Just days after wrapping up her Formation World Tour, Beyoncé debuted new sets, costumes, and routines for the Tidal X: 1015 concert in Brooklyn last night.

The Houston-bred singer performed with a hologram before going into "6 Inch" and "Haunted" with a crew of dancers. She came back at the end of the show to perform "All Night."

The concert was held in support of the Robin Hood Foundation, which calls itself “New York’s largest poverty-fighting organization.”

Beyoncé spent the summer performing to sold out crowds on her Formation World tour. Along the way she made sure that her politics would not be overshadowed by her celebrity.

After the killings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling in July, she stopped her show to pay tribute to victims of police violence and wrote an open letter championing the cause against police brutality.

But more than a year before the Formation video broke the internet, she foreshadowed their move away from the inoffensive and readily palatable.
At the Grammy’s in 2015, she performed the gospel classic “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” with a choir of Black men accompanying her. The men, dressed in all white, performed simple choreography that included a reference to “hands up, don’t shoot,” the rallying cry of angry protestors in the wake of Mike Brown’s killing in Ferguson, Missouri.



To clarify her intentions, Beyoncé released a a mini-documentary on the making of the performance. “I felt like this is an opportunity to show the strength and vulnerability in Black men,” she said. She went on to describe herself as a vessel for the past and continued suffering of Black people including her father who grew up in segregated Alabama. “Now I can sing for his pain,” she reflects. “I can sing for my grandparents pain. I can sing for some of the families that lost their sons.” Despite her best efforts and a shimmering, diaphanous gown, the performance was rather unspectacular, and Beyoncé’s invocation of the gesture got lost in the controversy surrounding her perceived sleight to another performer. But, perhaps, that was a good thing. Beyoncé dipped her toe into the waters of Black Lives Matter with nary a peep.

Rihanna stepped away from the Anti World Tour to grace the Billboard Music Awards stage where she delivered a great performance of "Love on the Brain."

The song is a bluesy ballad that gives Rih an opportunity to show off her expanded vocal skills.  She put her heart into the lyrics.

Must be love on the brain/That's got me feeling this way/It beats me black and blue but it fucks me so good/And I can't get enough

Though "vocalist" might not be the first word that comes to mind when you think of her, it cannot be denied that Rihanna has put in work to be a better performer. Compare this outing to some of those from early on in her career. There's a marked difference.

You can't help but be impressed.

Purchase "Love on the Brain" on iTunes or Amazon

Qué pedo con @rihanna? Imaginación o cantó hermoso en los #BBMAs? Ustedes juzguen... @BBMAs @TNTLA #BillboardEnTNThttps://t.co/x86dzz05xv

— Max Heredia (@maxfreixenet) May 23, 2016

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/BBMA2016/FilmMagic

While Michael Jackson is often credited at Beyoncé's biggest influence. It's no surprise that the global superstar feels a particular affinity for Prince. The two performed together at The Grammy Awards in 2004, and Beyoncé has long included music from the The Time, a group Prince assembled and wrote for, in her live shows (See: The Beyoncé Experience).

In Dallas on Monday, Beyoncé covered "The Beautiful Ones" during the Formation World Tour. The song appears on Purple Rain.  She first performed the cover in 2011 at the Glastonbury Festival in England, and this longer version was equally spectacular.


Watch the Glastonbury performance.

We've been following sister duo Chloe and Halle for years, and it's been incredible to watch the sisters mature.  Not only have they mastered their voices but they're stretching themselves to cover new styles.

They surprised us with the cover of Yo Gotti's "Down in the DM." They added touches of rock and r&b to soften up the trap hit.

No one does it like Miss Patti. The 71-year-old music legend has sung some of our favorite songs, and she continues to deliver powerful vocals. There are only a couple of artists who should even dare take on a Patti song. Fantasia is one of them.

Fantasia took on "You Are My Friend" for Miss Patti's tribute at the BET Honors, and she absolutely tore it down. By the end of the song we were clapping and crying as the former American Idol tried to recover after putting her all into it.

I took the Rihanna and Drake break up pretty hard. Not since Britney and Justin wore those matching denim outfits to the American Music Awards in 2001, have I been so convinced that two global superstars were so right together. Two of the most influential artists of the day sharing pillow talk is just too good to be true.
It seems like Drake was pretty sure of it too. From listening to the couple of songs he released after they rekindled their situationship (?) in 2014, Drake was sprung. Meanwhile, Rihanna hasn't acknowledged the pairing publicly. That's why she'll always be queen.

What she has done is given us another number one song, two videos, and more opportunity to speculate on the hold she has on Aubrey.

The two premiered "Work" at the Brits yesterday with "Consideration" as an intro. Vocally it was a solid effort from Rihanna who has reportedly been battling bronchitis. But the highlight of those 4 minutes was the AubRih action.

In matching white, Rihanna backed it up into a proper whine on Drake, and the joy of the moment was palpable.

Look at the gifs! Drake is clearly just happy he has the chance to breathe the same air as Queen Rih, and we don't blame him

Jazmine Sullivan easily tops our list of the most underrated Black women singers out right now.  The Philly-native gives us soulful, jazzy vocals with her signature rasp. If you haven't copped her latest album, Reality Show, do so immediately.

She performed one of the albums most uplifting cuts on Kelly & Michael this week. Listen to Jazmine sing confidently how she cannot be defined by anyone but herself. "Masterpiece" is the jam.

by Kimberly Foster @KimberlyNFoster

Beyoncé has the whole world talking about the unapologetic blackness in her new video, Formation, but the pop superstar isn't new to celebrating Black brilliance.

She's often given nods to the Black women performers who've inspired her, most notably Tina Turner. And back in 2006, Beyoncé celebrated Jospehine Baker's 100th birthday with a banana dance-inspired performance of her hit song, "Deja Vu" on the televised Fashion Rocks special.
B sported a bedazzled bustier and skirt made of embellished faux bananas, a costume very similar to the one worn by Baker as she performed the banana dance across Europe in the 1920s and 1930s. Baker rose to prominence performing cabaret acts in La Revue Nègre in Paris in 1925. By 1926, the banana dance became here signature.

Beyoncé's seductive spectacle captured the essence of Baker's allure. She was powerful while exhibiting complete control over her body during the effervescent choreography.


Beyoncé also paid homage in song's video with a dance break that contained choreography reminiscent of the icon's.

Josephine in the Folies Bergere in 1926. From The Josephine Baker Story by Ean Wood

She told ABC News in 2006, "I wanted to be more like Josephine Baker, because she didn't, she seemed like she just was possessed and it seemed like she just danced from her, her heart, and everything was so free."


Beyoncé's affinity for Baker comes as no surprise. Baker's control of her art and her image was unprecedented for her time. Baker, a Black woman beloved by white audiences, built a name by working within the status quo to transgress social boundaries. In her later life she became a civil rights activist.

The origins of the skirt are unknown. Baker gave varied stories about it's creation throughout her life, but she will forever be an icon because of her daring.

Josephine Baker in Banana Skirt. Paul Colin (French, 1892-1985)

For More information on Josephine Baker:

For Kids:


Photos: WireImage/Kevin Mazur

Since she won American Idol in 2004 at the age of 19, Fantasia Barrino has matured in bonafide vocal powerhouse. The North Carolina native electrifies with her high energy performances, but she's just as capable as delivering a softer, soulful sound.

One of her most memorable song selections during her time on Idol was the Porgy and Bess classic, "Summertime." She paired up with newcomer La'Porsha Renae for an unforgettable rendition of Ella Fitzgerald's version of the song. The show is in its final season, and it's incredible to see the caliber of talent they're still discovering. What's most amazing is how La'Porsha held her own next to the seasoned singer.

Watch below.

Beyoncé gave us a first look at her new single, Formation, tonight at the Super Bowl. She released the first single and video off of her forthcoming project last night, just in time for a debut in front of hundreds of millions of people.

Queen Bey treated viewers to some hella blackness with her backup dancers dressed like Black Panthers. Beyoncé, herself, gave us a look reminiscent of Michael Jackson's Super Bowl ensemble.

Immediately after the performance, Beyoncé announced her world concert tour and a fund to benefit Flint children that will include a show at Detroit's Ford Field on May 29.

Yes, Beyonce, You DO Slay
Beyoncé dominates the field. Literally. Is Bey a Bill Gates in the making? #iSlay #sheSlay #weSlay
Posted by Refinery29 on Sunday, February 7, 2016

Chloe and Halle are two of the most talented musicians on YouTube who have yet to sign a record deal. The teenage sisters have soulful voices that complement each other perfectly. They've grown their fan base with phenomenal covers of popular songs, and we're so happy to see them back.

This time they've given us a taste of Coldplay's new single that features Beyoncé. The girls' choice to cover Hymn for the Weekend is probably not random. Beyoncé signed them to a management deal last year.
Watch the cover below.

Adele's music will have you missing lovers you've never met. Her catalog, filled with emotion-filled ballads, lends itself perfectly to creative reinterpretation.

Choreographer Will B. Bell's gorgeous pas de deux takes us through a wide range of emotions. The dancers, Zola Williams and DJ Smart, capture the tenderness and longing through their movements and gazes. Even when they are not moving, they convey touching emotion.

"All I Ask" -Adele | Will B. Bell Choreography from Will B. Bell on Vimeo.

To commemorate Martin Luther King Day, director Ryan Coogler organized a star studded event to celebrate the life and legacy of the civil rights icon.

At the event, Anika Noni Rose performed J. Cole's "Be Free." The song finds Cole grappling with the realities of white supremacy.
Coogler, who served as host for the event, explained that he asked Cole to perform the song, but he declined because the subject matter is too difficult.

Anika Noni Rose stepped in and put her own remarkable twist on the song.
h/t BroadwayBlack

Natalie Cole passed away last week at 65. The talented singer-songwriter made an indelible mark on music with her jazz-infused song stylings that stirred the soul.

Aretha Franklin's Black excellence was on full display during her performance of Carole King's "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony. Franklin came to tribute songwriter Carole King.

The Soul Train Awards were a delightfully Black time on BET last night (until Robert Kelly showed up, of course). The show tributed legendary producer and songwriter Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds with a star studded tribute that featured Bobby Brown, Boyz II Men, Jazmine Sullivan and Fantasia performing some of his biggest hits.

Tracee Ellis Ross has made a name for herself as a comedic actress, but it's no surprise that the singing gene didn't skip her.

Jill Scott performed an amazing rendition of "Strange Fruit" for A&E's Shining A Light: Concert for Progress. Through song, Jill Scott told a story of the black men and women lynched throughout the country in the first half of the 20th century.

Chrisette Michele gave fans an all exclusive look into her acoustic studio rehearsal in a video posted to youtube. In the video, Chrisette and her talented background singers perform amazing acoustic renditions of "What You Do," "Epiphany," and Janet Jackson's "I Get Lonely."