When her heals walked onto the freshly cut grass of Levi Stadium and the drums of her band began to beat, Beyoncé preformed for the first time a song that broke the world of pop music and shattered Beyoncé’s good girl reputation. From her Malcom X dance formation, Michael Jackson uniform and black panther Berea, Beyoncé definitely made a statement to the 144.4 million people that watched her performance. Soon after she announced via commercial her new tour, The Formation World Tour critics immediately began criticizing Beyoncé for her hidden meanings during the Super bowl performance and raised questions about what would come in her new album Lemonade. Now having the full album released and her tour almost over, we discovered many themes that are consistent throughout the album and music videos. The following are a few of those examples.
Formation: "Ok Ladies now let’s get into Formation"
Formation having an extremely catchy chorus and bridge, shook the US and around the world in a matter of days after its February 6th release in 2016, one day before the Super bowl performance. Without any extreme notice, Beyoncé empowered females and Black Rights advocates to “Get in Formation” before their cause were overlooked again. The song itself is sprinkled with short sayings that helped these groups of people stand up.
Prove to me you got some coordination, 'cause I slay
Slay trick, or you get eliminated
This quote in particular encourages people to stand together or stop all together. Which can also be translated into; The only way you will get what you want to stand together, not break each other down.
Video: The video to formation having been shot in the hurricane planes of Louisiana shows the heritage of many blacks who now live in the south. Beyoncé keeps everything from her clothes, hair, cars and even her back up dancers true to her culture demonstrating her point of Black Lives matter even more.
Keeping with her southern theme, she asked artist Big Fredda to sing / speak on this track. Big Fredda is a rapper who is from Louisiana and currently lives there. His music is vastly different from Beyoncé’s but they are similar due to the fact that they are both from that area. (Beyoncé from Texas and Big Fredda from New Orleans)
Formation having an extremely catchy chorus and bridge, shook the US and around the world in a matter of days after its February 6th release in 2016, one day before the Super bowl performance. Without any extreme notice, Beyoncé empowered females and Black Rights advocates to “Get in Formation” before their cause were overlooked again. The song itself is sprinkled with short sayings that helped these groups of people stand up.
Prove to me you got some coordination, 'cause I slay
Slay trick, or you get eliminated
This quote in particular encourages people to stand together or stop all together. Which can also be translated into; The only way you will get what you want to stand together, not break each other down.
Video: The video to formation having been shot in the hurricane planes of Louisiana shows the heritage of many blacks who now live in the south. Beyoncé keeps everything from her clothes, hair, cars and even her back up dancers true to her culture demonstrating her point of Black Lives matter even more.
Keeping with her southern theme, she asked artist Big Fredda to sing / speak on this track. Big Fredda is a rapper who is from Louisiana and currently lives there. His music is vastly different from Beyoncé’s but they are similar due to the fact that they are both from that area. (Beyoncé from Texas and Big Fredda from New Orleans)
Sorry: "Better call Becky with the good hair"
Sorry, a song that highlights the suppose insecurities of Beyoncé’s husband Jay-Z. was released three months after her super bowl performance. The song begins with a free verse poem written from Jay-z’s perspective highlighting how Jay-z makes Beyoncé feel. Beyoncé then continues to say that she is not sorry and isn’t thinking about him. This addition to her album speaks to the women in the room telling them to let go and be independent, and to not let their man bring them down.
Video: The Video to Sorry begins with one word “Apathy” which means lack of interest or concern which perfectly fits the theme of this song. The entire video was shot in black and white and shows Beyoncé not caring about her man.
Sorry, a song that highlights the suppose insecurities of Beyoncé’s husband Jay-Z. was released three months after her super bowl performance. The song begins with a free verse poem written from Jay-z’s perspective highlighting how Jay-z makes Beyoncé feel. Beyoncé then continues to say that she is not sorry and isn’t thinking about him. This addition to her album speaks to the women in the room telling them to let go and be independent, and to not let their man bring them down.
Video: The Video to Sorry begins with one word “Apathy” which means lack of interest or concern which perfectly fits the theme of this song. The entire video was shot in black and white and shows Beyoncé not caring about her man.
Hold up: “What’s worse looking jealous or crazy”
After reading that short quote from the song you might ask yourself what is worse Jealous or Crazy? Well Beyoncé thinks that it is better to look crazy then jealous and discusses this topic in her song Hold up. This is her second song that discusses Jay-Z and his suppose cheating. Similar to Sorry this song begins with another free verse poem discussing how she attempted to change for him but he still remained the same. Beyoncé also told how she seemed God for help but only saw the devil in him. This song speaks to the women who still loves her husband and doesn’t want him to take advantage of that love.
Video: Hold up begins with the word denial that fits this song as well perfectly. The vidoes for Hold-Up and Sorry are vastly different in the style that they were shot in. Sorry was shot in a "I don't care about you" kind of attitude while Hold-Up showcases the "Don't mess with me attitude" both of these songs are represented very well in there videos.
After reading that short quote from the song you might ask yourself what is worse Jealous or Crazy? Well Beyoncé thinks that it is better to look crazy then jealous and discusses this topic in her song Hold up. This is her second song that discusses Jay-Z and his suppose cheating. Similar to Sorry this song begins with another free verse poem discussing how she attempted to change for him but he still remained the same. Beyoncé also told how she seemed God for help but only saw the devil in him. This song speaks to the women who still loves her husband and doesn’t want him to take advantage of that love.
Video: Hold up begins with the word denial that fits this song as well perfectly. The vidoes for Hold-Up and Sorry are vastly different in the style that they were shot in. Sorry was shot in a "I don't care about you" kind of attitude while Hold-Up showcases the "Don't mess with me attitude" both of these songs are represented very well in there videos.
Freedom: The song begins with an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther Kings “I have a dream speech” and sets the stage for an anthem of freedom among races.
“When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the condition and the declaration of indene they were signing a promissory note. This note was a promise that all men, yes black men as well as white men would be artiness the unalienable rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. So, we come to cash our check and heck that will give us upon demand the richest of freedom and the security of justice”.
Freedom speaks to the community about the differences of races in the United States and asks for people to “cut them lose” for us to hear them. When this song is performed Beyoncé and her dancers dance in a pool of water splashing the audience with their frustration of this issue. Beyoncé however doesn’t usually perform this pop hit at most venues due to the controversial stir it causes. During her VMA performance in 2016 she performed Hold Up, Sorry, Don’t Hurt Yourself, and Formation but not Freedom.
“When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the condition and the declaration of indene they were signing a promissory note. This note was a promise that all men, yes black men as well as white men would be artiness the unalienable rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. So, we come to cash our check and heck that will give us upon demand the richest of freedom and the security of justice”.
Freedom speaks to the community about the differences of races in the United States and asks for people to “cut them lose” for us to hear them. When this song is performed Beyoncé and her dancers dance in a pool of water splashing the audience with their frustration of this issue. Beyoncé however doesn’t usually perform this pop hit at most venues due to the controversial stir it causes. During her VMA performance in 2016 she performed Hold Up, Sorry, Don’t Hurt Yourself, and Formation but not Freedom.
Overall, Beyoncé captures her audience with whatever she decides to write and record. Lemonade the album has been extremely successful being the number one album of 2016. Her fans will remain throughout whatever message she decides to preach about next. Beyoncé is a women with a lot of power and say in our world today. The songs discussed today are my interpretation of the lyrics presented, if you disagree please feel free to leave a comment.
Personally I am a huge Beyonce fan even though i do not connect with the messages she sings about. The thing i love about Beyonce is that no matter who you are and what you believe in her songs are universal to bring hope. I don't think that people understand how an artist can separate there music from what they support but at the same time still support that cause. Beyonce does a great job of this.
Personally I am a huge Beyonce fan even though i do not connect with the messages she sings about. The thing i love about Beyonce is that no matter who you are and what you believe in her songs are universal to bring hope. I don't think that people understand how an artist can separate there music from what they support but at the same time still support that cause. Beyonce does a great job of this.