Beyoncé just confirmed that the title of her forthcoming country album is Cowboy Carter, but she’s not the only noteworthy Carter in town. Earlier this week, Mathew Knowles — former manager of Destiny’s Child and father of Beyoncé — penned a heartfelt note to his granddaughter Blue Ivy Carter.
“I remember coming back stage in London to the Renaissance concert and asking about you,” Knowles began. “Beyoncé replied ‘she is there rehearsing’ and then I understood why because one of your friends had commented negatively about your first performance on the tour. In that moment I was so proud that you wanted to put in the work to get better.”
During her mother’s record-breaking Renaissance World Tour — which she launched in support of her four-time Grammy-winning Billboard 200-topping LP of the same name — Blue Ivy performed as a backup dancer. After her first appearance at the trek’s Paris stop, the Grammy winner worked to improve her performance and danced along to “My Power” and “Black Parade” at nearly every stop on the tour’s North American leg.
“I want to take a moment to appreciate the amazing determination and willingness to learn that you displayed,” Blue Ivy’s granddad continued. “Your excitement for life and your eagerness to soak up knowledge and new experiences is truly inspiring. You have already shown the world that you are a force to be reckoned with, and I have no doubt that one day you will continue to astound us all.”
Fans bore witness to Blue Ivy’s progression throughout the tour, but her evolution was most poignantly captured in Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé — a box-office-topping documentary concert film that chronicled the making of Beyoncé’s historic tour. In the film, Beyoncé recounts initially not wanting Blue to dance onstage with her, but eventually giving in once she saw how hardworking and determined her daughter was to improve her performance with each subsequent show. Blue was quite the presence behind the scenes on tour, even pleading the case for Queen Bey’s 2009 hit “Diva” to remain on the setlist in a heavily memed moment in the film.
In the rest of his lengthy note, which served as the caption to a fierce picture of Blue performing at the Renaissance World Tour, Knowles praised her “extraordinary Knowles spirit” and stressed that he wanted her “to never be afraid of exploring new opportunities,” whether she remains in the arts like her parents or ventures into “science, business, or any other field.” “Your journey is just beginning, and I have no doubt that you will leave [a] lasting mark on the world,” he concluded. “Chase your dreams, follow your heart, and always believe in the extraordinary potential that lies within you.”
Before she won the world’s hearts on the Renaissance World Tour, Blue Ivy was already making a name for herself in the entertainment industry. She is the youngest person to appear on any Billboard chart — Jay-Z‘s “Glory,” on which she’s credited as B.I.C., peaked at No. 23 on Hot Rap Songs in 2012 — and she picked up a best music video Grammy for “Brown Skin Girl” alongside Wizkid, SAINt JHN and, of course, Beyoncé. “Brown Skin Girl,” which appears on Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift compilation soundtrack, also earned Blue Ivy honors at the BET Awards, Soul Train Music Awards and NAACP Image Awards. In 2021, she won the best voiceover – children’s audiobook award at the Voice Arts Awards for her narration of Hair Love, an adaptation of Matthew A. Cherry’s Oscar-winning animated short.
Read Mathew Knowles‘ full message to Blue Ivy Carter below:
