Just a day before Beyoncé was scheduled to perform the halftime show at Super Bowl 50, she dropped her new song, “Formation” out of nowhere. Along with the her new single, Beyoncé also released a music video that she starred in and directed herself. Beyoncé’s “Formation” creates multilayer social messages through explicit lyrics and powerful images. What stands out however, was Beyoncé’s unapologetic pride in her race and her bold stance on Feminism. In the music video, two powerful scenes that support Beyoncé’s motif of black feminism are a choreographed sequence of “ladies in formation” that takes place at the bottom of an empty swimming pool and the submerging of a New Orleans police car with Beyoncé sitting on top of it. Beyoncé uses these visual images with controversial lyrics to portray Black Feminism in today’s society.

One visual motif that supports Beyoncé’s anthem of black feminism is the choreographed sequence of “ladies in formation” that takes place at the bottom of an empty swimming pool (3:45). In this shot the director is using a bird’s eye view perspective. Usually when a director uses this perspective he wants the character to seem weak and vulnerable but, I think that in this case the bird’s eye view perspective does the opposite effect. Seeing the above view of the “ladies in formation” makes Beyoncé and her girls seem united or as one. The perspective also gives the audience a chance to establish a sense of scenery. The empty swimming pool represents a literal meaning of that even when the ladies are drowning in water or haters or even “illuminati mess” they will stick together as family and survivors. 

One question that raises is: why an empty swimming pool? If there is no water how can they be drowning?  In this scene we see there is no actual water in the swimming pool, representing that they are defying everyone’s idea of African American culture. The typical idea of African American culture is that people believe that black woman are so concerned about labels and stereotypes but in actuality they don’t care. The ladies aren’t actually drowning in the pool from “haters or ‘illuminati mess’” because there is nothing for them to drown in. Nevertheless, the African American women aren’t drowning physically but mentally. They are empty inside because they are conforming to the patterns of this world and listening to what the stereotypes have said. They have lost their uniqueness and individuality and are left empty.

Another representation of black feminism is the submerging of a New Orleans police car with Beyoncé sitting on top of it. (0:25) Beyoncé is sitting on top of the police car to represent a metaphor for how African American women think they are above the police. Black Feminist will not change for the law. Cops can arrest them, take them to jail, harass them, etc. but, their view of themselves and their heritage won’t be broken by ignorant police, hence in this scene that’s why Beyoncé is positioned on top of the cop car. In the background you see houses, power lines, cars etc. deep in flood water following the devastating after math of Hurricane Katrina. We see all of this happening in one scene because the director of the music video is using a long shot perspective to give us the setting of where Beyoncé is. The director uses these horrible images of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to help create profound emotion of desperation and how community can come together as one and rise above any obstacle. Hurricane Katrina brought on a lot of hardships to the state of Louisiana but, because of the loving and supportive community shown by Louisiana citizens they were able to rebuild. This idea can be a metaphor for black feminism. People discriminate African American woman and try to tell them that they don’t belong. They feel unwanted and that brings on a lot of hardships. Beyoncé declares though, if African American women stick together to the point where they would lay their lives down for each other and their race that the hurtful stereotypes won’t matter. In Louisiana, Hurricane Katrina took out everything and it forced people to rebuild their lives. People’s lives were changed and their view of the world changed with them. Along with everything taken out with Hurricane Katrina, African American women lost “lost themselves,” meaning they don’t know who they are anymore. African American woman had to rebuild their image just like people had to rebuild their homes but, unlike the homes and other materialistic things that can be easily replaced, self-esteem and self-worth isn’t as simple to rebuild. Black Feminist have to lean on each other for support so that they overcome the ignorant labels. 

Throughout “Formation” Beyoncé uses her lyrics to address these hurtful stereotypes about African American women. She believes that they should ignore the ignorant labels and be proud or who they are and where they come from. She preaches that they should rock their fake hair, to not be afraid of being powerful, to always be humble and gracious and, to be proud of themselves and their accomplishments. Beyoncé wants African American ladies to understand that they won’t always be understood and that there will be people who want to see them fail but, to never get discouraged. In “Formation,” Beyoncé commands attention and applauds her own talents but, at the same time she still criticizes and attacks the ways black culture, herself included, has been victimized by society. Beyoncé uses her platform in music and influence on today’s pop culture to call out racism against African American women. The motif Black Feminism radiates throughout her song and has created controversial conversation around the world.  