Music Feeds’ Love Letter to a Record series asks artists to reflect on their relationship with the music they love and share stories about how it has influenced their lives. Here, former Australian Idol winner and First Nations R&B/pop superstar Royston Noell pays homage to Beyoncé’s third studio LP, 2008’s ‘I Am… Sasha Fierce’ (read below).
It comes as Noell celebrates the arrival of his own ‘Sunrise’ EP, an ambitious six-track collection that chronicles the artist’s life experience across three distinct chapters. “I put a lot of my heart and soul into this,” Noell explains. “This EP is the output from the creative journey I undertook after winning ‘Idol’. This project has been a long time coming, but I’m so grateful I had the time needed to truly put together a body of work that I was proud of. To really figure out what I wanted to say and give to the world as an artist. During this time, I found a reason to express myself a little more, I truly found how to operate as an artist. I’ve still got a lot more to learn and a lot more to do, but as of today, I’ve found a place with my voice, with my creative output to finally have something that I can say with confidence.”
Royston Noell – Sunrise EP
Royston Noell’s love letter to Beyoncé’s I Am… Sasha Fierce: Looking back at I Am… Sasha Fierce by Beyoncé, released in 2008 when I was just 10 years old, I can’t help but smile at how much it meant to me at that time, even if I didn’t fully grasp why. Being a queer Indigenous kid, pop music was one of the few things that made me feel free, even when the rest of my world seemed complicated and confusing. Beyoncé’s music, especially on this album, was a revelation — her vocals, the power in her voice, the way she commanded a stage, and how she was able to seamlessly switch between fun, upbeat anthems and emotional, soul-baring ballads. I Am… Sasha Fierce felt like it unlocked something in me, a door to the possibility of owning my own identity, my voice, and my uniqueness.
At the age of 10, I was already obsessed with pop divas. But Beyoncé was something different. She wasn’t just a pop star; she was a phenomenon. There was something magnetic about the way she controlled her voice, like it was second nature to her. I’d spend hours listening to her vocal runs, her trills, and the sheer power she could unleash in a single note. Her ability to glide from a whisper to a scream, to pour so much emotion into a simple melody, was fascinating to me. It wasn’t just the perfect technique — it was how her voice could tell a story in any genre. Whether it was a fun track like ‘Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)’ or a ballad like ‘Halo’, she had this insane ability to mould her voice to fit every emotion, every beat, every moment. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t LOVE those songs!
In a world where I didn’t always feel like I fit in, Beyoncé’s music was an escape. It made me feel seen, even though I didn’t know how to express the parts of myself I was still figuring out. Her duality — between the sweet, vulnerable ‘I Am’ side and the fierce, confident “Sasha Fierce” persona — was something that spoke to me on a deeper level. As someone who hadn’t come out yet, I was still trying to reconcile so many sides of myself. I had to hide pieces of my identity, especially my queerness, and seeing Beyoncé embrace both softness and strength made me believe that I could one day be whoever I wanted to be, unapologetically.
In her ballads like ‘If I Were a Boy’ or ‘That’s Why You’re Beautiful’, Beyoncé revealed a side of herself that wasn’t just polished perfection. She allowed her vulnerability to shine through, something I really admired. There was this raw emotion behind her voice that made me feel like she understood what it was like to be hurt, to feel misunderstood, but also to stand up and keep fighting. It was like she was saying, “Yes, I can be fierce, but I can also be soft, and I can be strong in both moments.” That message was huge for me, especially as I was beginning to understand the complexities of my own identity.
At the same time, songs like ‘Diva’ and ‘Video Phone’ represented the unapologetic, bold, and confident side of Beyoncé that inspired me in ways I hadn’t expected. These were tracks that made me feel powerful, like I could conquer the world and demand respect. As a young kid who was trying to figure out who I was and where I fit in, I loved how Beyoncé used her music to take up space and be loud — whether she was belting out a power ballad or owning a dance floor anthem. That confidence was contagious. I started to think, maybe one day, I could be that confident in my own skin, too.
There was also something about Beyoncé’s performance that transcended the music. When I watched her live performances or music videos, it wasn’t just about the dancing or the choreography; it was about the way she took control of every single moment. She owned every stage, every song, and every glance. As a kid, I didn’t have the words to articulate it, but I felt the power in her ability to command attention, to make the world stop and listen. It gave me the courage to want to have that same power, even in my quieter moments.
In I Am… Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé wasn’t just showing me her talent; she was showing me who she was at her core. She was unapologetically both fierce and vulnerable, bold and beautiful. And for me, as a 10-year-old boy who wasn’t sure how to express all parts of myself, she made me believe that it was okay to have different sides — that I didn’t have to be just one thing. She taught me the value of balance, of owning every aspect of myself, even when it was hard.
Looking back, I can’t imagine my younger self without the music of Beyoncé. The album didn’t just give me hits to dance to — it gave me something deeper, a soundtrack for the parts of me I hadn’t yet discovered. It was a reminder that, even though I wasn’t sure who I was at the time, I could always look to Beyoncé and know that someone out there was doing it, was owning their power and their vulnerability. And that was inspiring in ways I didn’t even realize until much later. It’s still the most listened to album I own as it still inspires me every single day!
Further Reading
Jay-Z Calls Out Grammys for Never Awarding Beyoncé Album of the Year
