Don't Let Communication Misunderstandings Break Your Soul
Even Beyoncé Struggles to Be Heard
This year the Renaissance was upon us.
Beyoncé brought her latest concert tour to 39 cities around the world in 2023, performing for more than 2.7 million fans during 56 shows.
I was there in London, enjoying the music, the creativity, and the atmosphere she created.
And of course, I was looking for communication lessons.
Beyoncé did not disappoint on that front either.
One moment that stayed with me from the show came during the song Energy.
In it, Beyoncé sings the line, “Look around, everybody on mute.”
In Sweden, her first stop on the tour, she paused after singing this line.
The fans fed her the next line: “Look around it’s me and my crew. BIG ENERGY!”
This was followed by enthusiastic cheers.
The crowd in Brussels did the same. So did Cardiff. And Edinburgh.
But clips of her shows were shared online, and if you looked at Beyoncé’s dancers in that moment, they all took a posture indicating that the audience should be quiet.
On the big screen the camera even focused on a dancer holding a single index finger in front of their lips.
Most of us learned this as the sign for “Be Quiet” in grade school.
But the crowd failed to get the message.
And if you paid attention, you’d see that after Beyoncé was silent, she picked up and sang the next line in the song – the one that some fans already sang back to her.
She continued, show after show, saying “everybody on mute,” pausing, and then picking up the lyrics where she left off.
She wasn’t signaling to the crowd to complete the lyrics for her.
But that’s what her audiences in Sunderland, London, and Paris did.
Same for Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Warsaw.
By the time the tour hit Toronto, fans weren’t singing the next line of the lyrics in Energy, but they were screaming during Beyoncé’s request for silence.
The crowds either failed to understand her, or ignored her instruction.
I wonder how Beyoncé felt when she sang that line – show after show – clearly communicating ‘EVERYBODY ON MUTE’ only to have the crowds respond with noise.
But by the 25th show, fans in New Jersey stepped in to help.
Seeing that people weren’t getting Beyoncé’s message, a fan (or fans?) passed out small black cards that clearly stated what to do:
DURING ENERGY
WHEN BEYONCÉ SAYS “EVERYBODY ON MUTE”
BE MUTE!
NO CHEERING, NO HOLLERING, NO FINISHING THE LYRIC
It helped, and less than a week later, the crowd in Washington DC was ready, with one fan shouting “SHUT UP!” just moments before Beyoncé gave the instruction.
The DC crowd did so well (especially compared to the previous audiences) that Beyoncé smiled, and posted that DC was the “EERBODY ON MUTE WAR WINNER” on her website.
But DC’s win was short-lived.
The crowd at the first show in Atlanta clearly understood the assignment, crushing the benchmark DC had set.
Beyoncé grinned as she looked around at the silent audience before she sang the next line, and told them they won (to roars of cheers).
Night 3 in Atlanta was even better.
Finally, Beyoncé’s message was understood.
She said the same line at every show for more than three months, and now – finally – the audience heard her, and did what she wanted them to do.
As her tour continued, audiences competed to be the winner of the “Mute Challenge.”
Crowds in Houston, New Orleans and Los Angeles – they all got it.
And by Beyoncé’s final show in Kansas City, she dragged out the Mute Challenge for more than 20 seconds, looking genuinely delighted at the silent crowd, and congratulating them afterwards saying, “YA’LL WON THAT!”
And here’s the lesson for all of us…
Beyoncé communicated a message that was short, simple, and clear.
Her message was reinforced by her dancers’ body language, and her fans who spread the word online and at her shows.
And it still took a long time for crowds to understand – and do – what she wanted.
Beyoncé’s Mute Challenge illustrates how difficult communication can be.
It shows that you can do all the right things, and still not get the outcome you’re seeking.
But hope is not lost.
If you want to be an effective communicator, follow Beyoncé’s lead:
Keep your messages short, simple, and clear.
Reinforce your messages with imagery.
Repeat your messages – and get other people to help you spread the word.
Effective communication – like the Mute Challenge – is not easy.
But when your messages land successfully, you will feel heard.
And — just as Beyoncé showed — full of joy.
Want to see how Beyoncé’s Mute Challenge played out during the Renaissance Tour? Check out this compilation of clips from her 56 shows.
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Beth Collier loves writing, pop culture, and concert atmospheres that are joyful.
She also loves helping companies, leaders, and teams improve their communication (and creativity and leadership) through consulting, coaching, and workshops.
Her clients benefit from Beth’s global corporate experience, Midwestern practicality and enthusiasm, and an endless supply of pop culture references.
To find out how Beth can help you become a more confident, creative, and compelling leader – or improve communication in your company – visit www.beth-collier.com or drop her a line at beth@beth-collier.com
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