 Beyonce’s Formation is for Beyonce as well has her followers and listeners. The words and remorseless of accepting one’s race and the power a person can tackle when making a name, and a life can never be ignored - the ability to create a powerful legacy from nothing is the whole groundwork for Formation. Beyonce is known for being a strong, powerful woman, therefore the motif for this inspiring music video is powerful women and feminism. The theme of Formation is people coming together against racism and double standards towards women of all races, especially those of color. The lyric “earned all this money but they never take the country out me / I got a hot sauce in my bag, swag” is the the message of the whole song but this lyric says the whole idea of what she is trying to portray. Beyonce and her dancers are half naked dancing in a hallway while Beyonce is describing her power, family history and how sometimes the best way to appreciate where you are is to remember where you came from. This is going straight to the motif of feminism by embracing the hard truth that one can still be powerful while showing off a little skin and or being sexual. 

The music video takes place in New Orleans which invokes imagery of Hurricane Katrina and its disastrous toll. The opening scene of Formation is Beyonce standing on a cop car whilst it is being submerged in water (0:05). Right off the bat the motif is present. She is standing on a New Orleans cops car because it signifies her feeling powerful, even in the time of racism and sexual harassment, which at this time signifies double standards of women.  As the scene of her on the car is repeated Beyonce gets more and more comfortable. The first time you see her, she is standing on the car and squats down. But as the scene is brought up again and again, she gets closer to the car, standing, then laying day. The last scene of the music video is here laying on the police car being fully submerged into the flood ridden water of New Orleans. The only time she is seen standing on the cop car she has her hands spread open and she is looking straight into the camera as if she is talking to every person behind it. The image of Jesus on the cross is briefly apparent and can be reflected into the motif of powerful women; Jesus gave up so much for us and women these days are giving up so much to just to socially accepted but Beyonce is trying to break that barrier because she is very religious yet can be controversial but still powerful in the industry. Whilst on the car, she says the very powerful lyric “You just might be a black Bill Gates in the making, cause I slay / I just might be a black Bill Gates in the making” (3:26). Beyonce is  reminding us that the next “Bill Gates” could be female. That line alone should be enough to inspire women and girls everywhere. 

Shortly after the the first scene of the music video with Beyonce on top of the police car, she is shown standing in front of a front door with four men in suits behind her (0:16). The spoken words “Bitch, I’m back” are played in the background once Beyonce is shown. This is symbolizing how this was Beyonce’s first music video and single in over a year since she released her album Beyonce. Just like the scene of her on the cop car, this scene of her on the porch is repeated just as much. Every time it is shown, you see more and more of Beyonce. The first scene is just of Beyonce’s face and then it stretches out to her full body - a full shot. The lyrics “You know you that bitch when you cause all this conversation / Always stay gracious, best revenge is your paper” (4:38) This line reflects with the motif of powerful women because she is talking about her success and how much “paper” she is going to make following her Super Bowl performance (her first live performance of this song) and announcing her Formation World Tour. Feminism is present when Beyonce is standing in front of four men in suits declaring her wealth and success therefore showing that women, too can be just as successful as men in this world. 

Formation is a music video with so many different messages throughout, the one that stood out the most for me was women empowerment because it reflects most in my life. But no matter who watches the music video one will see something they can relate to as well. Formation also exemplifies being content with one’s identity, the Black Lives Matter movement, and Hurricane Katrina. Jenna Wortham of the New York Times summed up Formation just perfectly; Formation, belive it or not is not about police brutality, it is about being a black American in the year 2016. This includes societal standards of beauty, not being as powerful, and the culture of those that have shared parts of our history.  
