It can’t be denied that Jay Z and Beyoncé have been fiercely protective of each other. They are too high-profile to not be. One has to wonder how that plays out as it pertains to their friends and family. Even if you are close to them — as close as a sister can be — you are still not actually experiencing what they have to experience. The scrutiny, the criticism — it can be a bit much. It wouldn’t be outside of the realm of possibility that Solange gets frustrated with how closely guarded they are — and maybe she looks at Jay Z as a divisive figure when it comes to the relationship between she and her über-famous big sister.
And it can’t be denied that Solange has always taken a bit of pride in being the anti-Beyoncé.
“It would be so much easier for me to put on a little black dress, straighten my hair, and sing about dancing in the club, but it’s not my job to prove anything,” Solange told Refinery29 four years ago. “I’m here to make music, to inspire myself. I’m not selling my likability; I’m sharing my journeys. If you don’t like it, believe it’s real, or understand it … then keep my name out of your mouth.”
So there could have always been lingering tensions. And as any family can tell you, at some point, those tensions always bubble over. Most of the time, it happens at funerals or anniversary parties — when Uncle Charlie finally decides to get a few things off of his chest about Aunt Gladys and the cousins sit awkwardly as he recalls the time she flirted with a Marine at a bar in Las Vegas; or when you and your brother get into a fistfight after too many beers during your dad’s Super Bowl party. This stuff happens. Most of us don’t have to worry about those moments becoming headlines.
The best way to deal with this bit of controversy is to jump out front and face it. Don’t avoid the media. Jay should give a press conference, with Beyoncé at his side — looking amazing and supportive in a dark-hued ensemble, complete with Jackie O-esque diva shades. Solange should write an entire blog post about it, spilling her guts about how Jay’s laugh has always annoyed her and she just couldn’t take it anymore. Or revealing that Jay suggested she open the “On the Run” Tour with Memphis Bleek — which caused her to fly into an uncontrollable rage. But they can’t just ignore the firestorm.
There will be more and more speculation over the next few days regarding just what transpired to spark Solange’s outrage. But one thing is for sure, it’s getting harder and harder to have a private moment if you’re an über-celebrity. The Carter-Knowles family has been fairly quiet about their personal affairs, but it doesn’t seem likely that Jay Z and Beyoncé will be able to sit quietly through this. They can’t just go to Barclay’s Center, present a unified front, and expect the questions to go away.
Or can they?
