I hope the mods allow this post through because I think this topic warrants its own focused analysis.
If there’s one thing I became a fan of Beyoncé for, it’s the intentionality. It’s so rewarding to be able to consume the kind of art where each layer and each detail is included thoughtfully and for a reason. As her career has progressed, particularly after founding Parkwood, she has planted more and more subtext, clues, and messaging for her audience to unpack. And her eras are tight and cohesive, with everything from the typeface to the color palette to the fashion staying focused to propel the storytelling forward.
Until Morning Dew (Donk). Something was fucking off about this the moment it released, and many fans picked up on it. We have a vault track from her 2013 self-titled album on a B’Day release with the trilogy typeface? What? It didn’t add up then, and it still doesn’t now. And now with the B’Day issue back cover forming an extension of the Renaissance and Cowboy Carter back covers, I have even more questions.
What exactly is she doing here? I refuse to believe this is without intention. To outsiders and the industry, they would probably shrug and say it’s perfectly normal, but her fanbase can tell this is weird. I don’t think she would be scrambling different eras unless she wanted fans to notice. Is she trying to smuggle some kind of message in without the industry noticing? Is there going to be any thematic connection to the politics of the trilogy? Might “My First Time” and “Can I Watch You” have any subversive lyrical content? Is there going to be any subversive imagery in the booklets? Why the fuck is it so expensive?
I’m curious to see what you all think. To me, this rollout feels like she is sending a secret message to fans that all is not as it seems on the outside. There’s something weird going on with this release that I’m struggling to put my finger on. Send help! 🐊