Beyonce has been quite a busy superstar lately. She has a lot to promote and a lot to show up to, with a new album out, new songs that are playing endlessly in commercials, and appearances on shows like SNL. For good measure, Beyonce will also be making the rounds to promote a new film, Cadillac Records, where she impersonates Etta James. But the buzz around Beyonce, on the red carpet at least, is mostly about her new decoration on her hand.
The “robot glove” on Beyonce’s hand has rarely been off her arm for the last several weeks, at least during public appearances. For weeks, Beyonce has been seen wearing a robot glove made of titanium, several metal pieces, and a one of a kind design.
Beyonce has been seen wearing this robot glove at her SNL guest turn, her cover shoot on Gotham Magazine, the red carpet at the MTV Europe Awards, and in her video for her new hit Single Ladies.
Why would Beyonce carry around a robot glove in the first place? It appears to be part of her new alter ego, as Beyonce has fashioned herself as “Sasha Fierce” since the release of her new album. “I am…Sasha Fierce” is the name of the album, and has been Beyonce’s stage persona ever since.
How the robot glove fits into the Beyonce alter ego is unclear, but a lot of effort went into creating it. The robot glove was made by New York jeweler Lorraine Schwartz, whose designers worked 24 hours a day on it. The glove is an combination of several pieces, like a ring, a glove and a metal that covers the entire upper arm.
To make it fit, Beyonce had her entire upper arm cast in wax so that the robot glove would fit to her specifications. The entire concept was Beyonce’s idea in the first place.
The robot glove idea may have been taken from some metallic gold gloves that Kylie Minogue wore during a tour earlier this year. Rival R&B star Rihanna has also influenced other parts of her new look for the album.
Despite the titanium of the robot glove looking very heavy, it doesn’t cause any discomfort for Beyonce since titanium is 45% lighter than steel.
Beyonce’s commitment to the Sasha Fierce alter ego is clearly going above and beyond. She will have more chances to show it off during promotion for Cadillac Records, whichis released into theaters next week.
Since the movie is set in the 50’s and 60’s, there is no need for the robot glove or Sasha Fierce to make any cameos on screen.
Sources
E! Online- “Whose Idea Was Beyonce’s Shiny Robot Glove?” www.eonline.com/uberblog/ask_the_answer_bitch/b70594_whose_idea_was_beyoncs_shiny_robot_glove.html
Daily News and Analysis- “Just another ‘me too'” www.dnaindia.com/report.asp
The News Record- “Beyonce Returns As Sasha Fierce” www.newsrecord.org/sections/entertainment/beyonce_returns_as_sasha_fierce
