If you’ve been worried you’ve been spelling Beyoncé’s name incorrectly after seeing her new limited edition cover for her forthcoming country album, Cowboy Carter, we’re here to ease your concerns.
Earlier this week the singer unveiled new artwork for her album, the second in a trilogy of albums which began with the history-defining Renaissance in 2022.
The cover depicts the mother-of-three holding a cigar, wearing beaded braids and a sash with a phrase that reads: ‘act ii Beyincé’.
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Rather than the name being a typo, however, we’ve learnt that there’s a lot of history and important meaning behind the spelling.
During Tuesday's episode of the Spotify podcast 'In My Head With Heather Thomson' the singer's mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson, shared the story behind her eldest child's name.
‘A lot of people don't know that Beyoncé is my last name. It's my maiden name,' she said. ‘My name was Celestine Beyoncé, which at that time was not a cool thing to have that weird name. I wanted my name to be Linda Smith because those were the cool names.’
However, due to an admin error, some of the singer’s family have their surname spelled as Beyincé. Sadly, their last names couldn’t be corrected on legal papers due to historical discrimination against Black people.
‘It's interesting — and it shows you the times — because we asked my mother when I was grown. I was like, “Why is my brother’s name spelled B-E-Y-I-N-C-E? You know, it’s all these different spellings",’ Knowles added.
‘And my mum’s reply to me was like, “That's what they put on your birth certificate.” So I said, “Well, why didn't you argue and make them correct it?” And she said, 'I did one time. The first time, and I was told "Be happy that you're getting a birth certificate’ because, at one time, Black people didn't get birth certificates"'.’
According to Beyoncé, her forthcoming album has been ‘born out of an experience that [she] had years ago where [she] did not feel welcomed’.
‘It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history,’ she captioned her album cover artwork post on Instagram.
Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter is out in March 29, 2024.
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Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
