That year was 2002, and after much success and growth with Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé began to focus on her solo career. With Destiny’s Child on a break, Beyoncé was dealing with a lot of hate and blame from the media, as people were failing to understand that this break was meant to be a temporary hiatus, and that it was a decision that the group had made collectively. But her solo album was one of the most anticipated of the year, and she was receiving a great amount of doubt from haters and critics who felt she had no place as a solo artist. The New York Times even released an article in 2003 claiming that “[Beyoncé] is no Ashanti.”2 But Beyoncé was hungry and determined to prove every single person wrong.
After starring in the movie Austin Powers in Goldmember as character Foxxy Cleopatra, and after being featured in Jay-Z’s “‘03 Bonnie & Clyde,” Beyoncé began working on her first solo project. The album would be called Dangerously in Love, the same title as a song she had written for Destiny’s Child’s album Survivor. She chose this title because the album would essentially be a body of work that expresses the “steps [involved] in relationships and love.”3 Beyoncé wanted to include numerous collaborations on this album, because she wanted to use this as an opportunity to learn and grow as an artist. She worked with many legends during this era, including Luther Vandross. Vandross worked with Beyoncé on a cover of Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway’s “The Closer I Get to You.” Their cover of the song was included in Vandross’ album, Dance With My Father, and in Beyoncé’s album Dangerously in Love. Beyoncé considered this a blessing, because Vandross was someone that she knew she could learn a lot from, being the R&B legend that he is.4 Beyoncé also had the opportunity to work with legendary rapper Missy Elliott. Elliott wrote a song for Dangerously In Love called “Signs.” She played the song for Beyoncé in the studio. It describes the characteristics of the different zodiac signs. The song discussed experiences that people of different signs have.5 Beyoncé’s now husband, and legendary rapper, Jay-Z, would also be featured on the album, on the tracks “That’s How You Like It” and “Crazy In Love.”
“Crazy in Love” was the turning point for Beyoncé. She released it as the lead single for the album. The song was exciting and fierce and in 2018 would be named the “Greatest song of the century” according to Rolling Stone Magazine.6 The iconic horns blasting in the song, accompanied by Beyoncé’s soaring vocals, Jay-Z’s flow, and the widely recognized “uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh- oh no no” bridge, all contributed to the song’s acclaim and longevity. The horns were sampled from the Chi-Lites’ “Are You My Woman” by producer Rich Harrison.7 Harrison had hung on to the sample hoping for the right artist to come along and record a song with it. After receiving a call from Beyoncé, he played it for her and it took her some time to warm up to it, but she did and he ended up writing the hook and verses in two hours.8 Beyoncé came back into the studio, looked at herself in the mirror and said “I’m looking so crazy right now,” and that became the chorus. She then wrote the bridge, and Jay-Z would later record his rap.9
The music video for “Crazy in Love” begins with an iconic strut from Beyoncé wearing jean shorts, a white tank top, and red heels. The camera zooms into her face and she asks the audience, “You Ready?” Long story short, nobody was. She does a series of different dances in different settings, wearing different outfits. Beyoncé had a vision for the video, wanting it to be fashionable, alluring, urban, and fresh.10 The video is fierce, innovative, and adds to the song’s charisma.
When Beyoncé first played her album for Columbia Records, the label did not believe it would sell. “They told me I didn’t have one hit song on my album. I guess they were kind of right. I had five,” said Beyoncé in her show at New York’s Roseland Ballroom.11 Following Dangerously In Love’s release, which was postponed to June 2003, “Crazy In Love,” “Baby Boy,” “Naughty Girl,” “Me, Myself and I,” and “Dangerously in Love 2,” all became hits, with “Crazy In Love” and “Baby Boy” each peaking at number 1. The album would also go #1, receive 5 Grammy Awards, and as of 2011, would sell over 11 million copies worldwide.12 Clearly the label thought wrong. With the album, came a short tour. The “Dangerously In Love Tour” was a 10-show tour in Europe in November 2003.13
The 2004 Grammy Awards was a big night for Beyoncé. She would win 5 awards in one night, and would perform twice. She performed “Dangerously in Love 2,” and she performed with the legendary artist formerly known as Prince. Prince wanted Beyoncé to perform with him and she was originally hesitant because it was a huge night for her and she wasn’t sure if she needed much more. She also wanted to make sure she would be able to have her solo performance. Grammy Awards producer Ken Ehrlich found her at a photoshoot, talked to her, and she agreed to do the performance with Prince. Afterwards, Beyoncé felt amazing about it. She felt it was one of her best performances yet.14 The show was a great night for her, as she had worked so hard on her album and was proud of what she had accomplished. Her debut year as a solo artist was extremely strong, and would set the tone for her future. At that point, the music industry knew Beyoncé was a force to be reckoned with.
Following their hiatus and the release of their solo projects, Destiny’s Child would come back together and create one last album together. After growth as individuals and uncovering their strengths and weaknesses, Beyoncé, Kelly, and Michelle would release an album that celebrated friendship, love, and their journeys.15 It would be called Destiny Fulfilled, as they felt that their time as a group was complete and that their careers as individuals were just beginning.
Beyoncé’s career has taken her to legendary status. She has become the standard of the music industry and has had an undeniable impact on peoples’ lives. She is 22 years into her career and she only seems to improve in each of her eras. Her longevity is a result of her work ethic, vision, versatility, and of course, talent. In 2018, she became the first black woman to headline Coachella, and for two hours straight she was serving powerful vocals, intense choreography, and an arrangement that paid tribute to historical black colleges. She opened the performance with none other than “Crazy In Love,” and brought out Kelly and Michelle in what was an unforgettable Destiny’s Child reunion. It is clear that Beyoncé continues to embrace her roots as an artist, knowing that where she is today is a result of the path that she has taken, which all began with Destiny’s Child. Now 38 years old and a mother of 3, Beyoncé continues to pour her heart and soul into her music, and works tirelessly to create bodies of work that tell her story and performances that go down in history.
- Royal, “Beyoncé passes $1 billion in total tour gross!,” FOTP, 2018, https://fotpforums.com/topic/168000-beyoncé-passes-1-billion-in-total-tour-gross. ↵
- Madeline Bourdman, “The New York Times in 2003: Beyoncé is ‘No Ashanti’,” Huffpost, 2013, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/new-york-times-2003-beyonce-no-ashanti_n_3874838. Ashanti was another popular female R&B artist at the time. ↵
- HoneyBey3, “Beyoncé The Making of Dangerously in Love,” Juanxoyo, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wcnzJHxE7I. ↵
- Walter Scott, “Beyoncé Reveals Her Greatest Accomplishment,” Parade, 2013, https://parade.com/14496/walterscott/beyonce-answers-reader-questions. ↵
- HoneyBey3, “Beyoncé The Making of Dangerously in Love,” Juanxoyo, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wcnzJHxE7I. ↵
- Christian Hoard et al., “The 100 Greatest Songs of the Century- So Far,” RollingStone, 2018, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/the-100-greatest-songs-of-the-century-so-far-666874/crazy-in-love-beyonce-feat-jay-z-666905. ↵
- Vanessa Quilantan, “‘Crazy In Love,’ Beyoncé’s Coronation Anthem, Turns 10 Years Old,” Dallas Observer, 2013, https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/crazy-in-love-beyonces-coronation-anthem-turns-10-years-old-7049625. ↵
- Joe D’Angelo, “Road To The Grammys: The Making of Beyonce’s ‘Crazy In Love’,” MTV News, 2004, http://www.mtv.com/news/1484784/road-to-the-grammys-the-making-of-beyonces-crazy-in-love. ↵
- Ian McCann, “‘Crazy In Love’- Beyoncé’s hit began as a modest selling 1970s soul single,” Financial Times, 2018, https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/crazy-in-love.html. ↵
- Javier LoBe, ” Beyoncé- Crazy in Love (feat. Jay-Z)(The Making of), 2011, https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xonpt9. ↵
- Eddie Fu, “Knowledge Drop: Beyoncé’s Label Said ‘Dangerously In Love’ Didn’t Have a Hit Single,” Genius, 2019, https://genius.com/a/beyonce-s-label-said-dangerously-in-love-didn-t-have-a-hit-single. ↵
- Idolator, “Backtracking: Beyoncé’s ‘Dangerously In Love’ Turns 10′”, Vibe, 2013, https://www.vibe.com/2013/06/backtracking-beyonces-dangerously-love-turns-10. ↵
- “Dangerously In Love Tour,” Revolvy,https://www.revolvy.com/page/Dangerously-in-Love-Tour. ↵
- Dan Rys, “Prince and Beyoncé at the 2004 Grammy Awards: The Story Behind How the Duet Came Together,” Billboard, 2016, https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7341600/prince-beyonce-2004-grammy-awards-duet-producer-ken-ehrlich-interview. ↵
- Benzzhit Knowlezzz, “Destiny’s Child- The Destiny Fulfilled Interview,” 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MuA_XkVxng. ↵
This Post Has 49 Comments
Jose Chaman
9 Nov 2019This is a very good article that correctly describes the beginnings of Beyoncé’s excellent musical career. I am not a fan of her music; however this article has highlighted great characteristics of her life that make me think about how important she is for this generation. This article has helped me to know the history of Beyoncé and to value her contribution to our society.
Elizabeth Maguire
2 Nov 2019Before reading this article, I have heard of Beyonce but did not know that she began her career in 2002. I also didn’t know that she stared in movies such as Austin Powers in Goldmember. It is very interesting that she also did some song covers. This article was a great read. Great job, Sydney!
Jacqueline Mendez
27 Oct 2019I have followed Beyonce since I was born! She has been my idol and role model. I have gained all my confidence because of what she speaks in her music. I was very familiar with her story but it was very fun learning little cool facts that I didn’t know about our female savior herself. So many of her songs helped me get through some very tough times in my life. I loved this article!
Mia Correa
27 Oct 2019Let me tell you real quick, Beyonce is a QUEEN!! She has accomplished more in her lifetime than most of humanity. And to still be humble and kind? Dang. She’s got it all. I thought I loved her before reading this article, but this article somehow made me love her even more considering I learned a lot about her journey to fame as well as just everything she did in order to get to where she is now. As a fellow musician, I admire Beyonce for the range in her voice. I personally believe that being in Destiny’s Child is what allowed her to develop her mixed register so thoroughly.
Marco Montes de Oca
23 Oct 2019Beyonce has made such an impact in society with her music. Her songs are some of the most popular of this era. I never knew she started her solo career because her group decided to separate. Had they never decided to separate, she may have never gone solo which is crazy to think about. She worked so hard when she began and became what she is due to her work ethic and love for music.
Charli Delmonico
22 Oct 2019I didn’t know very much about Beyonce before reading this article, and this article explained so many interesting things that help explain why Beyonce is so amazing and how she became so successful. Quite honestly, I didn’t even know that she was a part of Destiny’s Child, but for those who followed their group religiously, their reunion must have been a really big deal. I’m familiar with most of Beyonce’s songs, but I had no idea that the chorus for “Crazy in Love” was thought of when Beyonce made that comment in the mirror about how crazy she looked at that moment.
Samantha Bonillas
20 Oct 2019Beyonce is such an inspiration to our generation. All the hard work and dedication that she put in to make a name for herself is something that I look up to her for. From being a part of Destiny’s Child to being a well known solo artist is amazing. This article gave me a lot of insight in who Beyonce is and how she got to where she is now. Before reading this article, I knew who Beyonce was and some bits and pieces of her past, but not the journey she endured to become the artist she is today.
Addie Piatz
20 Oct 2019I have always loved Beyonce and her music. I found out kind of late that she was in Destiny’s child but it honestly made me so happy to hear because I love their music too. I knew that Beyonce was a fighter but reading this article really put how strong she is in to perspective. I have so much respective for her and her music and I really enjoyed reading this article and about all her accomplishments.
Analisa Cervantes
20 Oct 2019As a kid I was not a fan of Beyonce but I was familiar with some of her works. As I have grown my interest in Beyonce’s music has grown also. I knew she had been a member of Destiny’s Child but not how much backlash she was given for their hiatus. Beyonce was able to rise above the hate and is now a well-known name. She is an inspiration for us all.