Beyoncé is back where she belongs: onstage.
The superstar opened the 94th Academy Awards with a gorgeous performance of her song "Be Alive," which narrates the strength, resilience, and pride that resides within the Black community. It was nominated for Best Original Song at this year's ceremony and features in the acclaimed film King Richard, starring Will Smith as Venus and Serena Williams' father, Richard.
For the performance, Beyoncé wore a vibrant neon yellow mini gown (tennis ball yellow if you want to be precise) with glamorous feather trimming and a diamond-encrusted garter bracelet and matching gloves, and a shimmery glam beauty look.
Rather than performing at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, where tonight's ceremony is taking place, the singer opted to take the stage at a tennis court in Compton, where the Williams sisters were coached by their father as young girls decades ago. She was joined by a live band and dozens of young dancers for the special performance.
Beyoncé's performance tonight marks the first time in years that the singer has taken the stage, much to the Beyhive's excitement. (The last time the world saw Bey sing was for a solemn occasion, the funeral of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi in February 2020.) Though the singer has remained mum on when exactly fans can expect a new album, she exclusively told Harper's BAZAAR last year that she's been diligently working on new material and has been steadily in the studio since the start of the pandemic.
"I've been in the studio for a year and a half. Sometimes it takes a year for me to personally search through thousands of sounds to find just the right kick or snare. One chorus can have up to 200 stacked harmonies," she told BAZAAR. "There's nothing like the amount of love, passion, and healing that I feel in the recording studio. After 31 years, it feels just as exciting as it did when I was nine years old. Yes, the music is coming!"
