An inside look at how artists like Beyoncé and Victoria Monet have paved the way for up-and-coming artists.
By Monique Davis
As Beyoncé Knowles-Carter levitates in the air with four disco-themed stripper poles around her, tens of thousands of screaming fans wave their hands and clack their fans. The deep bass of Beyoncé’s vocals fill the arena as she belts the Arabic scales of “Drunk in Love.” Supported by a thin brace behind her that hugs her hips, Beyoncé stands tall on a circular platform that allows her to look down upon her adoring masses — as she has done throughout her 2023 “Renaissance” World Tour.
Beyonce's Performance of "Drunk in Love" at the 2023 Renaissance World Tour. Source: Spartacus Smith Jr.
How did Beyoncé rise so high?
After nearly three decades in the music industry, she is one of the few who have steamrolled her own path in the industry as she tapped into different musical styles and built a musical empire. Drawing inspiration from iconic performers who came before her such as Tina Turner and Diana Ross, Beyoncé has broadened the parameters of R&B that they helped to popularize and expand. She has left many marks, not just through her style, talent and sales, but also through her influence on next-generation R&B artists.
Beyonce's Musical Inspirations
She rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of “Destiny’s Child,” a group formed in Houston that went on to be crowned the best-selling girl group at the 2005 World Music Awards. Beyoncé soared higher with the release of her 2004 debut solo album,“Dangerously in Love,” which won five Grammys. The album sold over 11 million copies.
Green Social Media Report Infographic Graph by Monique DavisBy 2022, Beyoncé reached a whole new level when she released her seventh studio album, Act l: Renaissance. This album, which was infused with influences and styles from House music, made Beyoncé the first woman to have seven studio albums reach number one on the Billboard Charts. The album also inspired dance trends all over the world, and prompted fans and other celebrities to post their “Renaissance” concert outfits on social media.
The scale of her popularity became clear as the tour ended. Beyoncé contributed an estimated $4.5 billion to the economy. This is roughly equal to the economic impact of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, according to estimates cited in The New York Times.
Source: of Destiny's Child Instagram
In a 2011 interview with “Extra,” media mogul Simon Cowell said that Beyoncé represents a new breed of “super popstars.” Nodding in agreement, the renowned record executive L.A. Reid said, “She may arguably be the most talented performer alive.”
Now, 42 years old, the musical powerhouse has become something else: an influence for subsequent generations of artists.
The head of R&B at Spotify, Alaysia Sierra said Beyoncé and Victoria Monet serve as role models for emerging artists partly due to their talent and fearlessness in pushing artistic limits.
“Other artists feel more comfortable in their exploration of music and genres, and how they approach and execute,” Sierra said. Next-generation singers have women who have pushed those boundaries, as well as others on the business side of the industry to inspire them.
Continuing a Musical Migration
R&B, of course, was around long before Beyoncé first sang a note. The Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage lays out how the genre emerged from African American communities in Detroit, Los Angeles, New York and other cities, combining elements of traditional blues, gospel, jazz and folk music.
The Smithsonian center also details “The Great Migration” when African Americans moved in unprecedented numbers from the rural South to the North and Midwest, bringing musical traditions with them to big cities, which facilitated the development of a more electrified and urban blues sound.
As decades passed, R&B evolved as musical pioneers such as Aretha Franklin, James Brown and Michael Jackson pushed the form in different directions and fused it with other genres, giving it a more contemporary sound. That opened the door for young artists in the 1990s, such as Usher, Aaliyah and, of course, Beyoncé.
INSPIRATION
Love Keyyz specializes in contemporary R&B infused with blues, funk, soul, rock and country. Her sound incorporates her piano, guitar, stringed harp and drum playing. Keyyz prides herself on stage presence and skill, in her case, on many instruments. She sees this emphasis on being a commanding performer as descending from one of her many influences, Beyoncé.
Source: Love Keyyz's Instagram, @lovekeyyz
“Being able to captivate [live] audiences the way that she does is like the biggest thing I take away from her,” Keyyz said. “You can have good music and check all the boxes, but you have to be a good entertainer… I appreciate when I do shows, people say ‘Your stage presence’ and I’m like ‘Thank you,’ because I am so cognizant of that everytime.”
Beyoncé is known for her high standards in whatever she does. She creates a sensory-rich experience from elaborate outfits changes, seamless blends of her old and new music, and choreography that creates trends around the world, like the military-style synchronization of dancers she led during the performance of “Formation” at the 2016 Super Bowl 50 halftime show. Their meticulous outfits inspired by the Black Panthers, captured the attention of many of the 115 million viewers.
As a 27-year-old two-time charting independent artist, Keyyz might seem to be ahead of the R&B game. Channeling Muddy Waters, Keyyz utilizes the electric guitar with the heavy use of drums and piano in her latest single, “In My Shoes.” In today’s musical climate, R&B singers rely solely on heavily produced beats to back their sound, but, along with produced beats, there is Keyyz’s untraditional instrumentation.
Love Keyyz playing Beyonce's "Dangerously in Love." Source: Love Keyyz's Tiktok
Born and raised in a small town in Cincinnati, Ohio, creative opportunities felt limited to her, so she moved to Los Angeles. In a city that is home to so many performers, she learned to play different instruments to help her stand out.
“People tell me all the time ‘I’ve never seen a harp and I’ve never seen a Black woman play the harp,’” Keyyz said. “If you would have told little me that I would pick up a harp, first I’d be like ‘What is a harp?’ I didn’t get access to a harp in the hood.”
Keyyz said that she wants anyone who comes across her music to see that she pushes boundaries in her own unique way — and that they can achieve the same level of self-expression.
Before Beyoncé dropped her “Cowboy Carter” album, she wrote in an Instagram post that she hopes the future of the entertainment industry will revolve around an artist's talent rather than the color of their skin.
I'M THAT GIRL
Growing up as an only child in Saskatoon, a city in the central Canadian province of Saskatchewan, Ariel Tiffy’s mother played a lot of Motown music, including Stevie Wonder, leading her to find comfort in artists like post-Motown Michael Jackson, Amerie and Destiny’s Child.
Source: Ariel Tiffy's Instagram, @arieltiffy
By the age of 10, Tiffy was singing and writing songs in her bedroom. One day, her mom overheard her and encouraged her, which led her to join musical theater in high school.
Amid the pandemic shut down of 2020, Tiffy began to take her music more seriously, and connected online with a producer in Australia. While many artists write about their personal lives, Tiffy chooses a different route.
“I’ll hear the song and be like ‘what scene would this play in a movie or where would I hear this in a TV show?’” Tiffy said.
With a sound that mimics the nostalgia of 90s R&B and Soul, Tiffy was able to gain a large following through social media with her recent EP, “Symfonia.” With a velvety smoothness and warmth that draws listeners in, Tiffy has the ability to infuse a passion for love and the joys that life brings with lyrics like “Mama said love takes time. What is meant for you will find, you don’t have to rush it. I’m manifesting mine, clearing space for when it’s right.”
Like Beyoncé’s visual albums, Tiffy prides herself on releasing visualizers that have a series of animations or video clips to go along with her songs so fans can see the vibe that the songs are trying to display.
“I wanted people to hear the songs with the story that’s in my head,” Beyoncé said in a YouTube video that dropped after releasing her self-titled album. “Because that’s what makes it mine. That vision in my brain is what I wanted people to experience the first time.”Tiffy’s overall production style including her vocal ability has helped her to strive for longevity in her career although she’s only been in the industry for four years. She also credits Victoria Monet for the confidence to experiment sonically with her future projects.
Victoria Monet first entered the music industry in 2009. She started gaining popularity as a songwriter in 2010 after co-writing “I Hate That You Love Me” for Diddy Dirty Money. She went on to co-write songs for artists like Ariana Grande’s “Be Alright,” “Thank You, Next” and “Monopoly”; and Chris Brown’s “Drunk Texting.” Although she released her EP “Jaguar” in 2020, her album “Jaguar II,” released in 2023 earned her nationwide recognition and three Grammys at the age of 34.
Victoria Monet's Musical Inspirations
Sierra says that along with Monet’s work ethic and effort to make a name for herself made her overall success inevitable.
With current trends in today’s R&B music often focusing on heartbreak and revenge, Tiffy aspires for her sound to bring comfort and make people feel good internally.
PURE/HONEY
In 2020, Ari LaShell had just graduated from Hampton University in Virginia during the pandemic and quickly gained recognition in the industry by having her music featured on popular TV dramas like “The Chi" and “Power.”
Source: Ari LaShell's Instagram, @arilashell
LaShell appreciates Beyoncé for being unafraid to dive into different genres which allowed her to do the same.
“If you’re able to reach people in different genres, by all means do it,” LaShell said. “I dropped a dance EP last year and it's playing on mainstream radios in London now.”
On March 29, 2024, Beyoncé released “Cowboy Carter,” and despite the fierce criticism she received, she went on to earn the number one slot on the Billboard charts, making it her eighth album to top the charts.
LaShell said she appreciates artists like Beyoncé because she has the ability to convince audiences to create an open mind toward the various styles and blended genres of music she puts out.
With a smooth neo-soul sound that mirrors Jill Scott and Erykah Badu, LaShell says she aspires to use her voice more like a musical instrument. Although she’s only been in the industry for a few years, her work ethic has helped bring her opportunities particularly early in her career.
“I have a couple of songs coming out on some TV shows this year that I can't exactly disclose yet, but I do have a couple more song placements coming up that are pretty major,” LaShell said.
XO
Hearing Monet’s soft vocals glide across fervent tracks like “Coastin” or "Hollywood,” a sound that mixes new school R&B and the rhythmic patterns of 70s funk and soul, gives R&B artists like SHANN confidence to pursue her music without the anxiety of being rejected for not having a traditionally strong voice.
Source: SHANN's Instagram, @shannofficial
“I kind of took those limits off me,” SHANN said. “There have been times in the past where I’m like ‘Okay, I don’t have a strong voice like this so it’s not going to be received like this, and people might not like it. But now, I have just released everything.”
Born and raised in Virginia, the home state of artists like Missy Elliott and Pharrell Williams, SHANN's newest release is “Daydreaming Again.” In it, her vocals and video visualizers, she makes listeners feel like she’s singing directly to them, forging an emotional bond. Although she idolizes artists like Brandy Norwood and Janet Jackson, SHANN looks to Monet for visual inspiration.
“I will go and watch Victoria’s “Jaguar” tour, [which] she absolutely dominated, and just study how she transitioned through songs and even her body language,” SHANN said.
SHANN’s catalog provides listeners an opportunity to escape the world of toxic revenge of cheating on a partner to make them jealous, and step back into D’Angelo and Aaliyah’s love era of the 90s.
“I want people to know that this is a safe space when they listen to my music,” SHANN said. I want people to understand that they're entering a space where they're okay to love as loud as they want to… this is what the world needs, especially [with] the state of the world right now.”
The future of this genre continues to demonstrate that what defines R&B will only grow, blending elements from the past and present to shape the future. And all that remains is for the world to recognize that the genre, like the pop genre, is alive and well, evolving into a future that may or may not involve a harp.
To put in terms, the BeyHive can understand, when the world gives us lemons, we should make some potent lemonade.
If you continue scrolling, you will hear music from the artists mentioned above.
