In about 36 hours, Beyoncé dropped a new song, slayed her performance at the Superbowl, and announced a world tour. I, on the other hand, had yet to start my history homework due that Monday. For those of you that have not heard Beyoncé’s new song “Formation”, it is essentially a powerful, pro-black anthem that featured New Orleans as the backdrop for images of police brutality, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and black female empowerment. Beyoncé is probably one of very few international artists that has the power to stop the world and she knows it.
As a recent SNL skit pointed out here, some people have forgotten that Beyoncé is black and they’re upset about it. Clearly, that statement is an exaggeration but Beyoncé has become such an international household name that people were seriously taken aback by her very public acknowledgement of her blackness. There have been rumors of boycotts, as seen here in addition to the public criticism that Bey has faced from conservatives on live television. I’m not here for it. There are a lot of valid arguments you could have about Beyoncé’s music choice, the imagery in the video, and her intentions with the video’s message. However, there is no doubt in my mind that the release of “Formation” was incredibly thought out and calculated. That’s just the nature of Beyoncé’s career and what has allowed her to get so far.
Despite how Beyoncé has represented herself in the past, she is still unapologetically Black and she has a right to use her music to speak out on issues plaguing the Black community— her community. In addition to creating a song that proudly accepts and uplifts black features, she and Jay-Z have planned to make a $1.5 million contribution to the Black Lives Matter Organization. Seeing as none of us know what’s going on in Beyoncé’s mind, it’s safe to say that her recent public acknowledgement of her blackness with all natural Black female dancers dressed as Black panthers won’t stopping here. So be prepared for Queen Bey to keep slaying as usual.
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ociMBfkDG1w
http://www.essence.com/2016/02/07/tidal-set-donate-15-million-black-live…
http://www.ibtimes.com/jay-zs-tidal-plans-donate-15m-black-lives-matter-…
https://www.facebook.com/beyonce/photos/pb.28940545600.-2207520000.14557…
http://cdn.straightfromthea.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/tumblr_o27sav…