This Year, Beyoncé Reached a Level of Icon We Didn’t Even Know Existed — Let’s Reflect

Let's take it all the way back to January when Bey gave us life without parole at the 2018 Grammys. Of course everyone comes to the ceremony dressed to the nines, but Beyoncé was probably like, "Nah, we're coming dressed to the thousands . . . Texas." Naturally, her all-black ensemble wasn't just all for show — there was also a special meaning behind it. According to the designer, Nicolas Jebran, the dramatic look was inspired by the 1960s Black Panther movement. The superstar might have been shushed by Blue Ivy at the ceremony, but she silenced everyone else with this outfit.

Was anyone truly prepared for Bey's historical two-hour Coachella performance? I doubt it. She was the first black woman to headline the festival, and boy, next year's artists have some big shoes to fill.

Her college-themed set made us dance uncontrollably, her performance with Solange gave us so much life that we're basically immortal now, and all of her amazing outfits made us want to update our entire wardrobe. Sorry, but I'm calling it right now: there will never be another Coachella performance like this one. Beychella will go down in history forevermore.

I know it's hard to believe sometimes, but not everything goes smoothly for Beyoncé (*GASP*). That means she occasionally has a few mishaps on stage. One of the most memorable onstage accidents was at Coachella, when she really attempted to pick up her sister, Solange, and totally bit the dust. Both of them laughed it off, though, making the moment even better than if the fall never happened. Then, during the On the Run II tour in August, Bey slipped while walking down a flight of stairs, but made the best recovery you'll ever witness. Somehow these incidents remind us that she's human while simultaneously making us view her as even more transcendent.

Beyonce and JAY-Z have both been very honest about the the bumps in the road that they've encountered throughout their marriage. Bey gave us Lemonade in 2016, and Jay gave us 4:44 in 2017 to provide a window into their marital hardships. But they made it through (which they made clear in their latest album Everything Is Love — we'll get to that in a little bit) and celebrated their 10-year anniversary on April 4.

Beyoncé and JAY-Z went above and beyond to show us that their bond is still strong with their On the Run II tour that kicked off on June 6. And they looked darn good performing together, might I add. During the tour, they played with our emotions, had a phenomenal range of costumes, and made us feel like we were a part of the Carter family. Most importantly, they just let loose and had fun throughout the tour, bringing us — and a whole bunch of other celebrities — along for the ride.