When Beyoncé’s album Lemonade was released, the world had a very strong opinion on her controversial song choices. The release of her hit single Formation, sent the world into an uproar. Beyoncé first preformed this song during the halftime show of Super Bowl 50 in 2015. After this performance, she released the Formation music video, which shocked the public with its bold representation of the African American lifestyle over time. Throughout the music video, Beyoncé shows that women do not need to follow societal norms in order to be respected and have a purpose in society. By proving the power that African American women have, Beyoncé shows that women can break free from social constraints and be themselves through their outfits, hair, and united movements. 

Throughout Formation, distinctive dresses and attire portray the different time periods and transformations black women endured. For example, in the opening scenes, Beyoncé is shown in a white dress sitting on a couch surrounded by other African American women. The women are sitting straight up and wearing white corsets. The women that are fanning themselves   surrounding Beyoncé are understood to be imitating the southern Creole women during the late 19th century. During this time period, the women were constrained to a strict set of laws and held to harsh social standards. The white corset is worn to reference both the physical and literal constraints women in that time period suffered. For example, the African Americans were freed and not under the title of slaves, but still had to obey strict laws limiting their “freedom”. Women wore the corset as a sign of sophistication but it resisted breathing due to it being tightly laced down the spine of the women wearing it. The corset can represent the women during this time period because the constraints that were placed on the African American women restricted their freedom and confined them to strict social norms. The next scene is 5 male African Americans standing in front of a white plantation home, much like the plantation homes that slaves would have worked on. Beyoncé is wearing a black corset dress in this scene with a black floppy hat covering her eyes. Again, the corset dress is shown to show the constraints that an African American woman faces in her day to day life but she is wearing jewelry, much like the wives of a wealthy plantation owner. The plantation in the background is a depiction of where the majority of blacks lived, worked, and developed their own sense of culture during this time in history. The men in this scene are shown wearing black butler suits, which resembled the time period after the slaves were free and began to hold a more respected role in society.  At the end of this scene, Beyoncé is shown flicking off the camera to express Beyoncé’s anger and frustration towards society. 

In addition to the plantation scene, the wig store has an important role in the song. For example, Beyoncé explains the importance of allowing a woman to wear her hair as she pleases. The wig store shows three women holding wigs, while they are wearing blue, red, and orange hair as Beyoncé sings about the importance of natural beauty and being yourself no matter what society believes. The women in the plantation scenes, were shown with weaves and relaxers, while the women in the scenes following the wig store are shown with afro hair. In society today, African American women are expected to get their hair done, which is an example of a constraint that the women are facing in society. As the hair changes to afros, the women begin the wear the same clothing, as well as dance the same movement which symbolizes how powerful women are when they are united. 

At the beginning of the music video, Beyoncé says “ ok ladies, now let’s get in formation”. It is not until the swimming pool scene that all the women are united together and begin dancing the same movements. The swimming pool scene shows Beyoncé surrounded by women all wearing the same jumpsuit and their natural hair. By having the women with afros, it shows society is no longer pressuring them to follow their strict rules, but allowing the women to be free and chose how they want to express themselves. It also shows that women are turning their backs on social norms and defying society. It was not until the women were gathering together in one formation, or in this case a swimming pool, that they began to express themselves. Beyoncé explains the importance of formation as a means of power, as well as a way to defend the African American role in society. The women begin to dance very quick and in abrupt tight movements, but when more women begin to dance, the movements become bouncier and less constricted. This is showing that the societal constrictions are less enforced when the women unite and join together. By dancing, the women are defending the African American role in society because it shows the power behind numbers and how women are united through movements. By uniting together, it shows the importance of African American culture and traditions. 

One scene that is present throughout the music video is Beyoncé laying on top of the slowly sinking police car. The car is surrounded by water, which is referencing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. Beyoncé, in this scene, is physically constrained to the police car because it is surrounded by water on all sides. The car is sinking throughout the music video to show the role of the police in African American movements. The police car stays afloat until the scene where the women unite and begin to stand against societies constraints. Once the police car sinks, it shows how societies, including authority figures such as police officers, are not as powerful as a group of people that are fighting against a social norm. It is at this moment the car begins to sink into the water, showing the power that women have over society when they chose to unite and support each other in the fight for a common goal. 

Beyoncé uses her fame to bring to attention the daily struggles that African American women face in their day to day lives. She not only uses present day battles, but includes the previous issues that women faced back in the 19th century, such as being free but still under strict and enforced laws.  While many people were offended by her choice of topics, Beyoncé proved to society the way we perceive the African American women can influence how they view themselves. However, with the use of different dresses, hairstyles, and movements Beyoncé was able to prove that women can able to stand up and fight against societal norms, as long as they are in formation and stand behind one another. 