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Discover the story and symbolism behind Beyoncé's empowering song "Formation," which celebrates her cultural identity and challenges racial prejudices. Explore the powerful visuals and lyrics that showcase Beyoncé's self-acceptance and pride.
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Formation Beyoncé- Deconstruction Jae Taylor-Hodgkinson
What is the story behind the song? • Beyoncé is empowered with owning her cultural identity and she doesn't care is racial haters don’t like it because it is who she is. • The music video and lyrics shows Beyoncé accepting who she is and not just an African American but as a woman also. The promotion of pride and success which she has portrayed is very sharing. • Formation shows the world that she is happy with who she is and doesn't need approval from anyone else to be satisfied.
Background • Formation is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her sixth studio album Lemonade (2016). • It was written by Khalif Brown, Jordan Frost, Asheton Hogan, Mike Will Made It and Beyoncé • Produced by the latter three. It served as the album's lead single, released on February 6, 2016 through Parkwood Entertainment. • Directed by Melina Matsoukas and contains strong political criticism in its lyrics, a statement of radical black positivity.
Police Car drowning with Beyoncé stood on the roof. “What happened at theNew Wil'ins?” • 3 seconds into the music video of Formation there is a scene of Beyoncé stood on top of a police car. This scene has significant intertextual reference as it reflects the devastation of Hurricane Katrina which hit in 2005 which is suggested by the flooding and houses in the neighbourhood which are submerged. The fact that Beyoncé is the only person in sight shows that the black community where neglected and left to die as only the white community victims were rescued and aided while the black victims were ignored and left to fend for themselves which is suggested by the positioning of Beyoncé on top of the police car portraying that Beyoncé, apart of the black community is better than them, there stronger. • Furthermore Beyoncé is above the police car which suggests that now Beyoncé representing the black community are a higher position than before or there is a higher power within the communitywhich has been rightfully owed. • When this scene is first shown the lyrics “what happened in new Orleans” covers the scene. This immediately tells the audience where the music video is based and where its about.
“Bitch, I'm back by popular demand” • This scene which is 0:14 in the music video portrays the start of Beyoncé's fight against the suffering the black community encountered in new Orleans in the past. This is told through the lyrics saying ‘Bitch I’m back’ which is saying Beyoncé is back to put the clear racial abuse that has happened out into the world because she's back powerful and has the power to tell people what's happened through lyrics and scenes. Furthermore Beyoncé in this scene is covered in jewellery and has a very serious face which again represents power and anger towards the unjust actions against the black community.
“I like my baby with baby hair and afros”- black self love • This scene which is 35 seconds into the music video addresses the bulling towards little girls within the black community for being mocked for there appearances. Beyoncé's video stands against this action by placing her beautiful daughter standing proudly in a nice dress and her afro. The lyrics “I like my baby with baby hair and afros” shows that Beyoncé would have her child any other way and is proud of the way she looks which is again standing up to bully's who judge the black community's appearances which has been rightfully inherited. Furthermore the mise en scene which is the elegant dresses that the girls are wearing emphasises the beauty further.
“I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils” • This scene is presented 45 seconds in the music video. This is a significant scene as it stands against the cruel slavery that the black community have experienced in the past as this scene represents the slavery through the dancing house maids that the rich white community used to have to do all the dirty work within the household. This is reflected through the location of the big house in the music video which the rich white members of the white community would of lived in and that Beyoncé and other women of the black community are not working but are dancing aggressively showing the rebellious attitude against the slavery acts as well as the rich dancing culture within the black community. The Lyrics also play an important part because the lyrics “I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils” shows that Beyoncé is proud of the traditional black heritage not only this but people she knows has been mocked for there noses and Beyoncé is delving the message that you should never be ashamed of the physical appearances inherited.
“I got hot sauce in my bag, swag” • This scene 1:00 into the music video clearly shows Beyoncé's powerful position as a women in the black community. This is because firstly she is in an antebellum costume which was worn by white women before the American civil war. This shows that she deserves to wear the dress just like anyone else. Furthermore Beyoncé is in an upright position which is portraying a posh and high manner which wisent seen to women in the black community and this scene is portraying that black women can be a high class and matter furthermore this is implementing the white women who wore these dressing back in the day showing that the black community have equal rights and that skin colour has no difference. Moreover the lyrics ‘Hot sauce’ show that she's so important as a women her behaviours like carrying hot sauce in her bag really emphasis her power and recognition in the world.
Leaning out of the car scene. • This scene 3:41 into the music video shows that Beyoncé embraces every aspect of her identity. Hair is and has always been a way for black women to bond with each other, express themselves, and make a statement which is portrayed again in the music video by the hair shop scene. However the car scene in particular she hangs her long, golden braids out of her car window which portrays that she's carless to what anyone has to say. Furthermore Beyoncé's thick fur coat represents feminism through fashion.
Antebellum costumes “Take what's mine, I'm a star • 2 minutes 17 seconds into the music video there is an appearance of antebellum costuming. This scene reflects upon the cruel slavery which was exploited in the processes of making these dresses such as cotton farms which owners enslaved black people to yield cotton in poor conditions with very low wages. However due to reversal of position shown in this scene demonstrates how long the black community have come and that black people are no longer afraid of showing who they are and to show that they can have high importance and authority. • Furthermore the positions each women is performing demonstrates a sense of power which makes the look powerful which contrasts back to before the American civil war where the white women would have only be waring these type of dresses. • “Take what's mine, I'm a star” these lyrics combined with this scene portrays that the black community are taking back rights, respect, positioning in society and most of all pride in culture.
Little boy dancing in front a line of police • This scene 3.43 into the video shows a little boy who is apart of the black community dance in front of armed police represents the true brutality of the black community caused by the police in the past. Many of these brutalities was caused by illegal, unjust actions made by the police which consist of beating and arresting black people without being caught for any offence. • Furthermore as the boy is on his own facing a crowd of police portrays that the police have more power and authority than the black community represented by the low and high angles as well as the singular boy. Moreover this scene shows how the black community were so venerable against these brutalities.
Police Surrender • 4 minutes 20 seconds into the music video the same scene is shown again of the boy dancing in front of the armed police. However the police all place there arms in the air when the little boy stops dancing. This dramatically represents surrender made by the police to this little boy which portrays the police are in the right position to pay for there crimes made to the black community for all the unjust brutality's, arrests and deaths caused which didn’t need to happen. This is a powerful message of these hard times the black community lived in. • This scene delivers a type of justice for the black community as the police are founded for wrong doing made within the police force.
Graffiti clip • 4 minutes and 22 seconds into the music video there is also another reference against police brutality. The words graphited onto the wall ‘shooting us’ accompanied by the words in the lyrics of the song “I slay” show that Beyoncé is devoting a powerful image to audiences about the unfair racist tactics. Furthermore the words “I slay” shows that Beyoncé a rich, powerful women who is apart of the black community stands against racism.
Unapologetic • In this scene Beyoncé is unapologetically references multiple aspects of black culture and that Beyoncé wants you to remember where they come from.
Cuts to people in parades, streets, dancing and standing guard • There are multiple shots of black people in parades, streets, dancing and standing guard thought out the whole video. These shots relate to black culture in many different angles. Each shot is extremely quick but is long enough to embrace within the video to see the emotion of pride in the music industry within the black community. This preaches the rich culture that the black community have.
Dancing groups. • Throughout the music video there are multiple scenes presented where groups of women who are a part of the black community are dancing together, this delivers a message of power as the scenes look strong. The message tells the audience that the women in the black community are now stronger than ever and that weakness is only a part of the past. This is also showing a fight for equality.
Link to Liesbet van Zoonen • This music video has numerous of feminist representations through the video. Therefore this music video can be linked with Liesbet Van Zoonen’s theory. This is because the theory is that gender is constructed through discourse, and that its meaning is lead through cultural and historical context. This links perfectly with formation as Beyoncé's feminism is linked through the historical context of hurricane Katrina and culture of the black community.
Links to Stuart Hall’s theory of representation Formation links within this theory of representation because of Formations meaning through language. Language used like Swag and take what's mine clearly represents the inequalities of power between the black community and white community in the past which Beyoncé is singing about. Within Formation, media language is used to create representations in this case of the bad racial about the black community have suffered and how Beyoncé a black women is now powerful than ever.
Formation links to Paul Gilroy’s theory of ethnicity and post colonialism. Paul states that even though we no longer have colonies and that civilisation is mixed, colonel attitudes are still referenced. When comparing this to Formation, Formation is strict on the black colonel community and are representing the black community as strong, beautiful and normal. This is following Paul’s theory as Formation is presenting the black community group being affected in past time.
