When Beyonce dropped her latest album, I listened to it on my way to work. I wasn’t 100% comfortable but I ignored the feeling. I was just being dramatic and “too Christian”.
I saw the think pieces about the song ‘Church Girl’ and rolled my eyes. I thought people were just being dramatic because it was never that serious.
In my mind, it was just art. Her visuals for Black is King was just art to me.
So when I went to Costa Rica and we blasted the new album, I didn’t think anything of it. I am a creative, so I always appreciated her work ethic and her creativity. When I went to Philly for New Year Eve and one of her songs dominated each club I went to, I danced and sang along, ignoring the pull on my heart.
The closer I got to God in 2023, certain songs made me uncomfortable. I didn’t want to twerk in public anymore. I didn’t want to sing songs that had certain imagery or language. God was truly renewing and transforming my mind. So when Beyoncé songs would play, I leaned into the feeling in my spirit and stopped singing along. I stopped playing her new album.
Then Tiphani Montgomery went viral for publicly rebuking believers for supporting Beyoncé and going to her concert. A week or so later, Jackie Hill Perry went live and taught about why we needed wisdom. In her words, “Beyoncé is a case study for our lack of wisdom.”
I didn’t really know who Tiphani Montgomery was and her delivery was so aggressive that my flesh bucked up. How dare she speak to people like that? Maybe that isn’t their conviction. How dare she put her personal convictions on others?
I love Jackie and her insight. So I listened to what she said. I allowed her message to pierce my spirit.
And then I felt a little bit of shame because I know I have been incredibly unwise in the music I allowed to permeate my mind. So, I went back and listened to Tiphani’s entire message and … wow. It was incredible. I encourage you to listen to the entire message and not just the small snippet that social media has used to vilify her. She was 100% right and I am so grateful that the Holy Spirit has worked on my heart and allowed me to hear the truth of her message. She wasn’t speaking to everyone, but to genuine believers and followers of Christ and if I claimed to be a follower of Christ, why would I be offended?
Lets go back about 10 years. I remember when Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl back in 2013. My mom’s friend said something about the halftime show making her uneasy. She said it felt demonic. I genuinely thought she was being dramatic. I thought she was making a big deal out of nothing. The enemy used that moment to further push this agenda that I was misunderstood because I took offense that someone would call Beyoncé demonic. I believed that as a creative, her performance was just misunderstood and she was just tapping into this new level of creativity.
When she dropped Lemonade a few years later I was running down a very sinful path so her lyricism about the affair and subsequent restoration of their relationship seemed so beautiful to me. I remember listening to the lyric about her using the pages of the Bible to catch her period blood and I took a hard pause.
What? Why would you use pages of the Bible as a tampon? Especially when she claims to be a Christian.
I am now so ashamed to admit that even after the Holy Spirit yelled for me to listen in that moment that I kept listening to her music. I sang it boldly, even going as far as trying to use some illegal website on my college wifi to try to watch the music videos for the album. I thank God he covered me from fully immersing myself into whatever she promoted.
So when the new album released and the Holy Spirit whispered that something wasn’t right, I listened but not fully. I wasn’t as in tune to the Spirit as I am now but there was just something that was off and I couldn’t put my finger on it.
It is not dramatic to listen to the Spirit when He tells you that something isn’t right. It isn’t dramatic or “too Christian” to stop listening to certain artists because it makes your spirit uneasy.
For years, Beyoncé has used imagery and symbols that have honored other deities. That Super Bowl performance, looking back, did appear demonic and I thank God for humbling me now to truly lean into His truth. Using the Bible to catch your period blood, has to be some sort of witchcraft and even if it is not (which I doubt), there is something wrong there and why as a believer would I dare sing along to the songs of a woman who uses holy scripture to catch her period.
I am publicly denouncing Beyoncé and whatever she has released. I have deleted her music off of my phone. I am asking God to purge my mind of any lyrics that I still remember. I believe that God has placed it on my heart to publicly say that I am no longer subscribing to the music, art and influence that she has. There is not room in my life for both God and her.
I know now that her music is riddled with imagery and symbolism that honors demons and false gods. I know now that the song ‘Church Girl’ really does ridicule and belittle those who truly serve God. I know that it is that serious to listen to music that uplifts Yoruba goddesses.
I know this is a little unlike anything I’ve ever posted but I also know that God is doing a BIG work in me. I am on the process of sanctification and desiring holiness. I do not want anything in my life that does not assist me on my journey of holiness.
I understand now. I cannot serve God and the world. I am choosing God.
Note: Some of the links direct you to articles that uplift and celebrate what Beyonce did with her ‘art and imagery’. Please know that I do not support her art in anyway. The articles are simply to prove that I am not making things up about her serving false gods / participating in demonic practices.
Faithfully Resilient 