In honor of me turning 30, I’m making mix CDs of my favorite songs from each of my 30 favorite musical artists/groups. Read the introductory post for more background information on my 30 at 30 project. Reminder: there is no scientific rationale for this list. They’re simply my personal favorites. Coming in at number 12 is Beyoncé.
I was a Beyoncé fan when BEYONCÉ was still just Beyonce, one fourth of Destiny’s Child. I was a big Wyclef Jean fan, so naturally I gravitated toward “No, No, No Part 2”, the remix featuring Wyclef that became Destiny Child’s first single. As much as I enjoyed the group—I own three of there albums as well as a few singles—none of the group’s tracks are included on this compilation. The Destiny’s Child version of Beyoncé is great for what it is, but it feels like a child version of Beyoncé, which is not far off considering she began with the group when she was just a teenager.
Fast forward to 2014. Beyoncé is a grown woman, the biggest star in music and arguably all of entertainment. She was on the cover of Time magazine’s 2014 list of the 100 most influential people in the world. From her 2011 VMAs performance while rocking the baby bump to the Super Bowl Halftime show in 2013 to the On the Run Tour she co-headlined with husband Jay-Z this past summer, Beyoncé has reigned unparalleled as a singerdancerperformerentertainer. Yes, that’s intentionally one word. She’s in a category all by herself.