFTS. It focuses on black women and their relationship with the Bible. Norton said Beyoncé's status in the world gives her a unique voice to narrate the realities of black women. Teaching the class inspired Norton to use a liturgy based on several of Queen Bey's songs to empower black women and help them face various issues they encounter. The Beyoncé Mass grew from there as more people wanted to experience it in their church, community, or university.

Norton explained that singing Beyoncé's music during the service is akin to having a conversation with God—using the words of a black woman who happens to be an award-winning, global entertainer.

"It's about centering the spirituality in the story of black women," she said.

I asked Norton if any other black female artist could be used to center the spirituality.

"I think that there are tons of artists, tons of black female artists that could do that," she said. "Beyoncé's story, her music, is the one that resonates with me the most. The thing that makes Beyoncé unique from, say, a Mary J. Blige or Cardi B is that if you ask most black people, they could tell you who Mary J. Blige and Cardi B are, but I was hard-pressed to find a person of any race, class, or gender, no matter where we are in the world, who doesn't know Beyoncé. Regardless of whether you listen to her music, you know who she is."

And even if you somehow don't know who Beyoncé is, the service is open to everyone, Norton said.

Yolanda Norton seeks to create a path that fits the theologies many unknowingly hold.

"I'm really clear that our goals are in developing the liturgy as the center of the story of black women," she said. "The one thing that keeps me going is when I look out [during the ser­vice], I see people of every race, every gender, and every age group represented. I had a woman who sent me a message on Facebook saying she was super excited to bring her 85-year-old mother to the Beyoncé Mass in D.C."

Norton thinks the Beyoncé Mass resonates with different groups because people are looking for a connection "as they live in a disconnected world."

"I think there is something about the mass that lets them be who they are," she said. "To find a different kind of joy. I think people in and out of church are alone, and sometimes there are people who are going to church who are really struggling, and the church doesn't have the tools or resources to talk to them or make them feel less lost. And so, there is a question of how are we building community."

Norton said she's not trying to do anything other than create a path that fits the theologies many hold dear but don't really even know it.

"I think the human story of desire to connect with how we fit into God's plan for us is not something that is unique to church," she said. "I think we're all trying to make sense of that, and I think for a lot of people who have been hurt by the church that hurt is around someone or something in the church telling them they don't belong. So I try to have gender inclusive language in a way that is approximating to people in different gender identities, sexualities, races, because I think that is important [to] how we understand how God moves in the world, and is also central to womanist theology."

At the service at Spelman, several of Beyoncé's songs were sung by a "Beyoncé choir" made up of local singers and led by the Black Girl Magic Ensemble. This group of seven extraordinary voices was formed from African American choirs for an earlier Beyoncé Mass in Lisbon, Portugal. Now they travel with Norton. And, really, if you'd stumbled into the chapel and ­didn't realize you were at a service using Queen Bey's music, you would have thought the choir was singing regular gospel songs. You may have been moved by lyrics such as, "I'm in this fight, / And I'm swinging and my arms are getting tired. / I'm trying to beat this emptiness / But I'm running out of time. / I'm sinking in the sand, and I can barely stand" (from Beyoncé's "Scared of Lonely").

The people attending the service were—as Norton de­scribed at previous services—younger and older, black and white, male and female. They swayed back and forth and sang the lyrics posted on the giant screen.

When Norton spoke, she right away answered my lingering questions from my childhood worship experiences. "This is not your grandmother's church," she said to a cheering crowd. "This is not the frozen chosen."

"I remember seeing my grandfather come from church. He would always be frustrated because he said the preacher was preaching well, and then he preached too long—and then he went wrong," she went on. "So, I promise you, I'm not going to be in front of you very long."

And for about 20 minutes, Norton put on her preaching hat and Beyoncé disappeared.

Taking Ecclesiastes 4:1–12 as her text, Norton preached a sermon titled "We Gon' Be Alright," which might have resonated with some as a lyric from a popular Kendrick Lamar song.

She talked about the history of the book of Ecclesiastes, how scholars debated whether to include the text in the canon because it focuses so heavily on the nature of the human condition. "Because the material was contrary to their own ability to understand how people were to think around God, they could not make sense of how God operated in the text," she said. "It has been fundamentally true across time that when people cannot make sense of your God walk, they tend to dismiss your God talk."

People in the crowd said "amen" and "wow" and "that's good" as Norton continued.

"When people don't know your God walk, they will do everything in their power to disregard the capacity and power of your relationship with God. . . . If you don't talk the way they want you to talk, you don't dress like they want you to dress, if you don't pray the way they see fit," then they will view "your prayers and your dreams as something outside of God's will. And so it was with the authors of this text."

Norton told the crowd that she knows how it feels to be bullied and picked on. "It's hard enough to make sense of God and operate in our lives when things are going well," she said, "when you're filled up, when your house is still standing and you have a roof over your head. But how do you make sense of God and live in this world when every minute of your reality has been turned upside down?"

And she looked out at the audience and told them she sees them and how wonderful and fierce they are—how they are their ancestor's dreams. "You have to understand that because you are already the thing that God had in mind when she looked out over creation and said that we were good, that you don't have to work yourself to the bone trying to prove that you are sufficient. Don't let the world dictate to you how you move.''

After Norton's sermon, Spelman students danced the electric slide to "Love on Top."

"We live in a world that is not concerned about how long you make it," she said, "and even if you make it. They aren't concerned about how you're doing. . . . But hold your head up high. Let go of your worries. It's all up to God. Look at one another and see one another and be persistent in your love."

And with that, the choir sang Beyoncé's "Love on Top" and a group of mostly Spelman students went up front and danced the electric slide.

Jennings, the woman who attended after reading about the service in the newspaper, wasn't disappointed. "I enjoyed it," she said. "I enjoyed the sermon and how it related to what's going on in the world today."

Abigail McCann, an East Atlanta resident, also attended out of curiosity, after hearing about the service on social media. "I have a deep appreciation of what this mass is doing," she said. "It was amazing. We had chills."

Steve Sankey, a youth minister from Atlanta, said he and his wife were "blown away."

"We were overwhelmed by how Beyoncé's music made the service come to life and how the liturgy was incorporated," he said.

Norton said afterward that she was pleased with the Spelman event. "It was a smaller crowd," she said—it was a rainy Monday night—"but it was more energetic."

She also addressed people's curiosity about the name "Beyoncé Mass." "It's not about Beyoncé," she said. "Her music is used to undergird the word."

My own spirit is moved more by the traditional hymns that formed a foundation for my mother and my grandmother. But I recognize the importance of reaching others with newer approaches. And my 17-year-old daughter and I do dance and jump around to gospel songs with the sort of beat that my mother would not have allowed in her home. (One of our favorites goes, "I love God, you don't love God? What's wrong with you?" We make faces and everything.)

I think Norton's concept can get people through the doors. And when it does, I suspect that her powerhouse voice and her sermon are what stick to their bones—whether they're more likely to sing "Run the World (Girls)" or "Joy to the World."

After Spelman, Norton took the Beyoncé Mass to Washington, D.C., to finish up the existing schedule. She has been in talks with others about additional services in other cities after the COVID-19 crisis.

Regarding the pandemic, Norton said she "hopes the church is entering a period where it acknowledges that it has to seek God in all things and not live in this kind of litigious paradigm of Christianity that excludes so many people."

"We've just had this mass about beauty and community and how God works in community and how hard isolation is, and now we're in this moment where so many people are feeling isolated," she said. "We need to be intentional about community; so we're trying to figure out how to reach people—trying to develop some digital notes and not be silent in this time where so many people need to hear more voices."

A version of this article appears in the print edition under the title "Not my grandmother's church."

Beyoncé Is Reportedly in Talks with Disney for a Multi-Project Deal (Including ‘Black Panther 2’) - Yahoo Lifestyle

Posted: 11 Jun 2020 06:26 AM PDT

It appears Beyoncé is heading back to the big screen. But unlike The Lion King, we'll actually get to see—not just hear—the 38-year-old singer in action.

Beyoncé is reportedly in talks with Disney to sign a $100 million deal that encompasses three major projects, according to The Sun. The majority of the details are being kept under wraps, but we do know one of the potential movies is Black Panther 2.

"Beyoncé has become a major player for Disney and is the perfect fit for their brand," a source told the outlet.

Unfortunately, we don't know much about the Black Panther sequel. While Ryan Coogler is returning to direct and write the script, Marvel hasn't officially confirmed any cast members.

In addition to Black Panther 2, Beyoncé will likely do more voiceover work. After the success of Meghan Markle's Elephant, we wouldn't be surprised if part of the deal included voicing a Disney+ documentary.

The "Lemonade" singer made her acting debut in 2003 when she appeared in Austin Powers in Goldmember. She most recently voiced Nala in Disney's The Lion King remake and performed "When You Wish Upon a Star" in ABC's Disney Family Singalong.

Who run the world? Still Beyoncé it seems.

RELATED: Jay-Z and Beyoncé Just Sent Reese Witherspoon a Box of Champagne After She 'Borrowed' a Glass from Them at the Globes

Beyonces Rise Up & other songs from her animated action adventure film Epic - Republic World - Republic World

Posted: 08 Jun 2020 03:46 AM PDT

Epic is a 2013 3D computer-animated action-adventure movie loosely based on William Joyce's 1996's children's book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs. Helmed by Chris Wedge, Epic was produced under the banner of Blue Sky Studious. The movie features voices of several known artists, including Colin Farrell, Beyonce, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Pitbull, Steven Tyler and many more.

The plot of Epic revolves around the life of a teenager who finds herself transported to a deep forest setting. The forest has become a war zone as good forces are fighting against evil. The teenage girl joins the battle in order to save their world and ours too. Popular singer Beyonce has lent her voice to the Character Tara, who is the queen of the forest. Here is a collection of a few melodious songs from this animated movie.

Rise Up

Rise Up is a hit inspiring song from the movie Epic. Recorded by Beyonce, Rise Up features how everyone in the forest gets back up on their feet to take charge and fight like a warrior. They rise up again and surprise everyone. The song is co-written by popular singer Sia.

ALSO READ| Urvashi Rautela Switches Her 'Beyonce Mode On' Amid The Lockdown; Watch Here

Same Changes

Same Changes is a romantic number form the animated movie Epic. Same Changes is performed by The Weepies in collaboration with Brad Gordon. Lyrically, the song features how love changes everyone. The lover wants to freeze time to keep save until the wind blows it away. The lyrics of the song is written jointly by Deborah Talan and Steve Tannen.

ALSO READ| Jennifer Lopez Or Beyonce: Who Styled All-black Outfit Better?

It's Gonna be Alright

It's Gonna be Alright is another inspiring song form the movie. Recorded by Steven Tyler, the music video of the song features everyone in the forest having a gala time. Lyrically, It's Gonna be Alright gives hope to everyone and motivates others to work hard. The lyrics to the song is given by Taura Stinson and the song is produced by Raphael Saadiq.

ALSO READ| Deepika Padukone Or Beyonce: Who Donned Pink Ruffle Dress Better?

Epic Movie Theme song

The theme song of the movie is sung by Snow Patrol. The title of the song is The Lightning Strike (What If This Storm Ends?). Lyrically, it describes the fear of a lover asking what he should do when the storm ends and he doesn't see his partner like before.

ALSO READ| Beyonce Looks Stunning In These Gorgeous Outfits By Israeli Fashion Designers

Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.

Beyonces viral moments that broke the internet; from court-side drama to elevator fight - Republic World - Republic World

Posted: 11 Jun 2020 05:15 AM PDT

Beyonce is one of the most respected and prominent artists in the music industry. Everything she does eventually ends up making headlines. From her surprise album drops to her adorable family pictures, Beyonce never fails to leave the internet in a frenzy. Here's taking a look at Beyonce's viral moments that became a topic of discussion among fans.  

Beyonce's NBA final viral video

Beyonce's courtside drama became one of her most viral videos of 2019. During the NBA finals when Beyonce was watching the Golden State Warriors take on the Toronto Raptors with husband Jay Z, they were interrupted by Nicole Curran, the wife of Warriors owner Joe Jacob. She leaned over Beyonce and was having a conversation with Jay Z. However, suddenly she says something that Queen Bee did not like at all. A happy Beyonce's mood shifts drastically. Pictures and videos of the incident took social media by storm.

ALSO READ| Beyonce's 'Rise Up' & Other Songs From Her Animated Action Adventure Film 'Epic'

Beychella

Beyonce's 2018 Coachella performance was so empowering that people named the entire event Beychella instead. Her superstar set performance became one of the most viewed Coachella performances ever. Beyonce did not stop there, she made an entire movie on the event. Her 'Homecoming: A film by Beyonce' was released on Netflix and reportedly garnered 1.1 million views in its opening weekend

ALSO READ| Beyonce's Commencement Speech To Class Of 2020 Gives 'goosebumps' To Netizens

Twins Pregnancy

Beyonce broke the internet when she announced that she was pregnant with twins on her Instagram handle. The legendary photo quickly racked up more than 11.2 million likes and became one of the most liked pictures of 2017. In the year 2018, the picture became the most liked picture ever, however, the record was later broken by Kylie Jenner.

ALSO READ| Rihanna's Iconic Moments: From Schooling About Fat-shaming To Showering Kisses For Beyonce

The Met Gala elevator fight

Beyonce's sister Solange, physically attacked Jay Z, in an elevator following the 2014 Met Gala. As soon as the video surfaced on the internet, the entire family refused to comment on what the altercation was about. It gave rise to tons of speculation and rumours including Jay Z flirting with another. The couple eventually released a statement saying that their family has worked through it.   

ALSO READ| Beyonce-Jay Z And Other Hollywood Couples Who Give The Best Posing Lessons

Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.

Megan Thee Stallion & Beyonce’s “Savage” Headed For Top 10 At Pop Radio - HeadlinePlanet.com

Posted: 11 Jun 2020 06:52 AM PDT

Megan Thee Stallion's former rhythmic radio #1 "Savage (featuring Beyoncé)" is still on the rise at pop radio. The song will likely enter the Top 10 on this week's Mediabase pop radio chart.

"Savage" received 4,741 spins during the first four days of the June 7-13 tracking period. The count, which tops last week's mark by 10%, slots "Savage" at #10 on Mediabase's building/real-time chart.

"Savage" does not hold insurmountable leads over Maren Morris' building #11 song "The Bones" (4,514) and BENEE's building #12 song "Supalonely (featuring Gus Dapperton)" (4,433), but it has the clear momentum advantage. Whereas "Savage" is up 10% from last week, "Supalonely" is up 7%. "The Bones" is actually down 2%.

If the songs remain on those rough trajectories, "Savage" will close the week ahead – and officially inside the Top 10.

Beyoncé's mom, Tina Knowles, attempts viral TikTok challenge - Today.com

Posted: 15 May 2020 12:00 AM PDT

Tina Knowles-Lawson might have two superstar daughters, but she's not the source of their dance moves.

In a short video posted to Instagram on Friday morning, the mom of Beyoncé and Solange Knowles tried dancing along to the remix of Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage," to which Beyoncé contributed a rap verse. A viral TikTok meme has challenged users to do a specific dance routine with the song, which Knowles-Lawson tried ... but didn't quite pull off.

Despite getting a shoutout in the song lyrics for being "a savage," Knowles-Lawson admitted that dance moves weren't her strong suit.

"Haaaa!!! Yeah i know they didn't get their dance moves from me !!" she wrote in the video's caption, which was full of emojis. "They got em from their daddy! its okay i still like to dance!!!!! And i got two new knees."

And while her dancing may not be savage, fans and followers couldn't help but comment on the 66-year-old's youthful glow.

"Miss Tina you just wanted to get on here and stunt on these other chicks your age," one person wrote. "That body-ody is snatched."

Another added, "Omg! Ms.Tina don't age! You look gorgeous!"

"Ey ey, Miss Tina out here looking younger than Beyonce," another fan wrote.

Knowles-Lawson has been plenty active on social media during the coronavirus lockdown period, but she's not the only member of the family making waves. Beyoncé's daughter Blue Ivy has been known to crash her videos from time to time.

On Mother's Day weekend, Knowles-Lawson sat down with former Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland to wish moms everywhere a happy Mother's Day.

"Happy Mother's Day to all of the beautiful mothers out there," Knowles-Lawson said.

Then joins a third voice, supposedly Blue Ivy, though Knowles-Lawson didn't confirm if it was her granddaughter speaking.

"And don't forget all the beautiful daughters out there, which I am one of," Blue Ivy added.

The Knowles family is having an impact on more than just Instagram.
July 29, 201900:40

Knowles-Lawson founded a campaign called #IDIDMYPART and partnered it with Beyoncé's BeyGOOD initiative to offer free testing to the residents of Houston.

According to a press release for the event which took place earlier in May, the mother-daughter duo wanted to make sure that African American communities, which are being disproportionally affected by COVID-19, have access to testing. Those who came to get tested were given grocery gift cards for H-E-B Grocery Company and a voucher for a hot meal from a few local restaurants.

Knowles-Lawson said of the initiative, "The virus is wreaking havoc on the Black community so we need a movement to prioritize our health."
Jan. 4, 202001:28
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