Beyonce released a song and video this past Saturday titled "Formation." The song has more of a "7/11" sound but still holds a lot of meaning. This Twitter user put it best.
Since "Superpower" is the least known of the three, to sum it up, the video is about standing up as resistance to what would be assumed to be injustices.
The lyrics of "Formation" have meaning too, however, some have to be interpreted because they’re not really easily understood, i.e. lines about cornbread and collard greens.
At first listen, the song may seem as if it's just another "7/11," a fun song to dance to, but the song has a more empowering detail inside.
Nonetheless, the song begins with an snippet of a YouTube video that says, “What happened after New Orleans?,” which is asking about the response after Hurricane Katrina. And the same voice says “B****, I'm back by popular demand,” which is Beyonce explaining that she’s back releasing new music because let’s face it, who didn't want more Beyonce?
Bey goes on to debunk a few rumors including the infamous question of whether or not she is involved in the Illuminati as well as whether she got a nose job.
She also brings light to the fact that everyone was so concerned about how she styled her daughter Blue Ivy’s hair, and showed everyone that it didn't matter because Blue looked beautiful with her natural hair. This allows black women everywhere, from young to old, to appreciate the natural hair.
With a memorable verse, Beyonce flips the script on who pays for the date, in which she says that if you please her she’ll take you to Red Lobster (get ready for a boost in customers) and fly on her chopper.
What’s powerful about this song isn't just the lyrics but the video itself.
The video shows major support for the Black Lives Matter movement. This scene signifies the frequent use of, "Hands Up. Don't Shoot!"
She is even seen multiple times atop a drowning police car in floodwater. That image itself is powerful.
So if we combine the efforts of the song and video we get an anthem for our black women saying that they are going to take over. Even with the lyric, "I just might be a black Bill Gates in the making,” Beyonce is showing everyone that just because she is a woman does not mean that she cannot be successful, which no one believed otherwise because come on it's Beyonce we’re talking about here.
But in the end, the release of the song "Formation" does not only mark the beginning of Beyonce’s new era. It also gives black women everywhere an anthem that states: I’m here, I matter and I’m proud of everything I have.
Although the song and video seem to be around different topics, they come together as visually pleasing. It was an amazing idea to release the video during Black History Month.
You can watch the video for yourself on Beyonce's website here.
