In an interview with The Times, Debbie Harry of Blondie expressed admiration for Beyonce’s willingness to take creative risks.
The singer commended Beyonce for her boldness in exploring new artistic territories, saying:
“There are always risk-takers — look at Beyonce. I don’t know if she’s been encouraged to take chances, but she takes chances. And she’s big enough that, you know, people are interested.”
Nostalgia For CBGB’s Simpler Times
Reflecting on her own journey, Harry talked about the early days of performing at CBGB, a famous New York music club. This environment, devoid of today’s constant documentation, offered her a valuable space to develop as a performer, as she disclosed:
“I remember performing on stage at CBGB and thinking to myself, ‘I’m really having a great time, and no one’s ever going to see this except these 25 people that are here.’ It was a great way to learn to perform — I wasn’t being microscopically observed.”
A History Of Admiration For Beyonce
This isn’t the first time Harry has expressed her admiration for Beyonce. In a 2011 interview with Billboard, she voiced a desire for Blondie to achieve the same level of chart success as Beyonce, noting:
“I always felt I was more comfortable being a cult [figure], but the temptation to be such a great entertainer and performer like Beyonce [is] so fantastic. I would adore doing some of that stuff. Her track record with songs is phenomenal; I wish we had as many hits. We’ve always walked a sort of delicate line between pop fodder and having an underground identity. But we’re definitely a rock band more than anything else.”
Harry continues to leave her mark on the world of art and culture, most recently by narrating ‘So Unreal,’ a film by Amanda Kramer that explores the intersections of cinema, humanity, and technology.