Art by Samantha Dunn

Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are currently touring globally, bringing people and fans together through their music, clothing and concert openers. Beyoncé brings diversity to the Bey-Hive with her newest album, Renaissance, and Swifties regenerate Khandi bracelets. 

Beyoncé’s Renaissance is her first solo album since her Earth-shattering Lemonade and features a new sound for the artist with elements of house, disco, pop and R&B. This skipless album received spectacular responses from critics and fans. Renaissance is essentially a love letter to Black and queer dance culture, highlighted in the track “Alien Superstar.”  Beyoncé fans, also known as the Bey-Hive, have been shining in silver at Renaissance Tours, but why? To answer this question, The Wolf asked Spanish teacher Sarah Liddell, who attended the Renaissance Tour in Seattle: What gave a sense of unity or community during the event? 

“I definitely think the dressing up,” Liddell said, “[because the concert was in September which was her birthday month] and she wanted everybody to wear silver, and so everyone went out of their way to try and wear something silver and connect with that idea.”

Ever since the release of her tenth studio album, Midnights, along with the release of a re-recording of her third album, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift has received nothing but love. Midnights is a synth/electro pop concept album that covers themes of self-assurance, public image, feminism and many more. Swift announced The Eras Tour not too long after the release of Midnights, which featured a wide variety of concert openers such as Girl In Red, Paramore, Phoebe Bridgers, Beabadoobee and more. The variety of openers allows for a more diverse representation and brings fans of other artists and Swifties together. 

Something the Swifties did to build community was reintroduce others to Khandi bracelets. Khandi originated from rave culture in the early 1990s as a way to detect drug dealers, but the meaning has changed over time as a way to bond, remember someone and keep them with you at all times.

Looking forward, Swift has another re-recording release, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), and is releasing an Eras Tour movie on Oct. 13. Similarly, Beyoncé’s Renaissance concert film will arrive in AMC theaters on Dec. 1. Beyoncé also confirmed that her Renaissance album is the first act of a trilogy that will be announced in the future.