Member of the Beyhive or not, we’ve all experienced a little bit of stress at the hands of Beyoncé these past few weeks. She snatched our edges with what might be the most unapologetic Black Girl Anthem of all time, sprung us with a surprise tour and seemingly given us our lives time after time in all that she does. And, of course, the rumors of a new album have left us at the edge of our seats. Will she? Won’t she? When will it be?
As we wait, with patience thinning by the day, for the amazing album that we know she will drop any time now, here are the seven emotional stages we all experience waiting for Bey.
Beyonce and the ‘Formation’ of Black Girl Feminism (When the Hot Sauce Isn’t Enough)
1. Anticipation: There’s a reason we’re always on the damn phone. We’re refreshing Tidal, iTunes, Twitter pages related to all things Beyoncé for an inkling, a hint, ANYTHING that will let us know that the lastest from Queen Bey is upon us.
2. Doubt: It’s been nearly two months since “Formation” fell upon us on a cold February afternoon. The next day a world tour was announced. The album? It’s nowhere to be found. At this point, is it ever coming?
3. Anger: WHERE IS THE ALBUM BEY? WHERE IS IT? HELLO GIRL. WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO GET THE ALBUM, SIS???
4. Desperation: It’s almost mid-April and we’ve gone without food and water. Weren’t you supposed to drop the album on 4/4? We know you love the number 4. We haven’t seen the sun in three days. We’ve been waiting and waiting. (Ok, not really but you get the point)
5. Elation: We hope to know this feeling soon enough! We will have listened, we will have cried, we will have rejoiced, we will have tweeted about our favorite songs, attempted all the dance moves and already gathered our funds to flawlessly recreate a look from one of the amazing music videos.
6. Comatose: Hold up, we’ve listened to the album—a few times—we’ve talked about it with our squad, we’ve called our mamas to let them know the news of the new arrival and told our baes to call and make that Red Lobster reservation. We’ve analyzed the lyrics and identified at least least five photos captions for Instagram but now what?!
7. Joy: The sadness has worn off, we have returned to the overwhelming feeling that comes from a Beyoncé album. We’ve come to terms that this is what we will be listening to ALL SUMMER LONG now that we have some magic to hold us over until the next time Bey pulls a stunt that simply leaves us speechless.
These seven stages have been brought to be by an avid Beyhiver who is waiting like EVERYONE ELSE, with baited breath, a fully charged iPhone and at least $14.99 in the bank for the moment the album drops.