Those looking for the second coming of music can rejoice: Entertainers Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z will welcome their first bundle of joy in February 2012.
Knowles confirmed the rumors Sunday while on the red carpet of MTV’s Video Music Awards and then again during the show after finishing her stunning performance of “Love on Top” from her new LP “4.”
After her revelation on the red carpet, Twitter was abuzz after the news. “BEYONCE IS PREGNANT” set social media ablaze; Facebook posts filled my news feed as if bin Laden had been killed again. The news drew a record-breaking 8,860 tweets per second, according to Twitter’s communications account, @TwitterGlobalPR.
The in-show reveal packed more of a punch, though.
As the performance began, I noticed something different — Beyoncé was wearing pants. Beyoncé never wears pants. And she had a blazer on. But then Beyoncé tore up the stage, strutting around as if she owned the place. The performance was Tina Turner-esque — “live” and in-your-face, full of attitude and sassiness that only Beyoncé could deliver.
After making the art of performing look as easy as drawing a stick figure, she laughed and dropped the microphone. Then a grin crept up on her face as she removed her blazer to reveal a baby bump that she began rubbing like Buddha’s belly.
The thing is, I feel like rubbing Beyoncé’s pregnant belly may actually give a person good luck. I guess Jay-Z would be the only one to know.
Of course, once Beyoncé dropped her blazer, the camera immediately cut to the proud and ecstatic father-to-be, Jay-Z, bouncing around, pointing and just oozing pure happiness. It makes me happy to see Jay-Z so excited to be a dad. He already proved he’s a force to be reckoned with in the rap game, and now he, along with his queen of R&B, can dominate parenthood and put the rest of us to shame.
I don’t think people can comprehend the gravity of such a birth; both Beyoncé and Jay-Z have accomplished so much in their lifetimes already. This baby will probably come out dancing and spitting lyrics. I almost feel bad for him or her for having to live in the enormous shadow of such successful parents.
But I found it odd that the notoriously private couple chose to reveal such a personal ordeal at one of MTV’s biggest nights. It is not typical Jay-Z/Beyoncé behavior. This is the same couple who never admitted to dating and were uber-private about their marriage ceremony — they got married in April 2008 and did not announce it until that September.
Never one to say anything about her relationship with Jay-Z, it makes no sense that Beyoncé would release such news.
Maybe it’s a publicity stunt? Maybe it’s her attempt to control how the media will handle the story?
I hope it’s not the former reason. I know her album isn’t doing as well as her previous solo ventures, but she doesn’t seem the type of artist to whore out her unborn child for album sales. She doesn’t need to degrade herself or her career by pulling such a cheap stunt.
This leaves the latter reason, and I guess I could live with Beyoncé trying to tame the beast known as the media.
Good luck to her.
Overall, news of a pop star becoming pregnant isn’t world-stopping, but when it’s a pop phenomenon like Beyoncé, it’s certain this is Destiny’s Child.
 
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