Has Jay-Z Always Been This Fine? His New Look Has Social Media Doing a Double Take

Jay Z popped out with a fresh haircut during his three-night concert series at Yankee Stadium last month to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his debut album, “Reasonable Doubt.” People expected a fantastic show when they purchased tickets, but didn’t expect the sudden appearance change. 

The consensus from social media was, “Hold on…wait, when did Jay Z get that fine?!”

But this isn’t Jay Z’s first time with a haircut like this. He kickstarted his career with that hairstyle. And he has frequently been on the receiving end of everyone’s jokes when it comes to his appearance. I’d coin the term “medium ugly” when most people talked about Jay Z’s looks. 

Especially when he started growing his locs. 

Around Jay Z’s “4:44” album in 2017, we noticed he started growing out his hair. By 2018, we could see the beginning stages of Jay Z’s loc journey, and over the last 9 years, his locs have had an instantly recognizable look. 

Now with his recent haircut, the conversation around Jay Z is shifting. Yes, the haircut gave people a reason to look at Jay Z differently. However, when it comes to attraction,  looks are only one piece of the story.

It’s Not Just A Handsome Face

When Beyoncé sang, she was looking for a “low-cut Caesar’s with the deep waves” in her song “Soldier” with Destiny’s Child, and in doing so she saw something most women didn’t. Across many interviews (when she did them), Beyoncé has shared many reasons for why she’s attracted to Jay Z. 

And it’s not solely off of his looks. It comes down to what I perceive to be chemistry.

Someone’s physical appearance grabs attention. That can determine whether you have chemistry with someone after a conversation or a few. But physical looks typically don’t keep someone’s attention. And chemistry can fade, especially if you’re relying solely on looks. 

We could really take it further with how this plays into compatibility, but we’ll save that for another time because that goes deeper into the dating game.

Charisma, aura, ambition, confidence, compassion, authenticity, emotional maturity and more all contribute to someone’s attractiveness. That’s what makes this conversation around Jay-Z interesting. The haircut may have sparked this uproar about how fine he is, but that buzz says something deeper about how we define attractiveness.

There’s something called the Halo Effect, where people tend to attribute socially desirable personality traits to physically attractive individuals. This can also reveal itself as the Reverse Halo Effect, often known as the Horns Effect. This is a negative overall impression of a person that shapes perceptions of their specific traits or abilities. This cognitive bias influences people to make assumptions and stereotypes about someone. For example, a person whom you deem less attractive might lead you to assume that they lack confidence or charisma. That’s why someone who isn’t considered handsome by the majority’s standards can still become the person who’s a hot commodity. 

A person can go from average to extremely attractive for many reasons. Sometimes it’s an aura a man brings when he walks into a room. Or the way he treats others with kindness. And of course, any man who doesn’t hustle (not in a Ghost from “Power” on STARZ kind of way), but a man with real ambition and clear direction on where he sees his life, and the actions he’s displaying to get there. 

Celebrity Men Who Prove Attraction Is More Than Looks

1. Christopher Meloni

Christopher Meloni is best known as Elliott from the hit TV series “Law & Order: SVU.” Back then, he played an average white man with a receding hairline. But now, at the age of 65, he’s gone completely bald, with his salt-and-pepper facial hair. He went from an everyday man to a man with a little more edge.

2. Lil Baby

When he first came onto the scene, many said he looked like Sid the Sloth from Ice Age. It only took him getting into a relationship with influencer, socialite and entrepreneur Jayda Wayda for people to understand what she sees in him. Lil Baby’s demeanor and the way he carries himself, always future-forward thinking and having a good physical appearance, swoop the girls off their feet.

3. Lil Wayne

He’s always been known for not being the most attractive. And Lil Wayne has society confused about how he could bag elite celebrities like Lauren London, Toya Johnson-Rushing, and singer Nivea. But Lil Wayne carries a certain energy about himself where he seems protective and sweet, and he has a swagger to himself that’s hard to ignore.

Featured image credit: Lucas Kurzweil for Complex | InClub Magazine does not claim ownership of this image.