“So what if, in a certain light, Beyoncé’s catalogue offers a rich examination of how it feels when drive and discipline really are your organic personality, and your feelings fight against layers of self-control and pragmatism, and the documentary you make about yourself shows you working hard to relax and experience your own emotions? ‘Stop pretending that I have it all together,’ Beyoncé says in the movie. ‘I don’t want to never be satisfied. I don’t think that’s a healthy way to live.’ “

Nitsuh Abebe offers a really gorgeous piece that’s less a review of Beyoncé’s HBO documentary and more an consideration of her oeuvre as a reflection of her generation. 

[“Why Can’t Beyoncé Have It All?” on NYMag]