The other day while writing my morning pages (or in my case, afternoon or evening pages), I wrote that I needed to express how I feel about songs from “Cowboy Carter”, Beyonce’s latest album. I knew so because while I was listening to the album in the car, I cried. I uttered to myself or out loud “We can do what we want! Finally!” The decision was made that I, for as long as I wanted, would write after listening to one song (in order) each day. No boundaries..just my thoughts after playing a song a few times. Today was “American Requiem.”
I am aware many artists have and will experiment with many genres of music. But not all of them will be lauded for it. For some, the attention never came and never will. But because of her position in the world, Beyonce created a masterful work weaving country, rock, gospel, R&B, blues, hip hop and opera unapologetically that people will not only notice but give the time of day.
As a Black woman, that alone is revolutionary.
Expression without limits. There is judgment but it arrived. It got to be birthed. And millions, if not billions, will make a choice to accept, reject, or ignore it.
But it gets to be here. It gets to exist. That is enough for me to rain down tears.
Obviously, this is not just about one woman’s talent. I think she ripped the words from my throat, lifted the words from my pages when I chose to express we, as Black women, are not a monolith. We don’t all sound the same, love the same, eat the same, hate the same, move the same or want the same.
But we do all take up space as individuals.
We have a right to. I heard it.
I heard a reclamation.
Kristina Hamlett writes to connect, heal, and be a force for change. 