Ed Sheeran is a superstar. And Beyonce is… well, she’s Beyonce.
So when the two appear on stage together you know it’s big moment.
A moment so big you’d probably want to dress for the occasion. ¯\_㋡_/¯
The pair performed their song Perfect, which Ed wrote for his fiancé (or wife? It’s all very confusing) Cherry Seaborn, together at a festival in South Africa at the weekend.
And while yeah, cool, we bet they sounded great, it is their uh… mismatched outfits that got everyone talking.
Beyonce, as we’ve established, is Beyonce. Which means she is going to BRING IT.
She appeared on stage in a very extravagant, very frilly fuchsia dress and obviously she looked fierce.
Ed on the other hand… Looked exactly like Ed Sheeran. Which means he wore jeans and a t-shirt.
In fact, we imagine his wardrobe to look like that of a cartoon character.
The disparity between the two stars was so stark it was almost a caricature.
Beyonce represents the most dramatic, most glam representation of femininity. Ed represents the complete opposite.
And seeing these two extremes next to each other on stage has lead people to discuss the different clothing expectations put on men and women.
The other side of the debate pointed out that both Beyonce and Ed stayed true to themselves in their on stage outfits and honestly, people should be free to wear whatever they like.
Regardless, the performance has started a conversation about the pressure women feel to dress up - not just when they're performing in front of thousands of people - but when they're going out for the night or heading to work.
Lisa Heinze, an honorary associate in department of gender and cultural studies at University of Sydney, told the Daily Telegraph people don't need to be pop stars to feel gender differences between dress requirements.
"In many professions women feel as if they need to dress up to be taken seriously or demonstrate they are successful, whereas there is less pressure for men," she said.
And hey, if Ed Sheeran ever does decide to chuck on something a little fancy there is no doubt he will look great:
What do you think about Ed and Beyonce's outfits? Do you think there is a gender imbalance? Let us know in the comments.
We have FIVE $100 gift vouchers up for grabs. Take our survey now for your chance to win.
Top Comments
Oh and anyone here heard of Courtney Barnett? you know, one of the countries biggest exports of the last few years, killing it over in the states and locally, loved by many many huge stars and I defy you to find a photo of her playing in anything that isn't a tshirt/flanny and jeans. I guess she missed the memo that she had to dress like a doll on top of a stack of loo paper rolls.
Isn't 'Perfect' an Ed Sheeran song with Beyonce as a guest star? So why would you expect him to dress up to her aesthetic? If anyone is dressed incorrectly for the song, which is a mellow and earnest acoustic number, it's her (not that I think either of them deserve to be criticised for what they chose to wear- it's about the music, people!)