After two Super Bowl halftime show performances in her legendary career, Beyoncé is returning to the football field for the third time, this time as part of the NFL’s debut on Netflix with its slate of Christmas Day games. During the Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans matchup, Queen Bey is set to perform at halftime, marking her third performance in the last decade.
One of the most iconic figures of the music industry, here’s a look at some of the common questions fans might have about the icon.
Beyoncé’s Age and Family
A Texas native, the performance in Houston is going to be a homecoming for Beyoncé as she returns to her city. Born on Sept. 4, 1981, she began her career as an eight-year-old before becoming a full-fledged star at just 16.
As part of Destiny’s Child, she saw major mainstream success with her albums going on to become all-time hits. While her career took off, her personal life wasn’t far behind.
Rumors of a relationship with Jay-Z had been around for a while. But in 2002, with the two collaborating on 03 Bonnie and Clyde (where she appeared as his girlfriend), the rumors gained even more traction. In 2008, the two tied the knot in a quiet, private ceremony, a microcosm of their relationship at large.
The two suffered heartbreaking news at the turn of the next decade, with Beyoncé miscarrying her first child. As a result, she once again turned to music as a coping mechanism for what she has repeatedly described as the saddest thing she endured.
But a trip to Paris brought unexpected joy for them as she became pregnant once again. A few short months later, one of the most iconic days in music and social media history took place at the MTV VMAs.
Performing Love On Top, Queen Bey ended the performance by announcing her pregnancy, leading to the show becoming the most-watched MTV VMAs of all time. Additionally, the moment holds the Guinness World Record for “most tweets per second” record for a single event at 8,868.
On Jan. 7, the two welcomed Blue Ivy into the world in New York City at the Lemon Hill Hospital. Nearly six years later, an Instagram post from Beyoncé announcing her second pregnancy, this time with twins, would once again break records. With 6.3 million likes in under eight hours, it would go on to become the most-liked Instagram post of all time.
Beyoncé being visited by her twins, Sir & Rumi during Coachella rehearsals. 🐝 pic.twitter.com/0JIdoIkxbs
— II HANDS II JAS ♱ (@BeysAttorney) March 10, 2024
The twins, born in California at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, were named Rumi and Sir.
Beyoncé’s Career and Net Worth
A career spanning four decades that would go on to become one of the biggest critical and commercial successes in music history is hard to cover in one space. However, it would be a disservice to the legend to not mention it at all.
Beginning in 1997, Beyoncé became synonymous with Destiny’s Child and the group would go on to leave an indelible mark on music over the next six years. From 2003 onward, her success as a solo artist began, first with the aforementioned Jay-Z collaboration and then with her solo album Dangerously In Love.
One of the best-selling albums of the century, it gave Billboard toppers like “Crazy in Love” and “Baby Boy.” Her success continued with her next three albums: B’Day, I Am…Sasha Fierce, and 4, bringing out all-time classics like “Single Ladies” and “Halo,” among others.
While the recipe for success was clear, Beyoncé in true trailblazing fashion chartered a unique path for herself. The birth of her own management company in Parkwood Entertainment brought about concept albums from the artist, with Beyoncé in 2013 and Lemonade in 2016 exploring both personal as well as socio-political themes.
Currently, she is in the midst of the trilogy with this year’s Cowboy Carter becoming her first foray into country music in what is described as an American epic, the second album after 2022’s queer-inspired dance album Renaissance. The overarching narrative around the trilogy is centered around the contributions of Black pioneers in the world of musical and cultural history.
One of the most critically acclaimed artists of all time, she holds the record for the most Grammy, NAACP Image, BET, and Soul Music Awards as a solo artist in history. But her commercial success might trump even those numbers.
Beyoncé is one of the wealthiest music artists of all time. Alongside Jay-Z, the power couple is a constant on the highest-paid celebrity couples’ lists. In December of last year, Forbes estimated her net worth at around $800 million, with the couple well past the billion-dollar mark.
She is also one of two female artists, alongside Madonna, to amount more than $100 million in a single calendar year twice. Recently, the couple bought a residence in Malibu worth $200 million, making it the most expensive residence sold in California’s history.