Entertainer. Songwriter. One of the greatest performers of all time. All this and more have been used to describe Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. But there’s one title that still sparks polarizing debate and that’s the crown of being a “vocalist.”
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Since she stepped onto the scene in the 1990’s, Beyoncé has climbed her way to the top of the conversation of best singers of all time. Her 30-year career reaches from Destiny’s Child all the way to “Cowboy Carter,” and still, many take issue with putting up with the likes of Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin. Bey’s fans call her the Queen, but it’s time we have a serious discussion about her vocal abilities.
The debate was sparked again in 2021 after Fla. rapper Trick Daddy declared “Beyoncé can’t sing.” He went as far to put others like Adele and Fantasia above her. “Beyoncé ain’t tried to give back to music or nothing, she don’t write music and barely can sing,” he continued. “Beyoncé can’t sang.”
Of course, Trick Daddy was dragged for years after that, but he’s not the only one who has major criticism for the “Pretty Hurts” singer. Beyoncé’s biggest critiques mostly boil down to an apparent “lack of soul” in her voice. On TikTok, @haitianz1 got into a heated debate with his own wife over the matter.
“Beyoncé ain’t no good singer. She’s a good entertainer,” he said on TikTok. “Listen bro, she can hold a note.” In response, his wife called him “jealous and a hater” after declaring Beyoncé being a “good” singer shouldn’t be a hot take. But you’d be surprised how many folks are invested in proving otherwise.
Threads on Reddit detail reasons why Bey can’t sing. “Seriously her voice is awful and sounds like a witch cackling… I think people just say they like her because they’re trained to do so,” @Gracie2007 said six years ago. During her early career, many said Beyoncé’s voice sounded like she was screaming more than actually singing. This on top of instances where she’s been accused of lip-syncing all point back to why so many people argue against her vocal ability.
Another Reddit user, @mystikbitch, tried to give the “Pure/Honey” singer a compliment saying, “I think she has a good range but she sounds like an average african american woman…” Whatever that means.
Now, before Beyhive starts swarming and attacking, the queen herself doesn’t seem to be phased by all the noise. During a performance of “Crazy in Love,” she spotted a fan holding up a sign critiquing her singing abilities. That’s when Bey passed him the mic, making him sing along… and let’s just say he didn’t hit any of the notes. To that, Beyoncé responded, “Exactly!” before going on to belt the rest of the hit track.
Beyoncé has lasted longer than most of her peers, and over time, her voice has improved drastically. Now, the 43-year-old has mastered her “growl” and even experimented with Arabic and Egyptian vocal runs. “Cowboy Carter” is arguably the best representation of what her voice can do, and other musicians have given her flowers because of it.
From Tina Turner, Prince, Adele, Taylor Swift, Stevie Wonder and more, Bey is recognized as one of the best to ever do it. Now, as she finishes up her “Cowboy Carter” tour, she’s whipping out more vocal acrobats at each and every show. That won’t stop folks from continuing to argue about her vocal abilities, but just like she said in 2016, “You know you’re that b**** when you cause all this conversation.”
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