Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Beyoncé and Jay-Z are a power couple

The couple’s relationship is an asset to their careers

60th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Show
60th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Show
Beyoncé and Jay-Z
Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS
Alex Abad-Santos
Alex Abad-Santos is a senior correspondent who explains what society obsesses over, from Marvel and movies to fitness and skin care. He came to Vox in 2014. Prior to that, he worked at The Atlantic.

The two are considered one of the most powerful couples in the world and the most powerful couple in music. Together, they are worth $1 billion. And they’ve also created the most powerful baby in the world in Blue Ivy. But where you really see the couple’s partnership pay off is in the music.

Because their relationship is as marketable as they are, the collaborations between Jay and Bey become very popular songs. Their first collaboration, “03 Bonnie and Clyde,” hit No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Others that followed did well, too: “Crazy in Love” hit No. 1 in 2003, “Deja Vu” hit No. 4 in 2006, and, most recently, “Drunk in Love” hit No. 2.

The pair’s romance is so popular that they created a tour based on it in 2014 and called it the On the Run tour.

Because of the popularity of their marriage, eyes are constantly on them. So rumors that they are headed for divorce, which started around the beginning of their 2014 tour, have received a considerable amount of attention. But there’s no reason to think that Beyoncé, who has shown resilience and proved her relevance time and time again, would let that stop her.

”I don’t know what it would mean to the public, or what it would personally mean for her and him,” said Kevin Allred, a Rutgers professor who teaches a class on Beyoncé through the lens of feminism, LGBT theory, and race. “I don’t think it would change anything in terms of her status or power. I know a lot of people have a hard time talking about Beyoncé as this strong woman. I think people wouldn’t be able to talk about that anymore.”

See More:

More in archives

archives
Ethics and Guidelines at Vox.comEthics and Guidelines at Vox.com
archives
By Vox Staff
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court will decide if the government can ban transgender health careThe Supreme Court will decide if the government can ban transgender health care
Supreme Court

Given the Court’s Republican supermajority, this case is unlikely to end well for trans people.

By Ian Millhiser
archives
On the MoneyOn the Money
archives

Learn about saving, spending, investing, and more in a monthly personal finance advice column written by Nicole Dieker.

By Vox Staff
archives
Total solar eclipse passes over USTotal solar eclipse passes over US
archives
By Vox Staff
archives
The 2024 Iowa caucusesThe 2024 Iowa caucuses
archives

The latest news, analysis, and explainers coming out of the GOP Iowa caucuses.

By Vox Staff
archives
The Big SqueezeThe Big Squeeze
archives

The economy’s stacked against us.

By Vox Staff