Walkin' barefoot
March 24, 2023

Beyoncé and Adidas part ways on Ivy Park

Beyoncé’s collaboration with Adidas on her fashionable athletic clothing brand Ivy Park is coming to an end, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The superstar and the German shoe and clothing giant have mutually agreed to part ways, though no specific reason for the termination was mentioned. Earlier this year, reports emerged on weak sales for Ivy Park. THR reports how Beyoncé is "excitedly looking to reclaim her brand, chart her own path and maintain creative freedom".

"When Beyonce and Adidas teamed up on Ivy Park in 2019, it seemed like the sky was the limit. Beyonce wanted a partner that offered creative control. Adidas wanted to replicate Yeezy’s massive success... But the recent Wall Street Journal report of a 50% sales decline and a $200 million drop in Adidas’ sales projections brought a series of challenges to light" - Trapital's Dan Runcie points out in his latest memo. "There were uninspired drops, less enthused customers, and creative tension... It’s very difficult to push a celebrity-influenced direct-to-consumer product in the social media era without that celebrity promoting the brand in an accessible way... It’s a reminder that even the most powerful celebrities still need product-market fit and alignment with business partners to succeed. “the next Yeezy” never happened."

General sale tickets for the UK leg of Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance‘ tour were made available yesterday (Tuesday, February 7), however her fans were met with huge queues, NME reports. Fans have reported experiencing glitches on the Ticketmaster website, with others saying they were kicked out of the queue, which reportedly reached 500,000 on some dates. Ticketmaster has since clarified that reports of ‘403’ messages actually refer to the blocking of “known bad traffic”, adding that the site “blocked 1.5million requests of that type today in the London queues alone to ensure real fans get their hands on ticket

Tickets resellers have started posting listings for tickets for Beyoncé's Renaissance tour for as much as $3,000 a ticket, although they don't actually have them, Rolling Stone reports. Some of the best seats for Beyoncé’s So-Fi Stadium show in Los Angeles in September are selling for $3,064 per ticket on VividSeats. The cheapest were listed at $570. This isn't the first such case - tickets for Fall Out Boy’s 'So Much For (Tour) Dust' Tour were listed on resale sites the day before the official start of sale for hundreds of dollars a ticket.

Sand in the eyes
January 24, 2023

Beyoncé divides fans with Dubai hotel live show

Beyoncé headlined the private concert in Dubai to mark the opening of the luxury hotel Atlantis The Royal last weekend, which was her first full concert in more than four years, BBC reports. Beyoncé reportedly received $24m for her performance. She performed 19 songs, but the show did not contain any material from Beyoncé’s 2022 album 'Renaissance', which is purported to be a love letter to Black and queer dance music pioneers and communities. Homosexuality is illegal in the United Arab Emirates and considered a crime punishable by death.

"The past felt particularly not dead and especially not past on many of the year’s most acclaimed and most consumed albums. So much music deemed notable by critics and audiences alike in 2022 was profoundly shaped by the pandemic, the quarantine era in particular, giving it a temporal wooziness" - Jezebel reflects on the effects the pandemic has had on recent albums by Björk, Rosalia, Bad Bunny, Beyonce, and others.

"2022 was the year of the comeback. As the music industry stumbled out of its pandemic fog, many artists finally delivered long delayed, highly anticipated, and sonically experimental albums that met some of the expectations built up for them" - Pitchfork introduces its Top 50 albums of 2022 list. The top 10 are:

10. Alex G: 'God Save the Animals'

9. Yaya Bey: 'Remember Your North Star'

8. Lucrecia Dalt: '¡Ay!'

7. Big Thief: 'Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You'

6. Rosalía: 'Motomami'

5. Bad Bunny: 'Un Verano Sin Ti'

4. Special Interest: 'Endure'

3. Alvvays: 'Blue Rev'

2. Sudan Archives: 'Natural Brown Prom Queen'

  1. Beyoncé: 'Renaissance'

Beyoncé and Lizzo amended their songs following criticism by fans on social media. The Face argues in favor of the (responsible) power of the people: "In the case of ​“sp*z” and derogatory terms in music, cultural customs (i.e. the use of problematic terms when ignorant) don’t necessarily align with the ​“right” and ​“justified” action in real time. Values change over time, and so does the context of certain words. It’s OK for artists to learn, like every flawed human on the planet. Evolution and dismantling harmful practices is something to be embraced and welcomed, not scrutinised. These days, artists are scanning social media for feedback and potential edit suggestions. Let’s hope the fans use their power responsibly".

Beyoncé was robbed two times in the last month - three separate storage units holding expensive bags and clothing were hit once, and then within a week burglars came back to the same facility, making off with handbags, kids toys, and photos belonging to one of Beyoncé’s stylists, TMZ reports. Stolen goods are estimated to value $1 million.

The history is now
March 15, 2021

Taylor Swift and Beyonce make Grammy history

Taylor Swift has become the first woman in Grammy Awards history to win album of the year three times - the 31-year-old songstress took home the top prize last night with 'Folklore'. Swift previously won album of the year in 2010 for 'Fearless', at that time, the youngest artist ever to do so, and in 2016 for '1989'. The only other musicians to win thrice are Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, and Paul Simon, USA Today reports. Beyoncé became the most-decorated woman in Grammys history with her 28th win, while her daughter Blue Ivy Carter, at 9 years old, became the second youngest person to win a Grammy, according to CBS News. Billie Eilish accepted the Grammy for Record of the Year for her song 'Everything I Wanted', Megan Thee Stallion won Best New Artist, H.E.R. took Song of the Year for 'I Can't Breathe', Check out all the nominees and winners here. BBC picks out five special moments from the ceremony, including Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion simulating sex onstage (a Scissor Sisters moment, right!?).

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