If you haven’t seen Beyoncé’s Coachella performance by now, you are definitely missing out on a big moment in music. For the most part everyone knows that Beyoncé is a great performer, but her Coachella performance helped prove that she truly sees herself as her own competition. She has risen the bar to a level we weren’t sure existed for her, but she somehow managed to push herself to a new height and out perform herself.

Even if you are not a Beyoncé fan, you at least have to respect her dedication to her artistry and how she reinvents herself so that her performances stay fresh and unique. Her headlining performance at Coachella was breathtaking, to say the least. The performance featured a big brass band (with a New Orleans flare), a massive group of male and female dancers, an appearance by Jay-Z, a glorious mini Destiny’s Child reunion, and a beautiful sister dance duet with Solange. The beauty behind her performance that  wove everything together was the theme chosen for the set.

Beyoncé chose to display her black excellence by using the HBCU (Historically Black College or University) culture of stepping and a battle of the bands esthetic with a dash of Spike Lee’s School Daze. Choosing such a theme means Beyoncé more than understood the importance of her being the first black woman to headline the festival since it was started. She didn’t debut any new music like many predicted, but she reimagined some of her fan favorites, like Sorry, 7/11, Mine, Baby Boy, Ego, and Hold Up, to give streaming viewers and the festival goers a feel of what it’s like to attend an HBCU infused with greek life.

It definitely was a proud moment for the black community that she would use her platform to display such important black imagery in her set. This performance helps solidify her title of legend and proves that she is one of the few that have managed to not only perfect her craft, but also continue to push herself and learn more. Love or hate her, you have to give respect where respect is due; there is no denying her talent. Congrats to Beyoncé for her brilliant performance and we can’t wait to see what she does next.

Thank you for all that black girl magic and black excellence.

Youtube is currently replaying the performance so check it out if you haven’t already or just want to see it again…