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March 28, 2024, 08:46:20 AM

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Beyoncé - HOMECOMING

Started by alan nagsworth, May 05, 2019, 06:36:52 PM

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alan nagsworth

Christ alive, I watched this last night and honestly if someone walked in at the end and said "ooh I wouldn't mind watching that myself" I would have wheeled that fucker up and watched it again. Absolutely breathtaking performance alongside very well edited footage of the rehearsal process, and a smattering of Bey's sparse monologues on the whole thing. 200 people on stage - a brass band, a drum line, dancers - on a huge set designed to look like an American sports field bleacher, carrying out a seamless routine that does not let up from start to finish.

The actual set is technically something like 40 songs across 110 minutes, consisting of Bey's most belting and bombastic tunes stitched together in a revamped/remixed format, plus appearances from Jay-Z, Solange and Destiny's Child, and intervals with the band playing a bunch of other big-hitting songs of history's great black musicians, in an enormous and incredibly joyous celebration. There's a bit of Fela Kuti's "Zombie" in there for fuck's sake. It's got everything. Bey and everyone else on stage looked stunning, and the choreography is out of this world.

Backstage, she gives fleeting glimpses into her personal life, such as the fact that she underwent an absolutely mental diet and exercise routine after giving birth to twins the previous year to get herself back in shape as soon as possible. There's also a few cuts with a handful of the performers talking about black history and culture and education. The whole project must have been exhausting beyond belief for all involved, and yet there's not a shred of negativity in it. It just saunters off into the future and into the pages of history with a big fucking grin. I loved it.


Glebe

[tag]Pop world attempts to cash on success of Spider-Man and that.[/tag]

PlanktonSideburns

It's fucking good this, what a group

Ferris

Mrs Ferris was banging on about it the other day, reckons it's class. Is it as good as playing the Mountain Goats very loudly? No it isn't.

alan nagsworth

Quote from: Bazooka on May 05, 2019, 09:46:42 PM
Nah I'm alright mate.

I can see why they call this a comedy forum with EdGy LeGeNdS like you roasting the place

Twed

I'm sure she's really amazingly good at what she does, but people's YAS KWEEN deification of her has made it impossible for me to ever enjoy anything she does. It turns my stomach a bit to see somebody elevated above regular people so much, especially when as a billionaire she could do a lot of good that she hasn't done 1/1000 of, making her a bad person.

There's so much joy to be found in other things by people who aren't symptoms of a monstrous society that I don't feel that I'm missing out here.

DrGreggles

I think she's a great performer but her music leaves me cold, to be honest.
It's just soulless to me. There's too much production. I'm aware that's a terrible description, but I know what I mean by it.

alan nagsworth

Quote from: Twed on May 06, 2019, 04:21:20 PM
I'm sure she's really amazingly good at what she does, but people's YAS KWEEN deification of her has made it impossible for me to ever enjoy anything she does. It turns my stomach a bit to see somebody elevated above regular people so much, especially when as a billionaire she could do a lot of good that she hasn't done 1/1000 of, making her a bad person.

There's so much joy to be found in other things by people who aren't symptoms of a monstrous society that I don't feel that I'm missing out here.

If I had an arse like hers mate I wouldn't waste my time with humanitarian bollocks. I'd spend every waking hour god sent learning how to twerk as ferociously as possible whilst singing Mariah levels of pitch perfection.

Anyway billionaires aren't the only people who could be doing loads more good for the world but don't. Sometimes I'll walk past a homeless person knowing I've got a spare quid in my wallet but I don't give it to them because I'm worried I might miss my bus. Does that make me a bad person? I'm afraid the answer remains a stiff, unwavering PROBABLY.

Twed

Quote from: alan nagsworth on May 06, 2019, 04:36:39 PM
Anyway billionaires aren't the only people who could be doing loads more good for the world but don't. Sometimes I'll walk past a homeless person knowing I've got a spare quid in my wallet but I don't give it to them because I'm worried I might miss my bus. Does that make me a bad person? I'm afraid the answer remains a stiff, unwavering PROBABLY.
She could fix Flint's water crisis and not even notice the money was gone.

alan nagsworth

Quote from: Twed on May 06, 2019, 04:47:57 PM
She could fix Flint's water crisis and not even notice the money was gone.

Is that why Keith killed himself? Blimey, all he had to do was ask. But sometimes when you're depressed the hardest thing to do is reach out.

Twed

Yes. It's not funny. He was thirsty and asked Beyonce for help and all she did was ask him to guess the amount of water stored in her bottom. He guessed it right and she still didn't help him out, that's the tragedy.

Replies From View

It won't be the same without the Stan Lee cameo.

sevendaughters

it's amazing visually but Beyonce fails on the music side of thing for me. I get it, this is beyond my conception of pop music based in growing up in the 80s/90s, it's a kind of gesamkunstwerk, the visuals and the music AND the persona behind it AND the feeding frenzy are all part of the thing you consume. but I can't get excited for it. i also think there's a bit of cheek there as well, like, I'm sorry but Beyonce has nothing to do with Fela Kuti at all but it's fine for this megacapitalist to steal his shine for part of her Netflix mega payout. can Ed Sheeran get up and start doing Daniel Johnston or Richard Thompson? she can do what she wants with her money (ideally reimburse the exchequer in full) but i've never thought much beyond a handful of very good singles.

flotemysost

Quote from: Twed on May 06, 2019, 04:21:20 PM
I'm sure she's really amazingly good at what she does, but people's YAS KWEEN deification of her has made it impossible for me to ever enjoy anything she does.

I know what you mean - I really do like her music and she's undeniably ridiculously talented, but I've always been a bit skeptical of the sort of fawning hero-worship she attracts, to the point where people seem to think that even suggesting she's anything less than utter perfection (either musically or as a person) is heresy. It doesn't make it impossible for me to enjoy what she does, but it is a bit distracting.

I saw her live at V Festival in 2013, it was all incredibly slick and impressive, if less technically and visually bombastic than the Coachella set. She had an all-female band and opened the set in front of a big lit-up 'FEMINIST' sign, which at the time struck me as a bit 'clunkingly obvious/cynical virtue signalling' - but looking back, even as recently as 2013, I think famous and influential people were far more wary of using that term to describe themselves, pre-#metoo and all that - so if that inspired even one person to think about that word and feel OK using it, then good on her I suppose.

Anyway, back to Homecoming, it is an absolute treat to watch for sure and she's got some corkers in her back catalogue, although I'd have taken Sweet Dreams or Green Light over Single Ladies or Love On Top any day.

Clownbaby

For someone with a very strong message in their music I've always found Beyoncé a bit... hard to read and I've never clicked with that WHO RUN THE WORLD? GIRLS. YONCÉ GETTIN PAPER THIS GOES OUT TO ALL THE FIERCE LAYDEES aesthetic when I'm in any mood other than drunk drag nightclub mood. Not that I can only enjoy the music of people who I relate to because that's very untrue, but I empathise with people who find her sexy Oprah with the inspirational quotes Amazon booty goddess thing a bit  overly polished and strangely distant.

That doesn't change the fact, however, that she's got some bumpin tunes and I'm insanely jealous of her parts and eerily flawless skin. Fuck off Beyoncé with your probably dynamic and entertaining live album which I haven't heard but have faith in given your recent very solid output, just fuck off. She's a hell of a show-woman and I respect her but I also understand when people have reservations. I was only really swayed by the last 2 albums, myself. (Beyoncé and Lemonade)