For over a decade, Beyoncé has set a trend with her albums by pairing them with visually stunning films. So, it came as a shock when her last two projects—2022’s Renaissance and this year’s Cowboy Carter—were released without accompanying visuals.
Fans were left wondering why, and now, the iconic artist has finally shared the reasoning behind her decision.
In an email conversation with GQ, Beyoncé explained her choice to focus solely on the music, giving fans a deeper insight into her artistic vision.
“I thought it was important that during a time where all we see is visuals, the world could focus on the voice,” she said. “The music is rich in history and instrumentation. It takes months to digest, research, and understand. The music needed space to breathe on its own.”
Beyoncé further emphasized how sometimes, visuals can overshadow the essence of the music itself.
“A visual can sometimes be a distraction from the quality of the voice and the music. The years of hard work and detail that go into creating an album—especially one that takes over four years—deserve to be appreciated in their own right. The music is enough.”
Fans may have been surprised at first, but they soon realized that Beyoncé had delivered the visuals through other means. “The fans from all over the world became the visual. We all got the visual on tour. We then got more visuals from my film.”
With this thoughtful explanation, Beyoncé reminds us that sometimes the pure artistry of music deserves to stand alone. Her decision to let the music speak for itself has allowed listeners to immerse themselves in the intricate details of her work, gaining a deeper appreciation for her creativity.
