Something about Jay-Z and Beyonce’s On the Run tour seems final.
Maybe it’s the fact that the name itself is a throwback to their first collaboration together, the single ’03 Bonnie and Clyde, thus bringing the pair full circle. Or maybe it’s the fact that the Solange vs. Jay-Z elevator brawl cracked the “perfect family” veneer in one too many places to keep our perception of the happy couple intact.
But whatever it is, the rumours that this might be Jay and Bey’s last lap around the block are widespread and inescapable. As the music world’s most loved-up couple come face-to-face with claims that they’re on the brink of separation, we look back at the thirteen years of romancing that led them to where they are today.
2001
It’s hard to believe it was 13 years ago that Jay-Z and Beyonce first got together. It’s even harder to believe that, until today, we don’t know the details of what went on behind closed doors, or how Jay-Z wooed an “not impressed” Beyonce.
What we do know was that Beyonce was on the cusp of saying goodbye to her teenage years, with Jay-Z 12 years her senior.
“I was 18 when we first met, 19 when we started dating,” Beyonce later told Seventeen. “There was no rush. No one expected me to run off and get married.”
Years later, Jay admitted that the two were “just beginning to try to date each other” in 2001.
“Well, you know, you’ve got to try first. You got to dazzle . . . wine and dine,” he told Vanity Fair.
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce said that she and Jay were only friends for the first year-and-a-half before they started dating.
2002
The public were starting to wonder about the pair and rumours were abuzz about their possible romance, but mum was the word. Jay-Z and Beyonce worked together on their first professional collaboration, ‘03 Bonnie and Clyde, though they kept a tight lid on their personal life. Their chemistry, both on and off tape, was undeniable.
2003
Ah, the year of Crazy in Love – another Jay and Bey collab. It was Beyonce’s debut single as a solo artist, and it made waves that none can forget. Despite sparks flying in the music video, Jay-Z told Playboy magazine his relationship with Beyonce was strictly platonic.
“We’re just cool. We’re just friends. We don’t really, ah, know each other like that,” he said.
When prompted to choose between his friendship with Beyonce and his childhood pal, Memphis Bleek, Jay-Z replied, “Beyonce’s got to go.”
But asked if he wanted Beyonce to be his girlfriend, he remained sly. “She’s beautiful. Who wouldn’t wish she was their girlfriend? Maybe one day.”
2004
And after three years of playing it cool, “one day” finally arrived. The couple finally gave the people what they wanted — an official public appearance together. The pair acknowledged their relationship by showing up to the MTV VMAs arm-in-arm, and for the first time, walking the red carpet as an item.
2005
By the time 2005 rolled around, the Jay and Bey were no longer playing coy, despite continuing to keep much of their relationship to themselves. They looked picture-perfect wherever they went together, whether be it the Grammy Awards, the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, or their sneak-away vacation to Saint-Tropez.
2006
The media, as always, wanted more, with many outlets circulating rumours that the songstress was engaged, married or pregnant. Beyonce took it with a grain of salt, laughing off the stories while speaking to Cosmo.
“Right now, the tabloids are saying I’m pregnant, and they’re naming the baby,” she said. “It’s hilarious. I don’t know when I’ll want to get married. I never pictured myself as a bride, but after my sister’s wedding, I did start thinking about what kind of wedding I’d want. I don’t think I want a big one.”
2007
Speaking of weddings — how about a killer rock to solidify the pair’s love? In 2007, Beyonce stepped out in public with an 18-carat engagement ring, said to be worth $5 million (Dh18.3 million), which served as an “announcement” of their upcoming union.
Of course, the couple never divulged details of the proposal — or if there even was one.
“We’ve been together a long time,” Beyonce told Essence magazine, elusive as ever. “We always knew it would happen.”
2008
After seven years together, the couple finally tied the knot in April of 2008 at their Tribeca home. The rooftop ceremony in New York was a small and private one. In fact, fans didn’t get a glimpse of Beyonce’s wedding dress until three years later, when she showed it off in her 2011 concert DVD.
“So that was my rule: Before the age of 25, I would never get married,” she told US magazine. She was 26 when she said “I do”.
“What Jay and I have is real,” she told Essence. “It’s not about interviews or getting the right photo op. It’s real.”
2009
No matter how real their love was, it wasn’t always the only thing that made headlines. Sometimes, as Puff Daddy put it, it was all about the Benjamins. In 2009, Forbes ranked the duo Hollywood’s top-earning couple — a title they would snag once again in 2013.
2010
2010 was when things began to slow down. Yes, Beyonce won a whopping six Grammy awards that year, but she also announced she would be retiring her alter-ego Sasha Fierce for a while as she was going on hiatus.
“I did it for my sanity, my life, my relationships, my nephew, my husband, my sister and my friendships,” she said of the career break.
2011
In 2011, Beyonce returned to the studio after suffering a miscarriage. Not long after, things began to look up for her and Jay. The couple, who first announced their relationship at the MTV VMA’s, used the same awards ceremony in 2011 to drop another surprise — they were expecting their first child together.
But things went sour as rumours that Beyonce was faking her pregnancy began circulating. Hubby Jay fought back, calling it “ridiculous”.
“It’s just so stupid. You know, I felt dismissive about it, but you’ve got to feel for her. I mean, we’ve got a really charmed life, so how can we complain? But when you think about it, we’re still human beings,” he told Vanity Fair. He also criticised hip-hop blogs for fuelling the claims.
2012
On January 7, 2012, Beyonce gave birth at a New York hospital, and the world was introduced to Blue Ivy Carter. It was a monumental moment for the couple who, like with their wedding, refused to sell photos to the highest-bidding publication. Instead, they made it personal and released the first snapshots a month later on a Tumblr blog.
2013
Beyonce surprised the world and shook up the music industry by dropping her self-titled 2013 album unannounced. It came complete with steamy videos and suggestive lyrics about her home-life with Jay.
Eyebrows were raised, however, when Jay-Z referenced domestic abuser Ike Turner on the lead single, Drunk in Love — a fact that left many unsettled.
In one of the videos released with the album, Beyonce gushed that “nothing feels like when I look my husband in the eyes” and in February, she had told Oprah, “I would not be the woman I am if I did not go home to that man.”
Jay-Z, who won a Grammy with Justin Timberlake for Holy Grail that year, showered Beyonce in praises during his acceptance speech. He singled her out in the audience to thank God and “all the universes for conspiring and putting that beautiful light of a young woman in my life.”
2014
The year that the facade began to crumble. It all came crashing down on May 5, 2014.
TMZ released footage from that fateful day showing Solange Knowles, Beyonce’s sister, physically attacking Jay-Z in an elevator at the Met Gala after-party while Beyonce watched on.
Speculation about the nature of Jay-Z, Beyonce and Solange’s relationships began to circulate. However, Beyonce made it clear she was still close to her sister by posting several smiling photos of them together on Instagram hours later.
The three decided to respond officially to the controversy through a joint statement given to the Associated Press. They refused to divulge reasons behind the altercation, but claimed that their family had “worked through it”.
“Jay and Solange each assume their share of responsibility for what has occurred. They both acknowledge their role in this private matter that has played out in the public. They both have apologised to each other and we have moved forward as a united family,” the statement read. “At the end of the day families have problems and we’re no different. We love each other and above all we are family. We’ve put this behind us and hope everyone else will do the same.”
Nonetheless, eagle-eyed fans noticed Bey had apparently had her “IV” tattoo — referencing the couple’s birthdays and wedding date — removed from her ring finger earlier this year. The latest batch of rumours came courtesy of a July 26 story in the New York Post’s Page Six, citing an unnamed source close to the couple. “It’s not whether they’ll split, but how they’ll split,” the source tells the paper; other tidbits include that the couple are “travelling with marriage counsellors” and “business is always part of the equation. They know they’re the king and queen of hip-hop — and really, all of music. Neither wants to lose that.”
