Beyonce
Beyonce
One reason well-known families like Aretha Franklin's ask for privacy at difficult times -- as when a loved one is transitioning out of the mortal plane -- may be to head off some of the gun-jumping that started Monday, i.e., the pre-obits for the singer and performer.
On the other hand, it's Aretha Franklin we're talking about here. She's a titan. People are going to react from their hearts.
And on the other other hand, Beyoncé.
Beyoncé and her husband, Mr. Beyoncé, played Ford Field Monday night, and took a moment to honor Franklin in her hometown, because if there's one person Queen Bey should bow down to, it's the O.G. Queen of Soul.
For all the meticulous precision of the production, there was room for organic moments: Beyoncé paused early on to dedicate the night to Aretha Franklin, whose dire medical condition had been widely circulated in public Monday for the first time.
“We love you,” Beyoncé said with Jay-Z by her side, prompting roars from the Queen of Soul’s hometown crowd. Earlier, DJ Khaled had stirred up his own affectionate cheers by spinning Franklin’s “Respect” during a set otherwise crammed with current-day hits.
Yeah, you should. But it's still a nice gesture in a show timed down to the minute.
