You Are The Visual Baby - Act I
A nod to Beyonce’s Renaissance Album and the subtle art of studying yourself as you move forward in creating a lasting legacy.
First off, happy birthday Beyoncé and to all the Virgos across the world, from your favorite Gemini! I am so excited to introduce this series, as it has been brewing for nearly a month. This will be a 3 part series where I break down Act I (Renaissance - studying yourself), Act II (Cowboy Carter - studying your history) and Act III (Unknown - stepping into the GREAT unknown). I believe that once we understand our self and our history, we will be able to step into the great unknown with ease and leave an imprint on earth that will outlive our physical life.
Renaissance
Renaissance dropped at the perfect time, DUH! But on a personal level, Renaissance truly dropped at the perfect time. When the first single of the album “Break My Soul” dropped, I had quit my job less than a month before. I broke free from “safety” and decided to rest and become a full time entrepreneur. I was genuinely shook like Beyoncé girl are you all up in my mind?! Because yes the job had me so stressed I couldn’t sleep at night, I was working before 9 and well past 5, and I LOST MY MF MIND. No seriously, I was on three different medicines and working with my doctor and therapist all over a damn job chile. Whew… then when she dropped the album I remember thinking this is nice ( I immediately enjoyed “Church Girl” and “All Up in Your Mind”), but I didn’t enjoy it until after a few spins; it was different, it was UNIQUE - hehe. I was yearning for the visuals to make sense of Renaissance, but they never came, until several months later, Beyonce reminded us on tour “you (we) are the visual baby”. Hence, why Renaissance is an album dedicated to studying thyself.
Granted, by the time the tour had begun, I appreciated Renaissance - sometimes things need to marinate, but later I also appreciated that we did not get visuals because I got to interpret it in my own way, as did you, creating a personal and cultural connection to her art. I thoroughly enjoyed getting on social media and seeing many of our dissertations on each song, as well as the entire body of work. And guess what else happened? We fans created our own visuals - we all know the “Cuff It” dance - that is the visual baby.
Pause ⏸️. What exactly is a renaissance? Merriam Webster defines it as the transitional movement in Europe between medieval and modern times beginning in the 14th century in Italy, lasting into the 17th century, and marked by a humanistic revival of classical influence expressed in a flowering of the arts and literature and by the beginnings of modern science. It is further defined as a movement or period of vigorous artistic and intellectual activity; a revival or rebirth.
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Tracklist Interpretation
“I’m That Girl” - Beyoncé kicks off this album by telling us, no one can stop YOU, no one can stop ME, and no one can stop BEY! This is a song to remind us of our confidence, our essence, our stardom, our God given power. We are powerful because of who we were created to be, not because of who we surround ourselves with, what we have materially, or who appreciates us.
“Cozy” - Be who you areeeeeee for your priiiiiIIIIIiiiide! Lol, no but in all seriousness, we should all be comfortable in our skin, in our culture, in our sexual orientation, in our entire being. Cozy reminds us that no matter who we are, we should take pride in ourselves, despite the hate we may receive. Furthermore, the hate we receive in our comfort and confidence is because we have something, "they" aka haters, want which is genuine comfort, radical self acceptance, and unshakable confidence.
“Alien Superstar” - Simply put, YOU are unique. Yes, Beyoncé is unique, but you are too. This song reminds me of our fingerprints, as they are unique and no fingerprint is the same; we will all leave a unique imprint on this world. It is also a beautiful reminder to tap into the uniqueness that lies in our mind because no one else in this world can think like us, dress like us, walk like us, talk like us, love like us, etc.
“Cuff It” - This song truly is “the visual”! It is a nudge to take time out to play, fall in love, remember your sensual side, and tap into your highest self (“bet you you’ll see stars, bet you you’ll go far, bet you you’ll levitate, bet you you’ll meet God”). Our highest self is typically fun, similar to a child, and where we release our inhibitions - word to Natasha Bedingfield.
“Energy” - JUST VIBE! Again, your highest self, your truest self wants to have fun here on earth. I believe this is the perfect precursor to Break My Soul, specifically the lyric “them Karen’s turned into terrorists”. Yes life has it’s dark moments, but it would be a lot lighter if we had less people policing our good vibes and energy. But first, we must stop policing our own good energy by allowing it to take shape.
“Break My Soul” - Why are these careers breaking our soul? If it is breaking your soul, you need a new foundation so you can get back who your soul called you to be. In my opinion, this song is the epitome of the album’s title and what a renaissance actually is, because it is a call to a rebirth of yourself - I suppose this is why it was the first single. Bey is essentially asking us: what actually aligns with our soul and what needs to be released? She also says “if you don’t seek it, you won’t see it… if you don’t think it, you won’t be it”. Those simple but catchy lyrics remind us that when our mind and vision come together, we can experience a renaissance. Lastly, less is more when it comes to our soul.
“Church Girl” - Now that she’s discussed our foundation/soul in the previous song, Beyoncé wants us to look at our body’s relationship with spirituality and religion. Many of us that grew up in the south, myself included, grew up in conservative Christian households, where our bodies, especially as women, were often ridiculed before we could even speak. Because of this, the natural desire to move our bodies was often shunned, in order to appease the church or “powers” that be. In this song she is challenging that belief and reminding us that to be free is to let go and move, including our bodies; something Black Americans have done centuries before we were forced to conform to the ways of AmeriKKKa.
Pause ⏸️. We are halfway through the album and Beyonce reminds us of who we are and then takes us on a journey of peeling back the layers to get to our foundation, our soul, our highest self. Because once we know ourselves and not who society or indoctrination wants us to be, we will be free and a renaissance will be born.
I also wanted to pause here because “Church Girl” means a lot to my maternal lineage - I could write an entire article on this one. If you know me, I cannot dance for the life of me, I have gotten better over the years, but I still don’t have rhythm. After hearing this song, I shared it with my maternal grandmother and she told me she was not allowed to dance growing up, due to religious reasons. Even in high school, she was not allowed to go to dances and would often sit. I now know why I cannot dance (LOL), but it saddens me that something so innocent that even babies do, was condemned due to religion. Dancing is not innately sexual, it is a freedom of expression and releases trauma stored in the body. So now when I dance, I do it for my maternal lineage that couldn’t.
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“Plastic Off the Sofa” - Beyoncé starts this song off reminding us to be ourselves with ourselves and with the people we choose to love - heavy on the choose because we have a choice. Yes, it is a play on words regarding sex without protection, but don’t we all desire and deserve a place to be raw, rough and authentic? A raw and rough love that has longevity, where we are still liked - “I still like it baby”? Yes, but the thing is, we only get this love once we are BOTH confidently our authentic self.
“Virgo’s Groove” - The sign Virgo (and Gemini hehe) are at home in the planet Mercury, which represents communication and in this song Bey is telling us exactly what she wants, when she wants it and how she wants it; opening up that throat chakra. Basically, ask and you shall receive is what she is the message she is conveying in this song. You want them to come over? Say it! You want their hands gripping on you? Tell them. Because the thing is, we all want somebody! And don’t you lie either, the trauma has you scared, that is all.
“Move” - This song following Virgo’s Groove is funny to me. I interpret it as, ‘I am love and I am being loved on, so you can’t tell me shit about myself’. She is encouraging us to take up space, shine, and take center stage unapologetically and with our girls or community. Yes there will be people that are uncomfortable with you and your girls’ “coziness” and calling the shots, but alas tell them “move out the way” - again with that throat chakra!
“Heated” - This song gives me the same energy as “Don’t Hurt Yourself”, but in a more refined manner, hence “I gotta fan myself off, I gotta cool it down”. Beyoncé is telling us she ain’t nothing to play with (physically or artistically), but she also ain’t gone get all the way out of character. Instead, she would rather be nice-nasty aka petty, and read you down with an iconic look like the ballroom culture, followed by a little ki at the end. I love it, because it shows she truly cannot be tamed, but she clocks the nonsense many spew her way.
“Thique” - This that grown woman, home grown, authentic, real, THAT THIQUE. This song feels as if she is telling us that as we grow/age authentically, we will expand physically, mentally and financially. I’d like to think this is also a way Beyoncé is also telling people she did not touch her body (hair included cause folks love to talk chile), instead it is just natural expansion when you water yourself. Also, the lyrics “boy, take this in this in slow, don’t let go, and tell me how bad you’ve been wanting it” emphasize the importance of yearning and when it’s thick, you gotta take your time with it… she is so NASTY AHHHHHH I love it!
“All Up in Your Mind” - First off, only real ones love this song, or maybe yall ain’t crazy for real. Hehe, but no I think like most songs, this has multiple meanings. The first is love - duh! Is it a crime to want to make sure you and your lover are in sync? If so, lock me up baby. The second is, as this album is coming to a close, she wants to get in our mind through music to remind us who we are - UNIQUE, COZY, THAT GIRL to get back to our SELF, our foundation, our soul. Is that a crime? “No, NO!” Perfect segue into the next song.
“America Has a Problem” - Beyoncé is acknowledging that she is indeed a problem and once you have connected with your truest self and you’ve broken free from the “American dream” or the “matrix”, you will be a problem too. People who cannot be bought, bossed, or tricked out their spot are. a. problem - simply put. She has completely broken free by having full agency over her life, which is unheard of for anyone, especially one who is both Black and woman. Lastly, the problem doesn’t lie with her money, instead it lies with the freedom she possesses and encourages in others, such as the hive.
“Pure/Honey” - Bey’s technique is pure and it rightfully should cost a billion because it comes from her pure creativity. This song is all about Beyoncé knowing her creative worth and reminding us of our own creative worth. In Pure/Honey, she is spitting game to us, so we can study her technique of being pure, investing in our beauty, staying out of drama and having an incredible work ethic (staying busy). One final thought about this song is that she is again reminding us to open up our throat chakra by saying “don’t be funny with my money”! Speak up, your worth quite literally depends on it.
“Summer Renaissance” - The album has officially come to a close and with a fun song that will leave you in a trance. To be honest it took me a minute to understand the messaging in this song outside of the obvious of feeling good, so I truly had to study the lyrics on this one more than the others. The messaging I believe Beyoncé wants to spread in this song can be found in a few of the lyrics: “I’m feeling way too lose to be tied down. Can you see my brain open wide now?” which is followed by “I’m a doc, I’m a nurse, I’m a teacher. Dominate is the best way to beat ya”. This song shows us our freedom lies in our mind and once we can dominate our minds and lock into a trance-like state, we can get exactly what we want want want, no matter our profession or title.
In conclusion, this album is a masterclass in getting to the root of ourselves (mind, spirituality, body), so that we can call in that new life aka a renaissance, but one that is built on steady foundation.
Personal Study
How does Renaissance relate to you? To me? Renaissance is truly about remembering our highest self and embodying it. Who are we at the core? Who were we before jobs, titles, religion, “life”? And how can we bring that version of us back into our present and future life? How can we ensure our soul is being fed and not broken? How can we exude confidence and certainty about ourself and shamelessly present that to the world? What area of our lives is in need of a rebirth? What needs to be said aloud? This is the subtle art of studying yourself, YOUR TECHNIQUE, which is what I believe Beyoncé wanted us to get from this body of work. To know and understand one’s self, means you are grounded, authentic, free and will likely leave a legacy and impact on this earth, just as she is.
So before I go, let me ask you this. Do you know who YOU are at your core? If not, connect with your inner child - play, journal, dance, be silly, try something new - and in due time you will figure out who your PURE inner child is and what your soul came here to do. If you still need more help finding out who you are beneath what “America” or the “Matrix” tells you you should be, maybe I would be a good fit as a life coach. I would love to guide you back to yourself, because you already know, you may just need a little direction getting back to you… YOU JUST GOTTA FIND YOUR WAY BACK, BIG BIG WORLD BUT YOU GOT IT BABY. Below is my website with a link to a quick form to fill out.
Alright, this time next week to discuss Cowboy Carter? Bet! I will see you next Friday to discuss our history. Fun Fact: Did you know that Bey changed the game with that digital drop? She is the reason albums no longer drop on Tuesdays and instead drop on Fridays.
Oh and if Beyoncé, Beyoncé’s Manager Blue, or Mama Tina sees this, my birthday is June 1st and if you ever want to shout me out on your website, this is one of my favorite baby pics. Okay love you byeeeee. LOL.
Thank you so much for reading my work. I know this was a long one, but I hope it was worth it. I’m curious about your thoughts on this piece, so please leave a comment with your opinions on my interpretation, or what your interpretation of the album is. Keep in mind I’m an artist, and I’m sensitive about my shit LOL. If you have not already, be sure to check out my recent articles. Until next time friends.
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