Beyoncé Photographer Explains How Her Performance Style Differs From Kanye West’s
Beyoncé is known as “Queen Bey” for a reason — she created her own “Homecoming” performance at Coachella and showcased The Lion King: The Gift’s visuals with Black Is King. Here’s what Beyoncé’s tour photographer said about how her performance style differs from Kayne West.
Timothy McGurr is a tour photographer for ‘Renaissance’ artist Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
New York City-based photographer, Timothy McGurr, acted as a touring photographer for Beyoncé during the Formation era, capturing some of her tour visuals. The artist has also been in stadiums with well-known musicians like Drake and Kanye West.
How Beyoncé and Kayne West have different performance styles (and tour visuals)
According to this photographer, Beyoncé and Kayne West have very different performance styles. That’s especially true of their visuals — a specialty of both award-winning musicians.
“Beyoncé is a singer and a dancer, so much of her focus is on making sure the performance and choreography is operating at over 100 percent,” photographer McGurr said during an interview with the New York Times.
Fans worldwide noted this of Beyoncé’s Coachella performance, where she became the first Black woman to headline the California Music and Arts Festival.
Complete with “bleachers,” a full band, and collegiate-themed apparel, Queen Bey created her own homecoming celebration, detailing the rehearsal process in Netflix’s HOMECOMING: A Film by Beyoncé.
As another big name in the industry, Ye hinted at his return to the stage with the upcoming “Donda Tour.” Some of his last major live performances included 2021’s Rolling Loud Festival and the Free Larry Hoover Benefit.
While discussing visuals, the photographer mentioned for West, “everything comes down to the tour’s overall aesthetic — the stage design, lighting, and setting all have to be really incredible.”
When it comes to live performances, Beyoncé and West sport different aesthetics and sounds. Both impacted the music community, with McGurr adding that the artists “have elevated culture on a visual level.”
Beyoncé released visuals for ‘I’m That Girl’ off of ‘Renaissance’
Although Beyoncé has not revealed any touring plans for 2022, the artist recently debuted Renaissance, including “Break My Soul.” West even shared his thoughts on this project, mentioning his favorite track on Instagram.
“Favorite song on Beyoncé album,” Ye wrote, sharing a screenshot of the album’s song “Church Girl.” Unlike Lemonade, Beyoncé debuted the audio for Renaissance ahead of the album’s corresponding visuals. The visual album is officially on the way, though, with Queen Bey sharing a teaser for “I’m That Girl.”
“The originator of the visual album format, and the preeminent visual artist, decided to lead without visuals giving fans the opportunity to be limitless in their expansive listening journey,” they shared in a press release. “It is a chance again to be listeners and not viewers while taking in every gem of the pristine production.”
