Why Society Struggles with Beyoncé’s Perfection
By Reagan Makfinsky
I kept seeing the same mashup of clips pop up on TikTok. In 2011, while accepting the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the VMAs, Britney Spears praised Beyoncé as a fellow artist who started her career around the same time. She expressed genuine affection by saying: “Just like all of her fans, I fell in love with her.” Then, there was Adele at the 2017 Grammys, saying: “The way you make me and my friends feel, my Black friends feel, is empowering. I love you.” Adele, who has 16 Grammys, delivered this heartfelt tribute while accepting Album of the Year. It wasn’t like Adele didn’t deserve the award. This was the album that included such beloved hits such as Hello, Send My Love (To Your New Lover), and When We Were Younger. And yet, there she was on stage praising Beyoncé. I’m not sure anyone would have thought twice about that aside, except for the fact that Britney had done the same thing years earlier. And then, in 2023, Lizzo, while accepting Record of the Year, confessed, "Beyoncé, you changed my life. The way you made me feel, I was like, I want to make people feel this way with my music." Beyoncé was not nominated that year, but the clip showed her watching on, smiling.
There is an ominous nature to the montage. TikTok conspiracy theories popped up, suggesting these stars were acting out of fear. Was there something more sinister behind it? Beyonce's connection to P. Diddy only added more fuel. Before that, I never gave thought to Beyoncé aside from her unforgettable 2013 Super Bowl halftime show and knowing some of her biggest hits and that she was incredibly talented. Of course, she was called the “Queen B." Yet, I too felt like I was being convinced of her badness as I watched person after person bow down to Beyoncé. It seemed strange, like a shadow hanging over the queen herself. In fact, I became quite convinced there was something that I was missing, that she had to have done something wrong.
I did a deep dive on the Internet, convinced I would uncover something hidden. But here’s the thing: I found nothing. No scandals, no secrets. It turns out the truth is much simpler, yet far more powerful. The truth of the matter is she deserves the crown and recognition. With 32 Grammys to her name, a career that began at the age of seven, and years of demanding work leading Girl’s Tyme, then Destiny’s Child, and finally building a solo empire. It is clear her success didn’t happen overnight. Yet, instead of celebrating her accomplishments, people are quick to create narratives that suggest her perfection must hide something darker. How did it happen?
The main thing that I learned about Beyoncé is that she’s extremely hard working. Some of her most popular songs, such as Sweet Dreams, Diva, and Halo were from her 2009 I Am... tour. What I learned through my internet sleuthing was that Beyoncé rehearsed for 11 hours a day during it, perfecting every detail of her 108 performances. Each show featured elaborate choreography, over-the-top costume changes, and intricate lighting designs. The tour required a massive stage setup that included moving huge platforms. Beyoncé even traveled with a team of over 100 crew members, including dancers, musicians, and designers, to ensure every aspect was flawless. Her dedication paid off, as the I Am... tour thrilled millions of fans worldwide but solidified her reputation for delivering unforgettable live performances that set a new standard in pop music.
She did not stop building her empire. In 2013, Beyoncé’s self-titled album marked a pivotal moment in her career. Breaking industry norms by being released without any prior announcement or promotion, no interviews or anything. The album featured 14 songs paired with its own music video that were recorded in secret. She redefined how music could be delivered and consumed. Nobody had done a release like she did before. She highlighted her creativity and tackling themes of feminism, love, and self-empowerment. It wasn’t just a musical success but a cultural phenomenon, setting a new standard in the industry and elevating Beyoncé’s status as an innovator.
Her Ivy Park collaboration with Adidas emphasized inclusivity and empowerment. She also uses her platform to highlight black designers to show underrepresented voices in the fashion industry. She shaped culture in her Formation performance at the 2016 Super Bowl, which made powerful statements about black culture, activism, and social justice. The performance along with the song and its accompanying video highlighted issues of police brutality and brought attention to the Black Lives Matter movement. Beyoncé is not just a pop star. She is the pop star of the generation. One of a kind. She’s a cultural icon, a businessperson, and a symbol of excellence. Her influence extends far beyond music, by shaping fashion, culture, and even politics.
These are the facts that tireless work, the dedication to her craft, and the empire built from the ground up is what she represents. But what detractors endlessly discuss is how inaccessible Beyoncé is. Beyonce has not done a sit-down interview since 2013 because she lets her work speak for her. People fill in the gaps with their own stories, projecting their doubts or insecurities onto her success. Is that really fair? After spending years her whole life in the public eye isn’t she allowed to protect a part of herself? People still demand access into her life as if her perfection owes them an explanation.
The truth is, she has built an empire that allows her to speak directly to fans through her music; she no longer has to play by the rules of the media machine. Maybe that’s why people feel the need to poke holes in the narrative she’s created for herself. But perhaps the real truth is that Beyoncé simply worked harder than anyone else to achieve what she has Maybe it's because her flawless performances make her feel too perfect for some people to accept. Even though perfection is what all artists strive for.
Why are so many people so open to seeing Beyonce as a villain? Now, I’m even shocked at how quickly I came to accept that version. It comes down to the fact that we, as a society, have a complicated relationship with women's power. On one side we admire it, the other end we distrust it. We expect our heroes to be flawed, to show their imperfections, and when they don’t, we create our own narratives to explain their success. It’s as if we’re more comfortable with the ordinary because it feels closer to our own reality. But when someone like Beyoncé achieves extraordinary things. It forces us to confront our own lives and what excuses we can make why we can't achieve our goals. Beyoncé represents something almost unattainable. It is easier to believe there’s a hidden damage that allowed to achieve her success rather than accepting that someone truly worked harder and smarter to reach the top. The clip below, without the music, focuses solely on the sincerity of the artists’ words, highlighting that they are simply expressing genuine gratitude to Beyoncé. Stripped of emotional cues or fanfare, the tributes stand as heartfelt acknowledgments of her influence, free from any ulterior motives or hidden meanings. This simplicity reinforces the idea that these moments are nothing more than talented peers showing respect for an artist who has profoundly impacted their lives and careers.
This level of power in the hands of a woman is particularly unsettling. Beyoncé has risen to fame in an industry that not only demands perfection from all its stars but demands it even more intensely from Black women. Society often insists on flawless excellence for a Black woman to succeed, and when Beyoncé achieves it, people turn on her for it. It is as though her excellence challenges society to confront biases and expectations we place only a few in our society. Rather than celebrate her brilliance, many look for flaws, projecting insecurities onto her success.
Yet Beyoncé continues to rise above and breaks the molds. She constantly is raising the bars, embodying strength in a world that often resents her for doing so. I keep thinking of the clips that went viral that fueled the narrative of Beyonce controlling everyone. The clips show the need for society to make sense of greatness to fit our expectations. For all of her “power”, these short videos showed how easily the narrative can change. Her success makes her vulnerable to the stories people can create with no real facts. This brings to light the harsh truth that Beyonce, like anyone else, is powerless against how the world interprets us.