Class doesn't need to get a megaphone walking the streets screaming "hey look everyone, I'm classy." No. Class speaks all by itself. That is why I was a bit shocked by Beyonce's new song Bow Down. I have no qualms in saying I am a fan of Beyonce. I love her seamless sense of style. I love that she wears clothes that compliment her body shape, and that she can switch from sexy to classy in a hot minute. I respect that she has worked hard to get to the top of her game; rehearses for hours on end to perfect her dance routines, and has often used few words to prove a point (the miming at the Obama's Inauguration episode).
When you are good at what you do, you don't need to remind the whole world about it. Classy is as classy does. And Beyonce had it nailed....until her new song Bow Down started circulating. For those of you who have not heard it, the lyrics state:
" I know when you were little girls / You dreamt of being in my world/ Don't forget it , don't forget it/ respect that, bow down bitches"
When you look at the softly spoken Beyonce, it's hard to believe that these words dropped out of her mouth. Sure, she has flirted with risqué songs, danced in a way that can only be described as provocative, but she has never come straight out and said anything as bold as this. I guess her alter ego Sasha Fierce is back, raw and really unapologetic.
The real question that remains is, is it because the media has painted her with this squeaky clean image that we have such a big problem if she deviates from it by as much as a millimetre? I have always been a proponent of not allowing others to put you in a box and it seems that we may have done just that to Beyonce. Whether we like it or not, she is a leader in her field and whilst it's commonly accepted for men and some female rap artists to talk this way, it is frowned upon when most women do something even remotely similar, especially in the genre of music that Beyonce puts out. She seems very much into empowering and supporting women, which is evident with her all female band, Single Ladies anthem and Survivor mantra. So I suspect this is aimed at a specific group because some times, enough is enough.
Sometimes class gets kicked to the curb when you just need to be yourself. However, being a celebrity brings with it a certain responsibility because you influence others. Before now, Beyonce had managed to ignore the haters and focus on uplifting the masses. Many will see this as a drop in her classiness whilst others will see it as a continuation of her empowerment to have an answer for those who have been back biting and steal her shine.
None the less seeing classy women being arrogant is off putting. Sure, confidence is a good thing, and from a style perspective, confidence is the best accessory to any outfit. The line between confidence and arrogance is extremely fine. But is Beyonce really being arrogant or is she super smart with the release of this track? Only time will truly tell, because telling everyone how great you are can reduce your running in the hustling game quicker than you can say "Beyonce who?"
Am I saying that people who swear are not classy? YES! To utter a swear word is to betray the classy image you project. True class emulates without having to shout it from the rooftops. However, before pointing fingers, remember your classless moments, because we all have one. Just be comfortable with who you are. Beyonce may not even want to be put into any class box at all, this track has done well to raise controversy as to who is this new Beyonce? What will her other records sound like? But most importantly she may not give a damn what you think anyway. Class or not Beyonce is back.