“She’s an artist that other artists look up to,” said Lola Djavaherian, Berkeley High School senior.
Everyone knows her name. Beyoncé. On Aug. 30, the Beyoncé Renaissance Tour came to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, with the first track of the night being “Dangerously In Love.” She performed this beloved song to a sold-out stadium, with cheers coming from 50 thousand fans of all ages.
Beyoncé, a major female figure and pop star, has been releasing many of the greatest hits for decades, and the Renaissance Tour continues to solidify her multigenerational fanbase.
Over time, Beyoncé’s influence has shifted to include people of all ages and demographics, due to the growth of admiration, and music being passed down from generation to generation.
“She’s always been a really influential person,” BHS sophomore Anisha Pinto said. Pinto attended the concert on Aug. 30 with her mom. The two of them have been fans of Beyoncé ever since her first albums came out.
“My mom, when she was in her twenties or something, she (listened) to Beyoncé. And she passed down her love for Beyoncé to me because I grew up listening to it,” Pinto said. “Everyone knows her, no matter what generation you’re in. She’s inspired a lot of different generations.”
The purpose of this tour was to perform her latest album, “Renaissance,” that came out in 2022. Renaissance, meaning rebirth, was a revival of her music with new styles and sounds incorporated into it.
“She’s evolving, and going back to the roots of Black music, house, dance, and ballroom, and being like, ‘I want the world to experience this.’ She makes it more mainstream,” said Rebeca Villágran, BIHS history and Latinx history teacher.
Villágran has been a fan of Beyoncé since the Destiny’s Child era. After Beyoncé became her own star, Villágran’s admiration of her grew.
While the album “Renaissance” was a hit, that wasn’t the only reason her fans came to the show. For Djavaherian, she has enjoyed Beyoncé’s music since a very young age.
“She’s a very popular artist, so I feel like I’ve always known her music, especially her earlier stuff,” Djavaherian said.
Djavaherian recalled her experience at the concert as “life changing.” It had a similar effect on many fans, some even leaving the show with tears of admiration.
“The crowd was much more hyped when she played her older songs. Cause that’s what everyone knows. Like, even if you’re not a huge fan, you know Beyoncé’s old songs,” said Pinto.
Current high schoolers grew up listening to her oldest albums, and for many, it’s what hits home the most. With Beyonce’s music comes nostalgia, especially for individuals who have been listening to her their entire life.
“Some artists are timeless,” Villágran stated. With that said, Beyoncé’s overall influence has not been the same her entire career.
“She’s changing with the times in a good way. In the 90s, you couldn’t be super politically outspoken,” said Villágran.
As Beyoncé gained attention, her platform expanded, and now she uses it to raise awareness towards other issues.
“She supports a lot of things, like rights for queer people and women’s rights,” said Pinto. Beyoncé has always been a feminist, and that’s shown in early songs, like “Independent Woman” and “Run the World.”
Using her music and her voice, Beyoncé continues to demonstrate her support of many progressive movements, which makes a big impact, especially when it’s coming from a huge pop culture figure.
“Beyonce is art, and what she’s contributed to culture is even bigger than her,” Villagrán said. “That’s why it resonates with so many people all over the world.”
Beyoncé may be getting older, but her legacy has only just begun.