Shawn Corey Carter, a US rapper better known by his stage name, Jay-Z, and his wife, Beyonce, a singer, songwriter and actress, gave birth to baby Blue Ivy, a little girl, earlier this month.
While the news continues to circulate over what hospital they went to, the method of childbirth and delivery experienced, and any photos that can leak from them leaving the hospital and of course of baby Blue, her father, Jay-Z, just shared another personal family experience with the world:
Before baby Blue, Jay-Z and Beyonce experienced a miscarriage.
In his newest song, “Glory”, Jay-Z shares some important insight into the experiences of childbirth and of miscarriage. Perhaps one of the most important, and most obvious to bereaved parents, is that a pregnancy loss, and a subsequent pregnancy and birth, have aspects that are interrelated and very much connected.
Jay-Z shows through the lyrics of “Glory” that their miscarriage experience was not forgotten simply because Beyonce experienced a full-term pregnancy or a live childbirth, and that no amount of media attention, controversy, or public eye on the birth of Blue Ivy could make them forget the anguish and heartbreak over the miscarriage prior to her birth.
The song “Glory” also gives some insight into what this couple may have been struggling with during the course of this pregnancy: the quiet fear of losing another child. This fear is not uncommon, and many parents experience some level of anxiety or concern during various aspects of subsequent pregnancies after loss, particularly the first subsequent pregnancy, and particularly during the first trimester.
Additionally, Jay-Z incorporated the actual sounds of Blue Ivy, her whimpering and crying, into “Glory”. Altogether, this song serves as a blend of identifying both his and Beyonce’s feelings regarding their miscarriage experience, and their joy and sense of victory at the birth of their daughter.
While “hip-hop” or “rap” music may typically protray tough, stoic men with rigid messages, Jay-Z uses this medium to creatively express the deep, complex emotions of grief, fear, and finally, thrill and awe.
I am thankful for one more opportunity that a celebrity has used their experience to help educate the world of important aspects of pregnancy loss.
Jay-Z and Beyonce, I am very sorry for the struggles you’ve endured during and after your miscarriage. I am thankful that you experienced the joyful birth of your daughter, Blue Ivy, and I thank you for sharing these experiences with the world. It is my hope that you feel shielded from any controvery or criticism regarding your choice to share, but that you feel totally convinced that it was the right thing to do, both for your own healing, but also to help provide comfort to other loss families who possibly wouldn’t have felt as comforted without your sharing through your song, “Glory.”
Some of the lyrics to “Glory”:
Last time the miscarriage was so tragic
We was afraid you disappeared
But nah, baby you magic (voilà)
So there you have it, [profanity edited out] happens
Make sure the plane you on is bigger than your carry-on baggage
Everybody goes through stuff
Life is a gift love, open it up”
Click here to listen to “Glory“, featuring B-I-C (Blue Ivy Carter)
