

Beyoncé’s infamous “Formation” video is all about her slaying the world she lives in. Every lyric is loaded with meaning from her success, cultural identity, family and experiences. Bey is proud of who she is and where she comes from, no one will put her down or make her feel like anything less than a Queen. Throughout the music video different scenes and images are used to pull the viewer in and reveal the deeper underlying meaning that not everyone can see right away. Through Beyoncé’s lyrics the viewer is able to see who Queen Bey is deep down and show her true values and morals. Beyoncé wants everyone to know that it doesn’t matter where you came from or what you started with, what matters is what you made with what you got. Through the use of graphic scenes, meaningful lyrics and racial/female empowerment Beyoncé is standing up and embracing her African American heritage despite those who try and tear her down.  

Police brutality has been and is an ongoing discussion in the African American community. Altercations between the blacks and police has been an issue even before it reached the eyes of the public nationally. Too many lives have been lost through riots and shootings that  numerous artists decided to come forward and speak out against the corruption falling down around us. For example, in “Formation” Beyoncé is seen laying on a New Orleans Police Car as it sinks down in a body of water disappearing completely from view. This image relays two powerful messages in one, which are; the undeniable hate being brought onto blacks by police and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In relation to the hate and police brutality towards blacks Beyoncé uses the sinking of the police car to say that their communities voice will be heard and extreme measures will be taken to convey their message. In addition, the sinking police car pays respects to the devastating hurricane that killed thousands of people and left many homeless.  By making such a large statement Beyoncé is letting the world know how she feels and what she is willing to do to create awareness and show where she stands as these serious issues worsen. In addition, in the video there is a graffiti wall that reads “Stop Shooting Us,” followed by a wall of SWAT officers, predominantly white officers, using force to try and suppress the unheard voices of blacks all across America. Those three little words hold so much meaning. All the citizens want is to be able to live their lives without fear of being gunned down when they walk out their front door or to be able to walk their children to school without the threat of interrogation and scrutiny. Living in a world where you wake up every morning dreading walking outside is no way to live, is it? Having to lessen yourself as a person to please society is not truly living at all. 

Correspondingly, female empowerment is something Beyoncé has stood for for years and it is evident in every song she has produced. An evident female empowered scene in Beyoncé’s video “Formation” is the scene featuring her daughter, Blue Ivy, who is accompanied by two other young black girls sporting their natural afros. Natural hair for black women has always been a struggle to maintain and control. Many girls and women have been bullied for the way their natural hair looks and Beyoncé believed it was time to let every young, and old, black woman who has ever gotten criticism for their natural look to stand up and work what god gave them despite what society believes is “pretty.”  The line that grabs the viewers’ attention is when Beyoncé says “I like my baby hair with baby hair and afros” letting her audience know that her baby girl is perfect just the way she is and she doesn’t need to change her appearance for anyone. Blue Ivy’s hair has been in the media more than once and Beyoncé thought it was time to stand up and quiet the haters. Beyoncé did not unconsciously choose to have her child and dancers in afros, Bey wanted to break down the stereotype of your typical “put together” woman and let the world know that every woman, no matter who you are, can own what they’ve got. This is evident by watching Blue Ivy dance with her hand on her hip and lips poked out. As viewers we can see that she is confident and proud of who she is and where she comes from. All in all this scene incorporates Beyoncé’s feelings towards female empowerment and owning who you are. It is obvious that Beyoncé is totally girl power in every video she makes, but in “Formation” she kicks it up a notch and digs deep into the oppression woman have gone through for so many years.

Lastly, the scene where we see the young black boy dancing in front of a line of cops ties together the entire video and what is happening in the world today. The boy is wearing dark clothing and a hooded sweatshirt. This wardrobe choice can be related to the shooting of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida back in 2012. Trayvon was fatally shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman. It was said that Martin was wearing a hoodie, which was thought to be “threatening.” The defense tried to use this to justify the death of a young innocent boy. Through the use of a behind the back shot we can see the little boy is simply just dancing, which parallels to peaceful protests we see day to day as the black lives matter movement becomes more and more relevant. When the little boy is done dancing we see him raise his hands as if to surrender and as he raises his hands so do the SWAT officers. When the camera cuts away from the little boy it focuses in on the graffiti that reads “stop shooting us.” Sadly, many African Americans live in fear each and every day because of everything that has unfolded in our society, but the boy in “Formation” is fearless and confident. By standing up for what he believes this young boy is making a statement for black lives everywhere. This signifies the mutual respect we need to have for one another despite the differences that are keeping us segregated. 

In conclusion, by the incorporation of real world issues and applying them to the scenes and lyrics we see in “Formation” Beyoncé is helping create awareness to the serious political, racial and gender inequality problems America needs to solve. By creating Formation Beyoncé is not only showing pride for her roots and her racial heritage, but pride in herself and being a female in a male dominated society. Having the confidence to publically stand up for what you believe in is inspiring and should be spread all across the world. 
