Queen Bey's 'Homecoming' Documentary is Making us Wonder What We Did to Deserve Beyoncé
By: Kayla Pasacreta
Beyoncé at Coachella, photo via Netflix
Beyoncé’s Netflix documentary ‘Homecoming’ is the documentary you never knew you needed. ‘Homecoming’, the Netflix concert-film, was written and executive-produced by Beyoncé. The documentary features on-stage and backstage footage from “Beychella”, when Beyoncé made history as the first black woman to ever headline Coachella. Beyoncé dropped a 40-track live album from Coachella to coincide with the film’s release, and is available for streaming on all platorms.
After giving birth to twins - Rumi and Sir - Beyoncé saw Coachella as a homecoming of her own, “It’s my first time coming home, on the stage, after giving birth,” she continued, “I’m creating my own homecoming. And it’s hard.” She opened up about how grueling the 8-month rehearsal process was after rebounding from her pregnancy, “There were days I thought I’d never be the same…I’d never be the same physically, my strength and endurance would never be the same.”
The documentary is everything - giving us an inside-look of Beyoncé’s dedication, her attention to details, love for HBCUS, and her desire to make Coachella a celebration of black culture. “It was important to me that everyone that had never seen themselves represented felt like they were on that stage with us,” Beyoncé told us in the documentary. And representing is exactly what she did - from skin color, to body type, to sexuality; all of the beautiful various assets of blackness were fully embraced by Bey.
“As a black woman, I used to feel like the world wanted me to stay in my little box. And black women often feel underestimated. I wanted us to be proud of not only the show, but the process and proud of the struggle. Thankful for the beauty that comes with a painful history and rejoice in the pain. Rejoice in the imperfections and the wrongs that are so damn right. And I wanted everyone to feel grateful for their curves, their sass, their honesty. Thankful for their freedom. It was no rules and we were able to create a free, safe space where none of us were marginalized.”
We even got to see her FaceTime Jay, showing us all that men are just never as excited.
“I feel like I’m just a new woman, in a new chapter of my life, and I’m not even trying to be who I was,”
Watching ‘Homecoming’ will inspire any viewer, but for young black people, the impact of the documentary is almost indescribable. To see such a prestige celebration of blackness, in all forms, and a reminder that our potential is limitless….is a priceless experience. Cudos to you, Beyoncé - ‘Homecoming’ is a testament to your tireless work and dedication.
