Instagram/@jadakiss
Probably, I want to call every blogger who has used this phrase describing the duo as popular hip-hop artists. I am quite adamant about that. More mundanely, the two sparked fiery controversies on the internet after they had issued their birthday wish for Beyoncé. The duo basically showered praise on their greater-than-life superstar calling her “the female Michael Jackson” for good reasons: work ethic and defiance of genres to the extent that she almost went ahead and defined a new genre for herself. The post had only one caption reading: “A special happy bday to the 🐝 herself @beyonce,” which of course, totaled up hundreds of opinions for and against such a bold association.
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The video is chiefly Joe’s passionate monologue; he narrates an experience of awe walking back his retrospective in seeing Beyoncé perform, describing her sudden appearance in the crowd just like she had a “fucking shuttle.” “No limitations” are stated with utter sincerity by Joe as to what she can accomplish now, including can come to country with huge success lately. Jada’s face throughout much of the video is that of patient amusement and occasional slight nods in agreement to what is being said.
Of course, the comments became a microcosm for the greater cultural debate about Beyoncé’s legacy: While many expressed full agreement with the sentiment of other commenters, some defended her work ethic with statements such as “Right on! Hate it or Love it, the lady works hard,” while others simply stated with much support: “Beyoncé is the entire music industry.”
Yet somehow the label of “female Michael Jackson” was the pitifully fractious topic, with almost instant and heated discussions. A user denounced the label vehemently by saying, “She not the female mj smfh.” Another came to defend the previous comment by citing Beyoncé’s monstering of charts, her numerous Grammy wins, and her record-breaking ticket sales revenue. A few tried to assert some middle ground: “Just say she’s the best right now. Ain’t nobody close to MJ. Let that man rest. Happy Birthday Beyonce!”
The issue of her recent country album, ‘Cowboy Carter,’ was also brewing. Many saw success in country as one more testimony to her talent, while another called the idea “a joke,” asserting that real country artists such as Chris Stapleton deserved it more. This triggered a lengthy and complicated debate just beneath that post on concepts of genre, authenticity, and what music awards are for.
The whole serious discussion was punctuated by lighter and humorous remarks. Several users became fixated on Jada’s patient expression, with one saying, “Jada facials expression is killing me.” Another joked, “Joe said a shuttle 😂😂😂😂,” pointing to the most memorable line in the video. One more light-hearted comment accused Joe of “shooting his shot,” wondering aloud, “Is she single why you shooting your shot?”
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This was very much a tribute to Beyoncé from Joe and Jada Kissie beyond just wishing her a happy birthday; the greatness of art, his consideration of legacy, and unceasing criticism that goes hand in hand with being at the pole were all topics thrust into the spotlight by the tribute. The vehement responses for and against the comparisons point to the special position Beyoncé occupies in the world of music—she is an artist who cannot be ignored and is even more difficult to define. Whether people loved the take or hated it, everybody had an opinion.