Beyoncé Online

Minnesota Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton declared August 8th as a statewide “Beyoncé and Jay-Z Day” in anticipation of the megastar couple’s concert in Minneapolis. “Beyoncé and Jay-Z have taken home numerous awards from platforms such as the Grammy Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, BET Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and NAACP Image Awards, among others and have sold millions of records worldwide,” Dayton wrote in an official proclamation.

“Through their lives and music, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have inspired Minnesotans, and music fans around the world,” he continued.

The proclamation was signed shortly before the couple gave a joint concert at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Dayton’s announcement comes over two years after he declared May 23rd as statewide ‘Beyoncé Day’ before the 36-year-old singer gave a concert in Minneapolis in 2016. Neither one of the pair were born or raised in Minnesota, with Beyoncé from Texas while Jay-Z is from New York. Read more...

Tyler Mitchell took to Twitter on Monday to support the claim made by Anna Wintour that her and Raul Martinez, Condé Nast’s Corporate Creative Director, were the ones responsible for hiring him for Beyoncé’s Vogue September cover.

"An article from @BoF explaining the leaks and rumors around our shoot. The truth is Raul Martinez and Anna Wintour proposed and hired me for the Vogue shoot and Beyoncé quickly agreed. https://t.co/KOQx7SgebS"

Wintour shot down reports that Bey was the only one involved with picking Mitchell, marking the first time that Vogue hired a black photographer to shoot a cover for the publication in its 126-year history. Instead, she stated the credit belongs to Martinez. "The concept and the photographer was entirely Vogue’s, specifically Raul’s," she told BoF.

Martinez says he first became aware of Mitchell after seeing his work in March’s Teen Vogue digital cover where he photographed gun control activists. When Beyoncé was presented with a list of photographers to work with for her shoot, she “immediately approved” Mitchell because of the historical implications that came with his hiring. He was also well known within Beyoncé’s inner circle after previously photographing her sister Solange.

Wintour also responded to the report that Beyoncé was given full editorial control, saying that like other big stars who grace the cover, it was more of a collaboration. As for those rumors of her departure as editor-in-chief, Wintour fired back, "I’m not going to address it, I’m not going to address it." Read more...

The Ivy Park Autumn/Winter 2018 collection has arrived! Shop now.

Nominations for the 2018 iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards were announced on Wednesday morning and The Carters are nominated in three categories! You can vote for Fan Fave Video here.

Best Hip-Hop Artist or Group
The Carters
Drake
Post Malone
Cardi B
Kendrick Lamar
Childish Gambino

Best Director
Jay Martin (Shawn Mendes – "In My Blood")
Karena Evans (Drake – "God's Plan")
Karena Evans (Drake – "Nice for What")
Hiro Murai (Childish Gambino – "This Is America")
Arturo Perez Jr. (Justin Timberlake – "Say Something")
Didier Charette (The Carters – "APESHIT")
Read more...

With the combined star power of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, it comes as no surprise that the first leg of the couple’s “OTR II Tour” was a wild success. Pollstar’s Boxoffice has received reports for the entire 18-night European excursion – and every single show sold out.

Presented by Live Nation Global Touring in association with Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, the stadium outing kicked off June 6 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. That gig sold 39,731 tickets and grossed nearly $4.2 million (£3.1 million).

The European run racked up a total of 871,012 tickets sold and grossed more than $87.6 million. The average show sold 58,067 tickets and grossed more than $5.8 million, with tickets ranging in price from as low as €10 ($11.69) in Rome and Milan, Italy, to as high as €175 ($204.44) in Barcelona. The average ticket price was $100.57, which would seem a bargain to catch two of the biggest artists around.

The biggest stop of the European leg was the two-night stand at London Stadium, which sold a total of 126,443 tickets and grossed nearly $11.2 million. The London show also happened to be the location for the couple announcing the surprise release of their collaborative Everything Is Love album. The other cities that were treated to two nights of The Carters were Paris and Amsterdam. Read more...

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour gave Beyoncé unprecedented control over the cover of the upcoming September issue, sources say, and the music icon hired the first black photographer to shoot a cover in the publication’s 126-year history.

The publication is contractually obligated to give Beyoncé full control over the cover, the photos of her inside the magazine and the captions, which she has written herself and are in long-form, according to two sources who are familiar with the agreement between Vogue and Beyoncé but aren’t authorized to speak to the press.

Wintour has always exerted complete control over the fashion bible, including selecting the outfits worn by cover models. Cover subjects are usually given little to no say in their photos and are sent the cover in the week ahead of publication, a source familiar with the editorial process at the publication told HuffPost.

Beyoncé chose Tyler Mitchell, 23, to be her photographer.

“I depict black people and people of color in a really real and pure way,” Mitchell, who has already made a splash by shooting campaigns for Marc Jacobs and Givenchy, told The New York Times in December. “There is an honest gaze to my photos.” Read more...

Now that Beyoncé and JAY-Z have wrapped up the European leg of their On The Run II tour, it's time for them to head on over to North America! American fans are in for a socially political treat, because Bey and Jay are incorporating the power of the vote into their concert.

That's right, fans will get to register to vote at every OTR II show!

This voting registration initiative is especially timely, given the conversations on both sides of the aisle about just how significant the 2018 elections will be.

Where our volunteer hive members at?! If you want to volunteer at the voting registration booths, you can sign up online.

For more deets and to sign up, slide on over to HeadCount.com!

New items have been added to the official On the Run II Tour merchandise for the North American leg. Most of the merch is available online at the new OTRII Store, where you can order items to pick up at your show or be shipped to your address!

Apparently shutting down one epicenter of cultural history was not enough for Beyoncé, because she is now reportedly trying to film something at the Colosseum. You know, the ancient Roman landmark where gladiators once dueled to the death some 2,000 years ago? Yep, that Colosseum.

According to Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, Beyoncé has put in a request to film something at the Colosseum (it's not yet clear what). She initially requested to book the amphitheater on July 7 and July 8, when she and Jay-Z were in town for their On the Run II tour, but was reportedly rejected by Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage because Italian scientist Alberto Angela already had it reserved. Il Messaggero also notes her request was too last minute, as the Colosseum is “a very complicated place.” (Closing down the Louvre to shoot "Apes--t," on the other hand? A total breeze.)

But Beyoncé, being Beyoncé, is not ready to throw in the towel, and has reportedly resubmitted her request, which is currently under review.

It's worth mentioning she has filmed at the Colosseum before (remember that Pepsi commercial with Britney Spears and Pink?), so if the timing is right, it seems like things will be a go. Block out your Saturday nights for another surprise!

The 2018 MTV Video Music Awards nominations have been announced today. Cardi B leads the noms with 10, while The Carters follow with eight. Beyonce also scored one nomination for Eminem's "Walk on Water". Beginning today, fans can vote in eight of the categories. Voting concludes Friday, August 10. The VMAs will air live from Radio City Music Hall at 9 PM on Monday, August 20.

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry”
Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B – “Finesse (Remix)”
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug – “Havana”
The Carters – “APES**T”
Childish Gambino – “This Is America”
Drake – “God's Plan”

BEST COLLABORATION

Bebe Rexha ft. Florida Georgia Line – “Meant to Be”
Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B – “Finesse (Remix)”
The Carters – “APES**T”
Jennifer Lopez ft. DJ Khaled & Cardi B – “Dinero”
Logic ft. Alessia Cara & Khalid – “1-800-273-8255”
N.E.R.D & Rihanna – “Lemon”
Read more...

The Balmain x Beyoncé capsule collection is available now on Shop Beyoncé!

Beyonce is not about to be upstaged by a soccer game, even if it is the World Cup.

When France advanced to the World Cup final with a 1-0 victory over Belgium in Tuesday's semifinal, the win presented a potential challenge for Beyonce and Jay-Z, who are scheduled to perform their On The Run II tour in Paris the same day as the final match, July 15.

Instead of forcing their French fans to choose between a historic soccer match and a historic live show, Beyonce and Jay-Z announced Wednesday that they will host a World Cup viewing party at their Paris concert. Starting at 5 p.m, the match will play on the giant screen at the Stade de France stadium, with Bey and Jay performing later in the evening.

France will play the winner of Wednesday's semifinal game between Croatia and England.

Tickets are available for the doubleheader here. Read more...

Just before Coachella was rechristened Beychella, Beyoncé Knowles and Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing had an idea. It happened in a rehearsal, while Beyoncé and her dancers were practicing in their Balmain-made looks inspired by the marching band uniforms of America’s historically black colleges and universities. “When she saw all the dancers loving the outfit—and she was loving her own outfit—she realized that what we were creating on stage for her, for all the dancers, was something really impactful,” says Rousteing. It clicked: Why not make a Beyoncé x Balmain collaboration that could make those poignant graphics available to all of Bey’s fans clamoring for a piece of history?

On Friday, July 13, Balmain will launch a three-piece Balmain x Beyoncé collection in its Paris flagship, with the items going on sale on balmain.com and beyonce.com the following day. Comprised of the yellow and pink sweatshirts Beyoncé wore on stage at Coachella, the collection also includes a black tee with the same sorority-inspired graphic.

“I worked really long with her on the Beychella moments, and the fact that we can release this collaboration that is based on our creativity, Beyoncé and I, is really a big, big step for fashion and music together,” continues the designer. “Beyoncé, she’s such a perfectionist; she’s someone that is so strong and has such a great point of view. She’s about feminism, empowering women, and the idea of bringing that collaboration where we can share the same ideas, the same vision of music, the same vision of fashion, the same vision of what is going on in the world, it’s more than just clothes. It’s a strong message, and I’m really proud to be a part of that.” Read more...

Beyonce, Jay-Z and Ed Sheeran will headline a special Global Citizen Festival in honor of Nelson Mandela in South Africa on Dec. 2. The concert, which will be held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the anti-apartheid leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, organizers announced early Monday. Mandela died in 2013.

Others performing at the festival include Usher, Eddie Vedder, a joint set from Pharrell Williams and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and African artists including Wizkid, Cassper Nyovest and Femi Kuti. Read more...

More items from Ivy Park's pre-fall collection just hit stores! Shop now!

The Louvre has dedicated a new art tour to Beyonce and Jay-Z after pop's biggest power couple shot the video for their latest hit in the Paris museum. The R'n'B stars' hit song "Apeshit" -- which used some of the museum's greatest masterpieces as backdrops -- has been viewed 56 million times on YouTube alone since it was released a fortnight ago.

Now the Louvre, which already has a tour based on the US rapper will.i.am's hit "Smile Mona Lisa", has created another based on the Carters' night in the museum.

It follows the video through 17 paintings and sculptures which feature in the six-minute clip, going from the monumental white Greek marble "Nike of Samothrace" to Marie Benoist's "Portrait of a Negress".

The choice of works which they used or posed in front of has been taken as a celebration of black bodies and empowerment in an institution which was built on the spoils of conquest and imperialism.

"Portrait of a Negress" was painted in 1800, six years after revolutionary France had abolished slavery in its Caribbean colonies only for Napoleon to reinstate it two years later.

But perhaps the most striking image is of Beyonce at the centre of a line of black dancers in front of David's "The Coronation of Napoleon I and the Crowning of the Empress Josephine" singing, "I can't believe we made it.." Read more...

Jay-Z and Beyonce released their joint album Everything is Love as a surprise on June 16th on their streaming service TIDAL, which was followed by a wide release two days later on all platforms.

For those looking for the physical edition of the album, here’s some good news: it hits stores July 6th! This edition will feature 9 songs as the 10th track ‘Salud!’ continues to be a non album exclusive on TIDAL.

Pre-order "Everything is Love" now!

As Beyoncé and JAY-Z earn their first charted album as a duo, as Everything Is Love, billed as by The Carters, opens at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 123,000 equivalent album units, according to Nielsen Music, five tracks from the set debut on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Apes**t" debuts the highest of the bunch on the Hot 100, at No. 13. Sparked by its official video, the song arrives with 24.1 million U.S. streams in the tracking week, as well as 20,000 downloads sold.

The Carters' "Boss" debuts at No. 77 on the Hot 100, followed by "Summer" at No. 84, "Nice" at No. 95 and "Friends" at No. 99.

Beyoncé and JAY-Z have each tallied 59 and 97 solo entries on the Hot 100, respectively. The husband-and-wife luminaries have logged eight shared Hot 100 entries under their usual monikers (Beyoncé and JAY-Z), including the eight-week No. 1 "Crazy in Love" (credited to Beyoncé featuring JAY-Z) in 2003.

Everything Is Love concurrently debuts at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, while "Apes**t" opens at No. 9 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

The 2018 BET Awards took place Sunday at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater. Beyonce was crowned the best female R&B/pop artist:

Best Female R&B / Pop Artist
Beyonce (WINNER)
SZA
H.E.R.
Rihanna
Kehlani

Congrats!

Nobody does a stadium show like Beyoncé. Back in 2016, when she was touring Lemonade, she took with her a 60-foot “monolith” to project mountainous videos at her audience – it was so big that some venues had to reduce the size of the audience in order to fit the stage. This time around, for her second On The Run tour with Jay-Z, the dynamic stage feels lighter – but it provides a number of “oh shit!” moments (not only when the couple end their show by dropping a new album, as they did on Saturday June 16 in London).

The stage is mainly constructed of two catwalks, which Bey and Jay use to perform independently of one another; at the end of the show, a giant bridge connects the two, floating over the audience as it does so. More impressive than this is the backdrop of the stage, which is dominated by two giant video screens (each of which, designer Ric Lipson tells me, is the size of “a London street”). At various points in the show, these screens split open, to reveal a four-storey structure, on which figures dance, play instruments, and sometimes create a silhouetted tableau. It’s reminiscent of the thrum of vibrant energy that Bey brought with her to this year’s Coachella performances, where she chose to perform in front of college-style bleachers packed with 120 dancers and instrumentalists, rather than the screens that usually dominate massive arena pop shows.

The show was brought to life by Stufish, a London-based entertainment architectural firm who also worked on the stage that was used for Beychella (as well as having a storied history producing shows for Lady Gaga, Queen, and U2). Dazed spoke to Stufish architect Ric Lipson about how the stage design reflected Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s narrative of forgiveness and reconciliation, why Beyoncé altered the design to accommodate a huge band, and how the show may change as it keeps travelling. Read more...