How Beyoncé’s Oscar Performance Paid Homage to the Williams Sisters
The 94th Academy Awards gave viewers a different kind of opening act. Instead of a stale monologue, the audience was treated to a bright performance from Beyoncé. She paid homage to Venus and Serena Williams while singing her Oscar-nominated song “Be Alive” from biopic King Richard.
Beyoncé’s Oscar performance took place in Compton, CA
While A-list celebrities sat in Hollywood’s Dolby Theater, Beyoncé was across town in Compton, CA, the hometown of the Williams sisters. Venus and Serena, the executive producers of King Richard, introduced the performance.
Next, the actors who portrayed them on film, Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton, escorted Beyoncé to the exact tennis court the legendary sisters grew up playing on in Compton, CA. It was a dramatic start appropriate for the film industry’s biggest night.
Tennis ball green flooded viewers’ television screens. Beyoncé, her dancers, musicians, and daughter Blue Ivy Carter wore stunning costumes in vibrant color. Vogue reported some of their hairstyles paid homage to the braids and beads the Williams sisters rocked in the ’90s.
Beyoncé was decked out in sequins, feathers, and jewels in true diva fashion while strutting through the set like a seasoned professional. The camera gave us plenty of closeups of the first-time Oscar nominee, highlighting her smoldering gaze and neon pink eye-makeup.
Will Smith was happy when Beyoncé called
King Richard tells the story of Richard Williams raising his two daughters to become superstar tennis players. After screening the film, Beyoncé reached out to Will Smith, who plays Williams, because the story really inspired her.
“Be Alive” can be described as part ballad, part war cry.
A track tailor-made for an emotional, Oscar-nominated film, Will Smith connected with “Be Alive.” The Oscar award winner told Entertainment Weekly, “The marriage of a movie and a song is a kind of magic that’s unmatched in entertainment.” He added, “I was so happy when Beyoncé called.”
Beyoncé wrote the inspirational song, specifically written to play during the closing credits for King Richard, with lyrics highlighting triumph and desperation.
“This is hustle personified /Look how we’ve been fighting to stay alive /So when we win we will have pride /Do you know how much we have cried? /How hard we had to fight.”
Queen Bey returns to the Oscar stage
It’s been a while since the Bey-hive has seen a live performance from their queen on Hollywood’s biggest stage. Beyoncé last performed at the Academy Awards in 2009, honoring movie musicals with Hugh Jackman. Fans welcomed her return with open arms.
Her electric opening set the tone for a different type of Oscars ceremony. Although she didn’t take home a statue, losing to Billie Eilish and Finneas for “No Time to Die,” Beyoncé reigned supreme as the queen of the night. Will she surprise us with a Grammys appearance next?
