Beyonce announces twins, giving fans a break from politics

Beyonce and her husband rapper Jay Z announced Wednesday on Instagram that the pop star is pregnant with twins.

"We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two," wrote Beyonce on Instagram in a post signed "The Carters," which is Jay Z's real last name.

The post included a photo of the star dressed in panties, a bra and a veil, revealing her baby bump. She is kneeling beside a gigantic floral arrangement with her hands on her visibly pregnant belly.

Some fans were quick to point out that Beyonce's announcement coincided with the start of Black History Month, which is observed through the month of February.

The singer has been a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement against racism and police brutality, which became evident in the video to the first single of her "Lemonade" album, "Formation."

That album, released about nine months ago, also stirred debate for hinting at Jay Z's unfaithfulness, which was never confirmed. "Lemonade" is poised to win a Grammy on February 12.

While Beyonce is known to be a personal friend of Barack Obama and his family, and she actively supported Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, this week's happy announcement is certainly politically untainted. After nearly two weeks of emotional social media posts for and against President Donald Trump's initial actions, some users welcomed a hiatus from news of the latest presidential escapades.

That didn't stop others, however, from finding the political angle to the Carter family's news.

 

Instagram record for most likes

Beyonce has over 92 million Instagram followers and her post racked up over seven million likes within hours, breaking Selena Gomez's record for a photo of her sipping a soda that has over six million likes.

The star did not share the news on Twitter, but that didn't stop her fans from taking to the platform: their posts using the hashtag #beyoncetewins have been flowing ever since the announcement, not only to celebrate, but also to offer their two cents:

Name suggestions abounded - most of which played on the name of Beyonce and Jay Z's five-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy.

Meanwhile, others put themselves in the shoes of Blue Ivy herself.

In April, Beyonce is scheduled to headline the renowned Coachella Festival, which runs for two weeks in southern California. Her belly will likely be unmissable at that time.

The star has been open about experiencing a miscarriage before giving birth to her first child, Blue Ivy, in 2012. She's said the heartbeat she heard during that first pregnancy was "the most beautiful music I ever heard in my life."

Other stars with twins include Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Jessica Parker, Angelina Jolie, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion.

kbm/eg/als (AFP, AP)