Truly there’s no story to weave when it comes to this living legend, so let’s take a break from our regularly scheduled program to celebrate Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter’s 44th birthday! Now, if you are Beyhive like I’m Beyhive, you know that 4 is Beyoncé’s favorite number–hence her oldest’s name Blue Ivy (IV: Roman numeral for 4)–and you understand how special this birthday likely is to her. I’m honored to write about her this year in commensuration. It’s not only because I absolutely adore Bey that we’ll be detangling her legacy today, but also because she is a trailblazer and pioneer in Black media, uncovering history through her own ancestry shared in her artistry. She is what this blog is all about.
With her many accomplishments and years of notoriety, it’s nearly impossible for any writer to adequately capture and retell her career comprehensively but join me, reader, in a valiant attempt.
Beyoncé was born 44 years ago today on September 4, 1981 in Houston, Texas to Celestine and Mathew Knowles. With Creole roots in Louisiana, her mother, Celestine, or better known as Ms. Tina, was raised in Galveston, Texas. She worked as a seamstress and owner of Headliners salon while her father–from Alabama–worked diligently as a Xerox sales executive. The couple raised their daughters, Beyoncé and Solange in Third Ward Houston on Rosedale before eventually moving to Parkwood Drive, then a suburb in Missouri City. As entrepreneurs in their own respects, Mathew and Tina worked long hours to provide comfortable childhoods for their daughters, even if it required working 18- hour days.
“My parents taught me how to work hard and smart. Both were entrepreneurs; I watched them struggle working 18-hour days.”
– Beyoncé for Elle Magazine, 2016
Beyoncé has been a performer nearly her entire life, appearing on Star Search at the age of nine with her friends and classmates, Kelly Rowland, Latavia Robinson, Támar Davis, and Nikki and Nina Taylor in a girl group called Girls Tyme. However, contrary to popular belief, before the stage, Little Bey was a shy soul, coaxed out of her shell in dance classes that her parents enrolled her into. She’d performed once and never looked back. She went on to perform regularly, winning 35 local talent shows in a row. Realizing she was destined for stardom, she began voice lessons with an opera singer and building her endurance by running a mile while singing full out at only ten years old.
Besides training to become our generation’s greatest superstar, Beyoncé lived a very normal life. She grew up in a religious household, attending Sunday service at St. John’s Downtown Church in Houston. Like many young girls, she spent her free time at sleepovers, watching movies, and visiting the annual Houston Rodeo with friends and family. After 8th grade, she was homeschooled but previously attended St. Mary Private Catholic School, Parker Elementary, Welch Middle School, and briefly enrolled in the High School for Visual Performing Arts, where she met Letoya Luckett.
Tina and Mathew were extremely supportive of their daughter’s big dreams, so much that Mathew completed a music business class to manage the young girls group after their
Star Search let down. Subsequently, he modified the group members to consist of Bey, Kelly–whom Beyoncé grew up with–Latavia, and Letoya. The girls flipped through several name changes in navigating the music industry–Somethin’ Fresh, The Dolls, and Destiny–and completed a demo recording to pitch to record labels. As they climbed the ladder, they had amazing performance opportunities like opening for R&B singer Dru Hill, but the group faced challenges after signing with Silent Partner Productions in 1995, a deal that met a bitter end as it fell through. Nonetheless, the group found encouragement within and reemerged triumphant with Columbia Records in 1997. This moment was the birth of Destiny’s Child.
Destiny’s Child, with Mathew as their manager and Ms. Tina as their stylist, found their way into the spotlight with their contribution to the Men in Black soundtrack with the single “Killing Time” (1997). Their self titled album Destiny’s Child, released in February of 1998, earning them their first Billboard Hot 100 debut with the song “No, No, No.” Their sophomore album, The Writing’s On The Wall (1999), the following year added to their acclaim with their first Grammy nomination and number one placement on the Billboard Hot 100 with one of my favorite songs, “Bills, Bills, Bills.” The girls grew in popularity quickly, even securing the opportunity to open for Christina Aguilera’s first headliner tour from 1999 until 2002.
While the group experienced many ups in this burgeoning season, they also experienced a few downs. In early 2000, Letoya and Latavia made a bitter exit from the group as the Say My Name music video introduced their replacements, Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin. The departed filed a lawsuit against the group and Mathew, citing that the ambitious manager focused more on his own daughter’s fame rather than the success of the group. They would later settle out of court. A few, short months later, Franklin would quit the group, leaving the notorious trio to dominate the spotlight.
As one would expect in Hollywood, the drama increased their limelight and the group’s third studio album, Survivor (2001) debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Independent Woman Part 1” leading the chart for eleven weeks and “Bootylicious” holding the top spot for two weeks. The latter meant a lot to Beyoncé, being that the song was written in response to public scrutiny surrounding her weight.
It’s difficult being a woman. It’s so much pressure, and we need that support sometimes.
– Beyoncé
Survivor‘s success was remarkable, earning the illustrious trio their first Grammy award for Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocals. The girls agreed on a hiatus after their 2001 Christmas album, 8 Days of Christmas–one that would ultimately last three years. But as we all know, Bey is a hard worker and did not elect to rest during that time. Instead she, like her group mates, embarked on independent projects.
Beyoncé ventured into acting, starring in Carmen: A Hip-Hopera in 2001, as Foxxy Cleopatra in Austin Powers: Goldmember in 2002, and as Lilly in The Fighting Temptations in 2003.
That same year, she would debut as a solo act with her first album Dangerously in Love (2003)–featuring rapper Jay-Z– earning her first independent Grammy award and an MTV Video Music Award. The album was critically acclaimed and the star shined brightly at the pinnacle of celebrity at the time with her “Crazy In Love” Pepsi commercial. Bey had to double it in 2004 with her second Pepsi commercial featuring pop stars Britney Spears and P!nk singing a rendition of “We Will Rock You.” Her fame climbed quickly and she was heavily awarded, including that of the NAACP’s Entertainer of the Year honor.
Luckily for esteemed Destiny’s Child fans, the group returned in 2004 with Destiny Fulfilled, a project marking the end of an era. For the final time, the group headlined a record breaking tour through 2005 and officially disbanded at its conclusion. All of the group’s albums sold north of one million copies, earning platinum or multiplatinum certificates.
Beyoncé’s career was merely taking off but she was recognized by many of the greats. She recorded tracks with Luther Vandross and Stevie Wonder, respectively, and won Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocals for the duets “The Closer I Get To You” (2003) and “So Amazing” (2005). After starring in yet another Pepsi commercial alongside Jennifer Lopez and David Beckham in 2005, Bey released her sophomore album, B’Day (2006) the subsequent year. This album brought the Beyhive the funky dance tunes of “Freakum Dress,” “Upgrade U,” and my personal favorite, “Get Me Bodied,” whose visuals pictured Bey grooving in the function with Destiny’s Child and Solange. Music was never her only venture–with her mother, she developed a fashion line called Deréon Jeans, named after her maternal grandmother, Agnes Deréon. This line would be the first of many dedications to her lineage.
As the 2006 release topped the charts, Bey returned to acting, starring in Pink Panther (2006) as Xania and the renowned role of Deena Jones in Dreamgirls (2006). The latter role earned her nominations for both a Golden
Globe and Academy Award for the soulful single “Listen.” After her matrimony to Jay-Z on April 4, 2008 (4/4… I hope you’re seeing the pattern), Bey flustered Hollywood by uncovering her alter ego with the release of I Am… Sasha Fierce (2008), accompanied by all black and white visuals, which her record label strongly advised against. Known to challenge the status quo, Bey made history with hits like “Single Ladies,” “Halo,” and “Diva.”
The album’s success was so controversial that many speculated and accused Beyoncé of selling her soul to the Illuminati. It was at that moment nine year old me knew she had made it. Fans weren’t the only voices spewing hate towards Beyoncé’s success–artists entered the fold with comments of their own. Of the haters were the likes of Keri Hilson who dissed her on the remix of “Turnin’ Me On,” for which the singer later expressed regret. Beyoncé remained steadfast in her career nonetheless, starring as Sharon Charles in Obsessed (2009) with co-star Idris Elba.
As history would have it, just two years later, Beyoncé headlined England’s Glastonbury Festival–the first female artist and Black artist to do so. Subsequently, she released 4 (2011), circulating award winning ballads like “1+1,” “Best Thing I Never Had,” and “I Care” while also turning us up to “Countdown,” “Run The World,” and “Love On Top,” which she performed at the 2011 MTV VMAs when she revealed her baby bump carrying little Blue. Iconic.
Taking a break from the spotlight in 2012, Bey entered mommy mode for the birth of her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, but she couldn’t leave her first love for long. She returned to the spotlight in 2013 with her iconic “Grown Woman” Pepsi commercial, and soon after shook the entire world with the surprise drop of arguably her best album, self-titled BEYONCÉ.
“Changed the game with that digital drop / Know where you was when that digital popped / I stopped the world”
– Beyoncé on Feeling Myself ft. Nicki Minaj (2014)
The history-maker that she is prevailed once again with self titled–she used no marketing and released the album on a Friday instead of a Tuesday, changing the way artists dropped music from that moment forward. This album showed us a more sensual side of Beyoncé, producing “Drunk In Love,” featuring Jay-Z, and “Partition.” The album features the track “***Flawless,” incorporating one of the two-part release “Bow Down / I Been On,” in a provocative response to the aforementioned haters as well as an excerpt from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists. Bey definitely hit the ground running in 2013, completing a career trifecta starring as Queen Tara in Epic (2013) and ushering a DC reunion for the Super Bowl halftime show, releasing the song “Nuclear” with her best friends.
2014 and 2015 brought fans Bey’s and Jay’s first co-headlining tour On The Run, as well as viral tracks and music videos like “7/11,” which shocked the industry for its carefree depiction of Bey, one we weren’t offered often. Throughout this season, Bey put an emphasis on female empowerment and spreading feminist messages at both the 2014 MTV VMAs and the Made In America festival performance, and was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine for its “100 Most Influential People” issue. In March of 2015, she and Jay-z, alongside other artists, championed the debut of Tidal, a pro-artist streaming platform owned by artists.
In a shocking turn of events, the following year prompted a new Twitter controversy surrounding the power couple.
Lemonade (2016) premiered just a few months after its lead single “Formation” in an HBO Max special. The album clued fans into a vulnerable aspect of the star’s life: Jay-Z’s infidelity. Taking control of the narrative, Bey ushered in a new era of her music centering political messages and her southern roots. The album inspired numerous think pieces and academic discourse, and staged Beyoncé at the 2016 Super Bowl 50 half time show yet again–this time with Bruno Mars and Coldplay. At the performance, she and her dancers donned Black Panther style leathers, a political message against police brutality. In stride with her solidarity, she performed at a Hilary Clinton rally in support of Black Lives Matter. Having released “Daddy Lessons” on her album, she performed with the Dixie Chicks at the Country Music Association Awards, sparking controversy surrounding Black roots in the genre. That same year, she released a new athleisure clothing line named after her daughter and the street she grew up on–Ivy Park. The collaboration with TopShop would eventually change hands to Adidas in 2018.
In 2017 Beyoncé shocked the internet with her pregnancy announcement–with twins! She took a break from the spotlight to tend to home.
After Sir and Rumi were born in 2017, Bey and Jay returned with the album Everything Is Love (2018) under the moniker “The Carters.” Their record breaking On The Run II tour commenced soon after. That year, Beyoncé made history as the first Black woman artist to headline Coachella, producing the iconic Netflix special: Homecoming, centered around HBCU culture. The performance featured a dance number with Solange, a DC reunion, and a Jay-Z collaboration.
Soon, Disney wanted in on Beyoncé’s enterprise, casting her as the voice actress for Queen Nala in the live action remake of The Lion King (2019). The deal included her voice on the soundtrack, The Gift, featuring Blue Ivy on “Brown Skin Girl.” Later, Bey released the visual album Black Is King, leaning into Afrocentric mediums and rhythms, and highlighting Afrobeats artists. The performer went on to create a film celebrating African culture which premiered on Disney+ in 2020. Black Is King (2020) sparked many conversations on the value of Afrocentrism–and in the midst of a pandemic and widespread attention towards police brutality against African American communities, it provided a sense of pride and belonging for many.
Her activism reached beyond the stage through philanthropic donations and expressions, using her platform to advocate for social justice and urging her fans to vote. On Juneteenth of that year, she released the single “Black Parade,” another celebration of Blackness that furthered her activist agenda.
Beyoncé did not stop there; she released the single “Be Alive” (2021) for the film King Richard, depicting the journeys of olympians Venus and Serena Williams. The track earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. She would go on to deliver a beautiful tennis green tribute at the 94th Academy Awards, performing remotely from Compton, LA, Venus and Serena’s hometown. Bey brought great success to 2021, making Grammy history as the most awarded female artist ever with 35 wins.
Continuously surmounting the pinnacles of her career, Beyoncé released the first of a three part act with Renaissance (2022). This album marked another pivot in her sound, uplifting fans with House music beats and exposing them to unsuspecting genres and highlighting figures in the LGBTQIA+ community, including her late uncle, Uncle Johnny. The album won four Grammy awards and its accompanying tour, featuring Blue Ivy for the first time ever on stage, ravaged social media as fans scrambled to interpret and predict the ominous superstar’s next moves. Beyoncé has always been known to drop crumbs to share–but not really share–the events of her life. We saw this with the blue and pink color scheme in her maternity photos with the twins and the random lemon picture that prefaced Lemonade. Beyoncé was pictured atop a metallic horse for this era, which led fans to suspect act two would be a country album. In 2023, AMC Theaters collaborated with the entertainer to release a documentary surrounding the tour called Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé. Movie-goers were offered a glimpse into Bey’s creative process, as well as motherhood and guiding her daughter carefully into the spotlight.
Fans felt emotional seeing Blue Ivy on stage for the first time, remembering like yesterday when her mother shared her with the world on that VMAs stage, but I can only imagine the emotions Bey felt allowing her daughter to enter the spotlight so young. Remembering the scrutiny she faced at such a vulnerable age resurfaced as speculators hurled criticisms and comparisons at Blue for her very first performance. Nonetheless, the burgeoning star overcame the jitters and we watched her beautifully gain her confidence on that stage, a feat I’m sure made her mother proud.
Surely as fans are obsessed, they guessed correctly about the genre of act two though Beyoncé may suggest otherwise.
Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they? Yes, they are.
– Linda Martell on SPAGHETTII, Cowboy Carter (2024)
During a Super Bowl ad, the genre-bending superstar announced a country album consisting of many influences, responding to the critics who claimed Beyoncé ain’t BEEN CUNTRY and continuing resistance against genres that trap Black artists. As a Black woman, many of Beyoncé’s awards fall into R&B categories though she has always dabbled in all music styles. As she expresses in her album consisting of more than 20 full length tracks, country music started with Black people and is still for us. Upon its release, Cowboy Carter (2024) showcased Black country artists like Shaboozey and Tanner Adell, while featuring country greats like Dolly Parton, Linda Martell, and Miley Cyrus. Her ninth album includes ballads critiquing racist American society and promoting resistance and resilience like “American Requiem” and “Blackbiird” alongside Tina Turner-inspired tunes like “YA YA” and my personal favorite, “Sweet Honey Buckin’.” The album angered racists further with its Grammy win for not only the long overdue Album Of The Year award, but also the Best Contemporary Country Album award. Bey broke another record this night with the most ever Grammy nominations with 99 acclaims.
Bey marketed a whiskey brand after son, Sir Carter, and paternal great-grandfather Davis Hogue–who was a moonshiner living in the American South during Prohibition–called Sir Davis. In her entrepreneurial spirit, Beyoncé dropped her and her mother’s hair care line, Cécred. Beyoncé concluded a celebratory year honoring the Texans Christmas game with her Beyoncé Bowl performance, which is now exclusively on Netflix, and as the recipient of Billboard’s Greatest Pop Star of 21st Century recognition. The iconic Cowboy Carter tour began the following year in 2025. In anticipation of the third and final act, fans dissect hints towards a rock album, citing influences from Black Betty and Prince. While we wait excitedly, some of us suspect that Bey intends to retire at the conclusion of act three.
Beyoncé was born September 4, 1981
In 1990, she formed Girls Tyme with her friends
Star Search rejected the girl group 1992, prompting Mathew to take over as their manager
The record deal with Silent Partner Productions fell through in 1995
The group reemerged in 1997 as Destiny’s Child signed to Columbia Records
Destiny’s Child self-titled album released in 1998
The Writing’s On The Wall released in 1999
Drama and changes ensue within the group, leaving it a trio in 2000
In 2001 the new and improved Destiny’s Child debuts in Say My Name music video
Survivor (2001) dominates the Billboard Hot 100
8 Days of Christmas (2001) marks the start of the group’s 3 year hiatus
Beyoncé’s acting debut commences with Carmen: A Hip-Hopera in 2001
Bey stars in Austin Powers: Goldmember in 2002
Again, she graces television in 2003 in The Fighting Temptations
Luther Vandross accompanies Bey on the duet “The Closer I Get To You” (2003)
Beyoncé debuts her solo act with Dangerously In Love (2003)
Destiny’s Child returns in 2004 with Destiny Fulfilled
DC breaks records with their farewell tour in 2005
Beyoncé features on Stevie Wonder’s “So Amazing“
B’Day is released in 2006
Deréon Jeans hits the market in 2006
Beyoncé returns to acting in Pink Panther (2006) and Dreamgirls (2006)
Beyoncé and Jay-Z (Shawn Carter) wed in 2008
Bey’s alter ego debuts in 2008 with the release of I Am… Sasha Fierce (2008)
In 2008, Bey graciously depicts Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008)
Bey stars in Obsessed (2009)
Beyoncé makes history as the first woman and first Black artist to headline England’s Glastonbury Festival in 2011
4 (2011) hits the charts
Beyoncé shares her pregnancy with the world at the MTV VMAs in 2011
Blue Ivy Carter is welcomed into the world on January 7, 2012
Pepsi collaborates with Beyoncé again for the “Grown Woman” commercial in 2013
Beyoncé stars in Epic (2013)
Beyoncé changes the game with the surprise drop of self-titled in 2013
DC reunion at the Super Bowl halftime show (2013)
Beyoncé and Jay-Z embark on their first co-headliner tour, On The Run in 2014
The Platinum re-release of Self-Titled features new tracks, “7/11” and “Ring Off” in 2014
Bey features on Nicki’s track, “Feeling Myself” in 2014
Beyoncé embarks on a new era with Lemonade (2016)
Beyoncé steals the show at the Super Bowl 50 half time in 2016
The racists are shaken by Beyoncé’s CMA Awards performance with the Dixie Chicks (2016)
Ivy Park hits the shelves in 2016
Beyoncé welcomes babies, Sir and Rumi (2017)
The Carters release Everything Is Love featuring “APESHIT” (2018)
On The Run II tour breaks records (2018)
Bey makes history as the first Black woman to headline Coachella (2018)
Netflix releases Homecoming (2019)
Disney’s The Lion King drops featuring Beyoncé as the voice of Queen Nala (2019)
Beyoncé records The Lion King‘s soundtrack, The Gift (2019)
Beyoncé features on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage (Remix)” (2020)
Black Is King (2020) premieres on Disney+
Beyoncé releases “Black Parade” (2020)
Ivy Park sees its second launch in collaboration with Adidas
Beyoncé makes history as the most awarded female artist with 35 Grammy wins (2021)
“Be Alive” (2021) is nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song in 2022
Act I: Renaissance (2022) is released
Bey performs for an invitation-only crowd in Dubai for the unveiling of the new Atlantis The Royal
The record-breaking Renaissance tour commences in 2023
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé hits theaters in 2023
Beyoncé drops “House” (2023) to signal the end of the Renaissance era
Bey reminds fans of her country roots with Cowboy Carter (2024)
Sir Davis whiskey rattles the liquor store shelves in 2024
Beyoncé and Ms.Tina save our edges with Cécred in 2024
Disney debuts Mufasa: The Lion King (2024) starring Bey as Queen Nala and debuting Blue Ivy as Kiara
Beyoncé wins AOTY and Best Country Album awards at the 2024 Grammys
Beyoncé performs at the Texans half time game, coined Beyoncé Bowl, on Christmas (2024)
Billboard names Beyoncé the greatest pop star of the 21st century (2024)
The Cowboy Carter Tour commences in 2025
At the Cowboy Carter tour, Beyoncé closed the show with a speedy montage depicting visuals from the start of her career until the present, invoking a nostalgic response from her fans. My friend, Joselyn, and I attended the tour and felt the same. I’ve always known that Bey’s career has lasted the test of time, but I didn’t recognize the weight of that until seeing the show and again when writing this history. This is quite literary my longest post to date! I’m in awe. I know there are likely events I’ve omitted in this birthday gift to my favorite artist because Bey is always working, even when we don’t see it. From the late 20th century until now she has maintained relevance and truly earned recognition as the greatest pop star of the 21st century– there’s no
comparison. Beyoncé has set a standard in performance that surpasses any current entertainer and abides by a level of perfection that sets her apart. She is the celebrity’s celebrity, amassing queues of fans in every room she enters, even the Grammys which is nearly exclusive to the famous. She’s dedicated her life to standing up for social causes, empowering women, shedding light on the fight for gay rights, and educating fans all over the world about what it means to be Black. She tells stories through her songs and is the embodiment of “twice as hard to be half as good” (if you know, you know). She’s longevous, having surpassed her peers in career length and relevance while consistently outdoing herself with each new project. All in all, I share all of this to say happy b’day to the greatest entertainer in modern history, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter–the woman that you are. I look forward to act three and whatever may–or may not–come after. “The Beyhive is buzzing!” Thank you for reading.
Please like, share, and subscribe, and comment below your favorite moments from Beyoncé’s illustrious career! Click the link below to visit Bey’s website.
Sources
“Beyoncé Knowles Biography.” Beyoncé Knowles Biography – Life, Family, Childhood, Children, Parents, Name, Mother, Young, http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Ge-La/Knowles-Beyonc.html. Accessed 2 Sept. 2025.
“Beyoncé.” TeachRock, 17 May 2022, teachrock.org/traceitback/beyonce/.
“Destiny’s Child.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., http://www.britannica.com/topic/Destinys-Child. Accessed 2 Sept. 2025.
Donica, Adrienne, and Catherine Caruso. “Beyoncé.” Biography.Com, 2025, http://www.biography.com/musicians/beyonce-knowles.
Hughes, Hilary. “She Will Rock You: Rewinding Beyoncé’s Best Pepsi Commercials.” Billboard, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2019, http://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/beyonce-best-pepsi-commercials-super-bowl-8495617/.
“Timeline.” The Beyonce World, 20 Aug. 2012, thebeyonceworld.com/beyonce/timeline/.
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