Beyonce - Pretty Hurts Thoughts/ Review

"My aspiration in life...would be... to be happy." Those were the first words I heard at 5 in the morning last Thursday when I listened to the opening track Pretty Hurts on Beyonce's surprise album. It struck a chord with me.

When people ask me where do I see myself in five/ten years (usually on a job interview) I don't kiss ass and tell them 'Here...forever.' or shoot myself on the foot and say 'Somewhere bigger, better.' I tell them 'It's wherever I am happy, whatever my definition of that will be.' People have shit on me for that because it's 'lame', 'cheesy', 'non-answer.' To me, it's the most honest and I'm trying to be that shamelessly and if you don't like it, then yeah, I'm not the right fit - thankfully.  So when Beyonce is asked 'What is your aspiration in life?' and she takes a second, uncertain, I chanted my answer while I awaited hers. And she says it. I knew as an opening statement, it would lay the groundwork for the rest of the album.

As for the song itself, I realized as I listened to it over and over again (side note: I found out after that Sia wrote this, she gets me every time (Diamonds, Double Rainbow, Blank Page)) is not something I necessarily agree with. Mostly because I feel the message of 'love your *outer* self, don't change' is misleading and the theme of physical transformation is skewed to one direction: it's bad.

Change is not good or bad it just is. It is the intention for change that defines it good or bad. If change gets you closer to other people but farther from your authentic self, you are compromising yourself. Change is good if you get closer to your authentic self and yes, that manifests itself physically and you shouldn't apologize for it because again, compromise.

Changing for others makes you unhappy, changing for yourself makes you graceful.

The song is also anti-body alteration which I have a problem with. I don't like it when people tell others what they can and cannot do with their bodies. Yes your soul might need surgery but maybe so does your body, that's your choice. If Vogue/TV can't tell you to change your body, Beyonce can't tell you either that you can't.