Beyonce Knowles is no longer the queen of R & B.
Instead, that distinction belongs to "Sasha Fierce," the new name that Knowles would like to be known by.
"I have someone else that takes over when it's time for me to work and when I'm on stage, this alter ego that I've created that kind of protects me and who I really am," Knowles said in a statement. "Sasha Fierce is the fun, more sensual, more aggressive, more outspoken side and more glamorous side that comes out when I'm working and when I'm on the stage."
Question No. 1: Why the name change?
It's not as though Beyonce isn't a catchy stage name. Ever since her days with Destiny's Child, the name "Beyonce" was much more appealing to fans than "Michelle" and "Kelly."
And it's not as though Beyonce's career is in jeopardy. She hasn't come out with an album in a long time, but when she does, she's still capable of selling a lot of records.
Question No. 2: Why Sasha Fierce?
When you think of Sasha Fierce, you don't think of a talented, sexy R & B superstar. You think of a dirty - yet very aggressive - pornstar. Perhaps Beyonce's rocky relationship with Jay-Z is causing her to lose her mind, but there isn't much good that will come from this radical move. Let's look at the success (or lack thereof) of some other celebrity "alter ego's":
Prince to The Artist Formerly Known as Prince to The Artist to Prince
Prince more or less started the "name change" fad in 1993 when he created his first alias. Given the success he had after changing his name one time, there was no reason for him to stop there. Right now, he's back to Prince, but if the pattern continues, he will be the "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince" within three years.
Eminem to Slim Shady
This actually went well. Marshall Mathers did a tremendous job of balancing Eminem, a crazed maniac who didn't hide his gruesome death wishes for his ex-wife, with Slim Shady, a happy-go-lucky rapper who was suitable for the whole family. It remains to be seen if Knowles can develop two personalities that contrast each other as well as Eminem's did.
Puff Daddy to Puffy to P Diddy to Diddy
At first, it was very awkward and forceful for the media to refer to Sean Combs as "P. Diddy." But "Diddy" was more of a mogul (by that, I mean he clings onto Danity Kane and takes in an unfair amount of their earnings) than Puff Daddy, who was a below-average rapper clinging to the Notorious B.I.G.
Chad Johnson to Chad Ocho Cinco
Johnson, one of the premier wide receivers in the NFL, decided to legally change his last name to "Ocho Cinco," which is Spanish for 85, the number that Johnson wears. On the surface, the name change appears to be nothing more than a publicity stunt from one of the most outrageous personalities in professional sports. But with further investigation, Johnson could have started a popular trend. Peyton Manning is allegedly considering changing his name to Peyton Uno Ocho.
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