If there's anyone in the world who I feel lives in an entirely different reality from me, it's Beyoncé. Superstar, billionaire, brand founder, world-class performer. Nope, nothing in common.
Until yesterday, when an eagle-eyed Beyoncé fan friend of mine messaged me to ask if it looked like Queen Bey was wearing the health tracking Oura ring.
In a video released on Father's Day on June 21, Beyoncé shared a seven-minute video of herself tending to her husband Jay-Z's hair, and sure enough, glinting on the Cowboy Carter star's hand (alongside her $5 million engagement ring) was a rose gold Oura tracking ring, £263 / $259 - the very same one I wear!
Beyoncé's fans were excited for the rare insight into the famously private star's life. "I love spotting Oura rings in the wild. Looks like Beyoncé is part of the club. Would love to know how her readiness and sleep score are doing!" one fan commented, while another wrote: "Beyoncé has an Oura ring, so I bought an Oura ring," sharing a screenshot of their order for a ring just like Bey's. Another fan added: "OMG, I'm screaming. She’s just like us."
Beyonce's smart ring
If you're not au fait with the cult of Oura, it tracks everything from your sleep and stress to menopause symptoms and exercise. I religiously check my ring each morning to see if I should hit it hard in the gym that day or take it easy, and message my friends to ask their sleep score (don't tell me I don't know how to have a good time).
© OuraMy ring reminds me when to go to bed - though I don't need telling twice, to be honest - and sympathises with me when my stress levels have been high, encouraging me to take it easy.
So, part of me understands why Beyoncé, one of the busiest women in the world, wants to track her stats. With a schedule as hectic as hers, it must be eye-opening to see what her intense life does to her stress score.
Plus, as someone who travels a lot, I bet it's fascinating to watch how her scores rise and fall depending on jet lag and the time zone she's in. It's fair to say that Bey's stats are probably a bit more exciting than mine.
But also, surely a billionaire such as Beyoncé has a whole army of people looking after her wellness?
The Destiny's Child icon must have a private chef to help her track her calorie intake, a personal trainer to monitor her work outs, a wellness expert on hand to advise her how much she needs to sleep, and surely even a masseuse on hand to help ease tension when the stress of being one of the most famous and talented women in the world, as well as a mother of three, gets on top of her.
Just like us?
While I feel as far removed from Beyoncé in my day-to-day life as I possibly could from another human, I do think her ring wearing speaks to the world's current obsession with health optimisation.
I don't think she's 'just like us,' as one fan joked, but knowing that Beyoncé wakes up and checks her sleep score is humanising for a woman who is revered as one of the world's best talents.
Imagine Beyoncé's personal trainer turning up at her and Jay Z's mansion ready for a sweat session, and Bey telling them her ring says she needs to rest. Or if the day after one of her famously energetic performances, her Oura says her 'heart rate lowered late last night' and advises her to take it easy. It tickles me to think of the musician doing something so mundane.
Is tracking always good for us?
While I love my Oura as much as Bey seems to love hers, not everyone thinks tracking is necessary. Fitness professional Tara Riley told me: "I don’t track anything; I don't measure my workouts, my output, or my sleep. I don't wear a watch or own a scale. I know how I feel, and I've learned to trust that."
She continues: "I know when I’m under-fuelled, I know when I’ve pushed too hard, and I know when I need to pull back. That awareness has come with time, and learning to listen to it is a mindfulness practice in itself."
But with both her tracker and her team of wellness experts on hand, I feel confident that Beyoncé is well versed on her health status – and if knowing her sleep score pleases her, long may her Oura ring reign.
