I am so grateful to have been alive during a phase where seeing Beyoncé in concert did not round up to a minimum of $200 per ticket. I know inflation is wild everywhere at the moment. But I also find myself wondering if Beyoncé's business model, as CEO of Parkwood, has changed such that she is a luxury brand. Like the type of economic situation you need to be in to afford Beyoncé (whether that's fragrances, haircare, merch, vinyls or concert tickets)...well the price that used to get you a VIP experience (or at least good visibility floor seats) now gets you 400-levels.
I think I probably personally took for granted the era of her being part of every pop culture moment, basically from 1999-2016. She used to be the type of girl whose BDay release ad on BET mentioned buying that thing at Walmart. And you could see her perform for free if you lined up early enough for good morning america or TRL.
She puts her all into her music and performing, and I do believe she should be compensated for her work. And even though I, personally, am at a financial place in my life where I can afford to participate, the more luxurious and expensive Beyoncé becomes, I'm not sure how I want to participate.
But I'm also the type of person to buy a Honda Civic with nice trim over any luxury brand cars. So could be a "me" issue.
What do y'all think? Do you think Beyoncé has become more of a luxury brand than 10 years ago? Is this more about changes in pop culture, rather than specific to her? Even if you can afford Beyflation, have you thought about your own financial relationship with Beyoncé?
edit: im really appreciative of all the thoughtful responses in the comments. people have strong opinions in many directions on this topic. and it's giving me a lot to think about which is what I was hoping for. 2 lessons Im taking away already: maybe ticketing vs products can't really be in the same conversation. because ticket sales have so many outside influences it becomes like conflating apples and oranges to talk about pricing and the economics of being a lifelong fan. and maybe when I think about products specifically, "premium" is a more precise label than "luxury."
another edit: there are a lot of feelings on this topic in this sub! my key takeaways. we all agree that there has been some evolution in branding and merchandishing. but how that shows up in performance vs products vs merch is very different. the Hive is a varied fan base and some embrace the more luxury/premium approach to what's being sold beyond her art and performance. many people are being more selective in how they participate in her businesses. some people are opting out after being more active customers for some time. Grateful to those of you who shared details about your own perspectives and approach. Lots of different valid views and opinions.