Bey Hive: Video Analysis

On February 6th the internet broke as ‘Tidal’, the internet music outlet created by Jay Z and other various artists released Beyoncè’s new song & video ‘Formation’. The politically charged video created a bit of a divide even within the Bey Hive. In the video many scenes are “in” New Orleans with clips of the documentary by New Orleans based director Abteen Bagheri and producer Chris Black called “That B.E.A.T.”, touching on the Black Lives Matter Movement, and giving a nod to the New Orleans creole culture. What sparked such controversy is that the opening of the video you see Beyoncè on top of a NO police car in flooded post-Hurricane Katrina neighborhood. Completely understanding how it could be seen as a insensitive way to show New

The lyric “I like my baby heir with baby hair and afros” she is addressing the fact that ever since she had her child, Blue Ivy, there has been controversy over her hair and how it is unkept unlike the other popular celebrity child, North West, and her “good hair”. It’s a clear message telling young black women and black children to love their hair as is instead of trying to perm and or keep it done to appease societal standards. She also took a jab at the tabloids that constantly attack her husband and his large nose and the rumors that she has gotten her nose done. Also in a clever way Beyoncè spoke on the fact that they may or may not be apart of the illuminati. Its a shot back to say that not all successful black artists are in a cult and to not use that as a crutch to downplay any of the hard work they have put into there music and the black communities. Two other clips that were amazing to me is that there was a man holding a newspaper with the face of Dr. King and headline that reads “More Than A Dreamer” and the dancing little boy in a hoodie in front of a line of armed police officers with his hands up basically saying “stop shooting us”. With the most recent deaths of many young black boys in America and the blatant violence against the black community it was a nod to the Black Lives Matter movement and showed that Beyonce is making her stance on

This song in its entirety can be seen as a “basic bitch anthem”, but listening it is much more than that. Its a song that show and reminds black women that they are nothing but Queens. They should be empowered to be successful( the clip of the parlor scene with various colored black women in high societal standard) and to also have sexual empowerment “When he fuck me good I take his ass to Red Lobster”, “be the next black Bill Gates in the making”, and to be strong, beautiful, to stay together in formation, and to nothing but