Beyoncé has been called the greatest of her generation. She is one of the biggest female artists in the industry, and this year was history in the making, since she was the first African-American woman to be a headliner at Coachella. She has broken paradigms in the last few years and now breaks new ground as she opens the door for the first African-American photographer to shoot the cover of one the most respected and influential publications worldwide: Vogue.
Being the creative genius she is, the Texan singer took control of the photoshoot and made Tyler Mitchell, 23 years old, the first black photographer to shoot the legendary cover of the September issue in its 126-year history. The upcoming issue has grabbed the attention of many, so, if you haven’t had time to read the article, here are 10 highlights from he interview (which have turned into life lessons):
Photo: Tyler Mitchell / Vogue
1. To accept, care for, and love ourselves.
“During my recovery, I gave myself self-love and self-care, and I embraced being curvier. I accepted what my body wanted to be.”
2. That the world is round, kaleidoscopic and demands representation.
“Until there is a mosaic of perspectives coming from different ethnicities behind the lens, we will continue to have a narrow approach and view of what the world actually looks like.”
3. To mentor and support those to come, those who have been silenced.
“It’s important to me that I help open doors for younger artists […] to present a different point of view for people who may feel like their voices don’t matter.”
Photo: Tyler Mitchell / Vogue
4. That our scars are the friendly reminder of our growth.
“There are many shades on every journey. Nothing is black or white […] Through it all I have learned to laugh and cry and grow [and] I now feel so much more beautiful, so much sexier, so much more interesting. And so much more powerful.”
5.- To place ourselves: to know where we come from, so we know where we are going.
“Connecting to the past and knowing our history makes us both bruised and beautiful.”
6.- That we can always be a better version of ourselves.
“I’m not happy if I’m not improving, evolving, moving forward, inspiring, teaching, and learning.”
7.- To thank those who came before us, who gave it all so we can have a little, and that created new boundaries for us to break.
“Josephine Baker, Nina Simone, Eartha Kitt, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, and the list goes on. They opened the doors for me, and I pray that I’m doing all I can to open doors for the next generation of talents.”
Photo: Tyler Mitchell / Vogue
8.- That we all have a story to tell and that it deserves to be heard.
“Everyone has a say. Everyone’s voice counts, and everyone has a chance to paint the world from their own perspective.”
9. That women should be whatever they want to.
“They can write the script for their own lives […] They don’t have to be a certain type or fit into a specific category. They don’t have to be politically correct, as long as they’re authentic, respectful, compassionate, and empathetic.”
10.- And that men can set themselves free.
“I want [my son] to know that he can be strong and brave but that he can also be sensitive and kind […] I want to create better representations for him so he is allowed to reach his full potential as a man, and to teach him that the real magic he possesses in the world is the power to affirm his own existence.”
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Beyoncé keeps showing us why she is the pop icon of this century. “History is her stage,” wrote the New York Times pop music critic Jon Caramanica. We should all listen to her and let ourselves be in her world; to break old ideals that restrained the possibility of being ourselves, to push it further, to speak up, and to be brave and try as many times as needed because “a winner don’t quit on himself.”