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.

Can you rap all of JAY-Z's lyrics from DJ Khaled's song "Top Off?" Neither can I! But, honey, you better you believe when Bey's part comes in, I'm hitting every word, every syllable, and every voice inflection. Don't get me wrong — DJ Khaled, Future, and JAY-Z did their thing on the track, which dropped in March, but as far as I'm concerned, "Top Off" is Beyoncé's song. She reminded us that she can hold her own as the only lady in the room and on a rap record. And don't get it twisted: her body, ice, and cash are all real — she's a triple threat.

Beyoncé isn't just a performer: our queen is a multifaceted talent who gives back to the community. This year, she was honored with the WACO Theater Humanitarian Award for supporting a number of relief efforts, including Hand in Hand Hurricane Relief, Formation Scholars, and Women Making History. And all of the programs are funded through her nonprofit organization, BeyGOOD.

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.

It doesn't matter how much we love Beyoncé as a solo artist, we will always go crazy over a Destiny's Child reunion — after all, that's where it all started. Thankfully, there were no shortages of moments in which the group reconnected this year. Not only did Bey, Michelle Williams, and Kelly Rowland light up the stage at Coachella, but they also struck a fierce pose in a hilarious snapshot weeks later at the opening of the Dundas flagship boutique in LA. Then in September, the "Formation" singer got a sweet picture with LeToya Luckett backstage at her On the Run II tour in Texas. These are the things we'll cherish forever.

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.

People had their suspicions that Beyoncé and JAY-Z would be dropping a joint album when they announced that they were going on tour together. Sure enough, they did just that. On June 16, the world was blessed with Everything Is Love, in which they opened up about the ups and downs of their relationship but focused more on their reconciliation and growth together. We saw the painful side of their marriage on Lemonade and 4:44, but on Everything Is Love, we see that they made it to the light at the end of the tunnel. And, yes, everyone lost their minds as soon as the project was released under the "new" artist, The Carters. We love a united duo.

You can't tell me Beyoncé isn't one of the most powerful people in the world. She and JAY-Z got the Louvre to close down just so they could shoot the music video for "APESH*T," which was one of the best music videos of 2018, if I do say so myself. And they dropped it on the same day as Everything Is Love, so I really think they were trying to completely disintegrate our wigs. It's fine, though, because the "APESH*T" video is powerful enough to revitalize our hair follicles and give us new growth anyway.

Beyoncé might be a busy bee, but she still makes time to relax and spend time with her family. Her vacations looked extra amazing this year, and it's not just because we got to see some adorable pictures of Rumi and Sir. Bey seemed to have a special twinkle in her eye as she cuddled up with Blue Ivy in Europe, practically took us to the Garden of Eden with a snakeskin bikini, stunted in a sexy a tie-dye minidress, and made us frantically search for a pair of lace-up shorts. Her vacation style went unmatched, and we couldn't get enough of it.

Alright, so Beyoncé was on yet another cover of Vogue. That's enough to make me go snag a copy of the issue, but this time, her cover was momentous. Condé Nast creator director and fashion luminary Anna Wintour gave Bey complete artistic control over the cover photo, and what did she do? She hired 23-year-old Tyler Mitchell as the photographer, making him the first-ever black photographer to shoot a Vogue cover. (Tyler also directed the behind-the-scenes video of the stunning photo shoot.) Bey used her power and influence to make history and set a positive precedent for other up-and-coming photographers of color.

Beyoncé also sat for a extremely candid interview, and shared some powerful quotes about her scary experience giving birth to Rumi and Sir, loving her postbaby body, and the evolution of her career.

While some celebrities dread the idea of aging, Beyoncé seems to embrace growing older and wiser. This year, she celebrated her 37th birthday by posting a heartfelt letter to her fans on her website. "This year has been monumental for me," she wrote. "I thank God for everyone in my life. Thank you for all the positivity and for the beautiful birthday wishes. I'm looking forward to continuing to learn from my past, living in the present, and surrendering to the future. I love you, Hive." She then shared over 100 never-before-seen pictures of her living it up at age 36 because she knew we'd all appreciate seeing that many photos of her. She also went on a glamorous getaway in Italy with JAY-Z to further celebrate another year of life.

We always love seeing our favorite celebrities dress up on Halloween, but Beyoncé's costumes really stood out this year. First, she honored one of her musical inspirations Toni Braxton with a spot-on impression as "Phoni Braxton," and gave us all sorts of nostalgic feels. Then, she paid homage to legendary athlete Florence Griffith Joyner, aka Flo-Jo, who was the fastest woman in the world in 1988. Bey really does believe women run the world.