Beyoncé Opens Up About Why She Stepped Back From Music Videos

From the iconic bubblegum moment in “Crazy In Love” to smashing cars with a baseball bat in “Hold Up,” Beyoncé has been behind some of the most unforgettable music videos in pop history. Her visual creativity rivals the legends of Madonna and Michael Jackson, and her Lemonade era solidified her as a force celebrating Black womanhood and female empowerment through her art.

But in a surprising move, the Queen Bey put a halt to her signature visuals. Her latest albums, Renaissance and Cowboy Carter, have notably lacked the stunning music videos fans had come to expect, leaving many puzzled. Now, in a rare interview with GQ, Beyoncé explained why she shifted gears.

“I didn’t want the videos to become a distraction from the quality of the voice and the music,” she shared. “I thought it was important that during a time where all we see is visuals, that the world can focus on the voice.”

Beyoncé revealed that her recent projects, which shine a light on Black musicians’ contributions to house, disco, and country, needed to stand alone. “The music is so rich in history and instrumentation. It takes months to digest, research, and understand,” she explained. “The music needed space to breathe on its own.”

For Renaissance in particular, which was written during the pandemic, the live concert experience became her priority over filming music videos. The album, released in 2022, was designed to offer listeners an escape during a turbulent time. The accompanying tour, which later became a concert film, served as a moment of collective healing and celebration for her fans.

“The fans from all over the world became the visual,” Beyoncé told GQ. “We all got the visual on tour.”

This interview marks the first time Beyoncé has spoken extensively about her career since a 2017 joint interview with her sister, Solange. Known for her intense privacy, the superstar largely stepped back from interviews around 2013-2014, preferring to communicate through personal essays or directly to her fans on social media.

While GQ didn’t reveal too much about the notoriously private star, Beyoncé did share some fun tidbits, like giving up meat (except turkey) over the summer. She also touched on the eerie rise of AI, saying she recently heard an AI-generated song that “sounded so much like me it scared me.”

Protecting her family remains a top priority for the singer, as she continues to shield her children from the media spotlight. “One thing I’ve worked extremely hard on is making sure my kids can have as much normalcy and privacy as possible,” she said. “It’s very easy for celebrities to turn our lives into performance art. I have made an extreme effort to stay true to my boundaries and protect myself and my family. No amount of money is worth my peace.”

With Beyoncé’s music speaking for itself and her fans rallying behind her on tour, the absence of music videos hasn’t diminished her reign. Instead, she’s reminded everyone why she remains one of the most powerful and respected voices in entertainment.

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