The Game Changer: Baddie Bey

By: Mariah Alexander

On Friday, December 13th, 2013, Beyonce Knowles surprise released he self titled fifth album, 'Beyonce.' There was no doubt that this album was a hit, going platinum in only three days. But, the controversy comes from her scandalous lyrics and sexy music videos.

It is no doubt that parents are probably outraged, my mother sure was. Her first encounter with the album was the song "Rocket" where Beyonce's first words are "Let me sit this ass on you," she was immediately outraged and attempted to ban me, a 18 year old college student who no longer lives at home, from listening to it. After listening to the full album my mother felt as though Beyonce had definitely taken a turn for the worst. But I didn't quite understand my mother's frustration. Beyonce is   a married woman and a mother, it's no secret what her and Jay Z do behind closed doors. So what's the real problem? I don't hear my mother complain when when Teddy Pendergrass's smooth voice comes over the radio instructing his woman to "turn of the lights and light a candle," for a romantic dinner of course, wrong.

I believe the real problem is that a woman is getting a little, or really, sexual. Growing up not only my mother but older women in my life made is seem as if it was impossible for girls to want sex. It was always the sex craved men who made all the "dirty"  musics and only wanted women for sex. But now that a woman is REALLY coming out a saying how she feels about sex and her husband on a world wide chart topping album, it's a problem.

So, I decided to take a deeper look in to Beyonce's lyrics, focusing on the song 'Partition.' The first thing I did was look up what a partition was, because I honestly didn't know. A partition is the the black wall like structure that can be rolled up to separated the chauffeur from the ones being chauffeur in the rear of the vehicle. In the beginning Beyonce tells the the audience to "Say hey Mrs. Carter," I believe this was intentional and a reminder to all that were listening that she is a married woman.


I would like to take a look at the third verse of Partition:

"Driver roll up the partition please

Driver roll up the partition please

I don't need you seeing yoncé on her knees

Took 45 minutes to get all dressed up

We ain't even gonna make it to this club

Now my mascara runnin', red lipstick smudged

Oh he so horny, yeah he want to fuck

He popped all my buttons and he ripped my blouse

He Monica Lewinski'd all on my gown

Oh, there daddy, daddy didn't bring the towel

Oh, baby, baby we better slow it down

Took 45 minutes to get all dressed up

And we ain't even gonna make it to this club"

My translation:

Drive roll up the partition please

I don't need you seeing me pleasuring my husband

It took me a long time to get ready

But I don't see us making it ther after this

especially since my makeup is messed up now

My husband is horny and wants to have sex with me, his wife

He took off my clothes and proceeded to do what he had to do

Darn, he forgot the towel, how are we gonna clean this up

We might want to slow down, we can't clean the mess up

Damn, I got dressed for nothing

There is no way we're making it to the club

It seems to be that this is just Beyonce and her husband getting a little rowdy on the way to the club which I don't believe breaks any rules. But as most all of us know, this is the 50's and we aren't supposed to talk about sex, right?

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Knowles-Carter, Beyonce. "Partition." Beyonce Recorded December 13 2013. Parkwood Entertainment December 13 13. compact disc

Penndergrass, Teddy. "Turn off the lights." TeddyRecorded June 23 1979. Philadelphia International. compact disc