May 14, 2018
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Farewell
The experience I had at FMM cannot be captured in a single post. This task is simply unfair. Over the past 14 weeks, I forged irreplaceable friendships and relationships with everyone immediately involved in the program. It was at FMM that I finally decided I was going to find someway to fit music into my future career in any way possible. From the morning lessons to the afternoon lab sessions, I soaked up so much information that it will take years to unpack all the nuggets of wisdom I received. To my group, thecollective., I love you guys with all my heart and I had the time of life creating music with you all. You all are incredibly talented and deserve only the best the world has to offer. I’m confident this is not a farewell. You’re all going to be profiled on my blog and I’ll be attending your sold out tours and raving about them in my reviews in the near future. Good luck, good vibes, and Godspeed to you all, I love you guys.
beyoncé.
Beyoncé is a living legend. Now, this may be difficult to believe, but a legend is what she is. Since her debut in 1997 with Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé has seamlessly evolved through different eras of musical consumption, pushed boundaries in her performances and musical output, and conquered nearly every aspect of the entertainment business.
She launched her career in the physical era with Destiny’s Child, that group notched 9 top 3 hits in the U.S. with 4 of them reaching #1. According to ChartMasters, Destiny’s Child sold 13.5 million physical singles, 32.85 million albums, and collected over one billion comprehensive streams. These figures are impressive for any artist, but for an R&B girl group (one of the least supported facets of the music industry), these numbers are absolutely incredible. Destiny's Child went on to win numerous awards including three Grammy Awards, five American Music Awards, 11 Billboard Music Awards, one BRIT Award and two VMAs. The impact of the group alone has spanned across the new generation of girl groups, including Fifth Harmony, Little Mix, and June’s Diary.
Beyoncé’s solo debut commenced in the digital era in 2003 with her #1 single “Crazy In Love.” This single marked the beginning of a career that has so far yielded a total of 208 million records sold worldwide, $830 million in tour gross, and over $1 billion at the box office. Beyoncé has also notched 6 #1 singles and is the only artist in history to have all of her albums debut at #1. Each one of her solo studio albums has debuted at #1, been certified at least platinum, and won at least one Grammy. Beyoncé is the most nominated female artist at the Grammys with a total of 63, and the second most awarded women, and the eighth most awarded artist overall, with 22 wins.
Outside of her sales records and other accolades, Beyoncé’s impact is felt across genres musically. The most definitive example of her musical impact is her staccato style rap-singing that she pioneered on Destiny’s Child’s debut single, “No, No, No.” This style can be heard in music from Rihanna, Drake, Bryson Tiller, Chris Brown, and Trey Songz, among others. The FADER proclaimed, “Beyoncé is a Great Rapper, and Always Has Been,” and Mashable said, “The World Is a Better Place When Beyoncé Decides To Rap.” In addition, her four-octave range and incomparable vocal efficiency make her one of the greatest living vocalists.
Beyoncé’s jaw-dropping live performances have been earned the title of “Greatest Living Entertainer” by T Magazine, MTV, and Mashable, among others. Her traditional mixture of dancing and live singing, along with her incorporation of holograms, massive IMAX screens, intense choreography and intricate costuming elevate her to her own level. No artist, dead or alive, can do what Beyoncé does onstage.
Also, as Beyoncé’s career has become less single-oriented, she has been actively changing the music industry through her latest albums. Her 2013 surprise eponymous visual album and her 2016 follow up, Lemonade, have popularized these concepts and inspired the likes of Drake, JAY-Z, Fergie, Frank Ocean, Florence + the Machine, Tove Lo, and Justin Bieber. Not to mention, she co-owns the streaming service, TIDAL, where her latest Grammy-winning album streams exclusively.
The fact that Beyoncé is a living legend does not matter to me, truthfully. What I’ve written here does not even cover half of her impact. Just being able to consider Beyoncé, a 36-year-old black woman, a legend is inspirational and a sign of the times.
Rising Star Artist Development Plan
My name is Kyle-Brandon Denis, but I normally go by K.B. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and I’ve been on the stage in some capacity since I was five years old. I started in the field of dance, studying hip-hop, jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary/modern, and more. After a life-changing acceptance to Prep for Prep and a leg injury, I ventured into acting, drama and comedy alike. In 2013, I joined the school choir and then in 2015 recruited for I was recruited to join the school’s acapella group, and I’ve fallen in love with singing ever since.
My main inspirations and influences for performing are Beyoncé, Prince, and Tina Turner. These three artists exemplify what it means to truly work. Their dedication to the full show (vocals, choreography, lights, staging, production, etc.) is so acute and passionate that it truly sets them apart from the rest. They make it look easy because they are having fun; these three artists live to entertain and it shows in every facet of their work. Also, their versatility in the type of music they make and the type of show they put on is incredible.
I feel that my main strength as a performer is that when I am given the opportunity of a creating a full show, I strive to be as conscientious and involved as possible in every part of the process. I would also say that my onstage banter between songs is strong and my stamina is as well.
My main goal as a performer in the next five years is to try different venues and atmospheres and work on my eye contact with the audience. I also want to work on my live vocals which means I’ll be practicing even more than I already am.
Beyoncé – “Pray You Catch Me”
The song format is as follows: INTRO, VERSE (“You can taste…your world”), CHORUS (“pray you catch…catch me”), VERSE (“Nothing else ever…head to the curb”), CHORUS (“pray to catch…you catch me”), OUTRO (“What are you doing my love?”).
“Pray You Catch Me” is the first track on Beyoncé’s sixth studio album. Lemonade. The track was written by Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, Kevin Garrett, and James Blake. The song was produced Knowles, Garrett, Jeremy McDonald, and Carla Haughton.
“Pray You Catch Me” is written in key of G# minor and Knowles’ range spans from F#3 to G#4. The song includes instruments such as Jupiter bass, piano, and various strings. I think the strongest part of the song’s production is that the track is mainly built around Beyoncé’s vocal. There are layers upon layers of her vocals creating luscious harmonies to complement the sturdy melody.
What initially hooked me on first listen, was the imagery the lyrics evoked. “My lonely ear pressed against the walls of your world,” and “You can taste the dishonesty, it’s all over your breath as you pass it off so cavalier” are objectively brilliant lines. From the lyrics alone the sentiment of infidelity and mistrust is clear. In addition, there are small instances of alliteration (“my memory,” “cause for concern”) that amp up the poetic quality of the verses. The chorus is quite simple; it alternates between “I pray to catch you whispering” and “I pray you catch me listening.” The slight change and near constant repetition highlights the conflict and duality of the subject matter, a relationship gone south. Beyoncé’s timbre is also the most pleasant it has ever been and the track is simply gorgeous.
In my opinion, some songwriting successes are the aforementioned imagery in the verses and repetition in the chorus. Lastly, I would add the outro; it ties the song back to the overarching spoken word theme of the album and film. Also, the question stays with you. Although it is directed at the other person in the relationship, Beyoncé sounds so broken when she delivers that line that it pierces through your soul.
Three production successes are the vocal layering in the intro (0:00-0:35), the reintroduction of the piano riff before the second verse (1:28-1:31), and the vocal layering and strings harmony in the outro (2:16-3:16). The vocal layering in the intro evokes someone trying to catch their breath and calm their emotions, it is the perfect introduction to the song given the subject matter. The piano riff before the second verse helps the song stay interesting and not become a victim of its own tempo, I feel. Lastly, the outro is absolutely heavenly, Bey sounds like an angel and the strings bring a sense of intensity to offset the airiness of her vocals.
Buy LEMONADE on iTunes!