18 Great Moments in Beyoncé Television

January 30, 2013



This Sunday, 110 million people are expected to tune in to the Super Bowl, anchored by a halftime show from Beyoncé and her old group Destiny's Child. In anticipation of that performance, we gathered footage from televised moments throughout Beyoncé's career. As with the case of Beyonce's performance of the national anthem at this month's presidential inauguration, some seem more pre-recorded than live, or some fascinating mix between the two. Taken from YouTube and presented in chronological order, they perhaps tell a slightly different story than the more comprehensive footage locked in Beyoncé's official, temperature-controlled digital archive, or even her essential, high-gloss tour DVDs. Consider this the people's archive.


Destiny’s Child, “No No No Pt. 2” (Live at MTV Europe, 1999)

High Point: Parachute pants dance break at 2:21.
Best YouTube comment: “I love La'Toya!! she is sooooo Beautiful!! Omg!! She got beyonce beat to me!”


Destiny’s Child, “Bills Bills Bills” (MTV Jam in the Park London, 2001)

High Point: Crowd singalong at 3:53.
Best YouTube Comment: “Michelle is in the corner gettin it!! GO CHELLE!!”

Destiny’s Child, “Emotion/ When the Wrong One Loves You Right” (Celine Dion’s A New Day Has Come Special, 2002)

High Point: Celine reacts to Beyonce’s vocal run with a wrist and head shake at 1:55.
Best YouTube Comment: “They gave Celine most of Michelle's parts! POOR MICHELLE! :(“

Beyonce and Jay-Z, “03 Bonnie and Clyde” (Top of the Pops, 2003)

High Point:: Off-mic, impromptu harmonizing while Jay raps about shopping at 1:32.
Best YouTube Comment: “Beyonce stage presence is wilder when Jay z is around, she looks to him for his rugged energy, jay does not have any tatoos except for the one on his finger representing his love for Beyonce i love them together they are a force to be reckeoned with.”

“The Star-Spangled Banner” (Super Bowl XXXVIII, 2004)

High Point: Extra-emphatic OOOOHHHooohhhOooah! sayyy does that at 1:58.
Best YouTube Comment: “The inauguration was a more formal event she couldn't add extra sounds like she did here to make it better.”

“The Star-Spangled Banner” (“Dangerously in Love” (Grammys, 2004)

High Point: A nine-second, eyes-closed note followed by a big gulp of air at 3:38.
Best YouTube Comment: “Beyonce looks so beautiful here and its amazing that she sang that entire song with bird seed in her hand lol”

Destiny's Child, "Lose My Breath" (Radio Music Awards, 2004)

High Point: Furry intro solo at 0:22.
Best Youtube Comment: "I LOVED THEIR ENERGY BUT REALLY MICHELLE YOU CANT WAIT FOR B AND KELLY TO WALK UP THE STAIRS LOL IT WAS CUTE THO ........ THAT LIL WIGGLE"

Destiny’s Child, “Say My Name/Independent Women/Survivor” (World Music Awards, 2005)

High Point: Vocal battle with Michelle and Kelly from 3:37-3:50.
Best YouTube comment: “What is this wig on Michelle's head... wtf.”

“Ring the Alarm” (MTV Video Music Awards, 2006)

High Point: Backwards, double-arm cop-slap at 1:53.
Best YouTube comment: “Was that break down an homage to Janet???? I think so!!”

“Listen” (Oprah, 2006)

High Point: Jamie Foxx’s expression toward Oprah at 3:23.
Best YouTube comment: "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSS­SSSS MA'AM. BEYONCE SHUT THAT SHIT DOWN AND SAID "EAT THE DAMN DUST HATERS" LAAAAWD HAM MERCY. Dear Beyonce, clint eastwood or anyone working on the a star is born movie. WE WANT BALLADS LIKE THIS FOR THE SOUNDTRACK. I miss watching BEY shut it down like this."

Destiny’s Child, “Cater 2 U” (Good Morning America, 2008)

High Point: Beyonce breaks out of her chair to thump her chest and yelp, “I don’t care what my mama say! Daddy say! No no no nooo!” at 3:26.
Best YouTube Comment: “michelle looked at her like bitch you aint do that durin rehersal!!”

“Single Ladies” (The Tyra Banks Show, 2008)

High Point: Pointer finger into the sky, chased with a smile, chased with Tyra clapping in time at 2:50.
Best YouTube Comment: "I WISH YOU ALL WOULD SHUT THE FUCK UP WITH THE LIP SINGING THING.. WATCH EVERY PERFORMANCE OF SINGLE LADIES AT ELLEN AT THE AMAS ANYWHERE AND SHE NEVER SINGS THAT PART 'delivers me' EVER ITS HER BACKGROUND SINGER."

“Single Ladies” (“Halo” (NAACP Image Awards, 2009)

High Point: Possible tears at 1:29.
Best YouTube Comment: “was this song for obama?”

“If I Was a Boy/You Oughta Know” (Grammys, 2010)

High Point: Carefully placed transitional headbanging at 4:45.
Best YouTube Comment: "2009 - Beyoncés year, 2010 - Lady Gagas year, 2011 - Adeles year, 2012 - Rihannas year, 2013 - Beyoncés year again

"1+1" (The View, 2011)

High Point: Infinite layers of MAKE LOVE! at 3:48.
Best YouTube Comment: "She said Algeba because in the song she says she doesn't know much about it! Goofy"

"Countdown" (Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, 2011)

High Point: Rodeo grind at 1:40.
Best YouTube Comment: "And she was pregnant... *___*"

"The Star-Spangled Banner" (Presidential Inauguration, 2013)

High Point: Earpiece rip-out and vocal run at 1:10.
Best YouTube comment:"We have no real idea if she did or did not. We think we know, but there's too many conflicting accounts. She sung live at the SuperBowl back in 2004, so I'm sure she sang live here. The media could've taken it out of proportion and falsified the information. I also hope she doesn't lip-sync at the Super Bowl."

Bonus WTF Moment: Beyonce and Jewel, "Proud Mary" (VH1 Divas Live, 2003)


18 Great Moments in Beyoncé Television