Beyoncé standing on top of a police car is the first image
we see. It is extremely striking and connotes multiple things, primarily a
reference to the lack of aid supplied by the federal government to the blacks in
New Orleans after hurricane Katrina in 2001. This was seen as abandonment by
those living in New Orleans and now, entire generations are against the police
and all forms of government. This is also a statement regarding the current
activist group taking America by storm, Black Lives Matter, showing someone of
colour on top of a police car is a Black Power salute of sorts which infers
that people of colour should stand up to the police brutality they’re currently
being exposed to.
We also hear non-diegetic sound of a man, who we presume is
African American also, talking to a woman, presumably Beyoncé, calling her
“Bitch” and then telling her what food he likes implying that she should go and
make it. This is quite shocking to those viewing the video who do not live in
such areas featured in it. However, it is commonplace in the culture that
surrounds those areas and words such as “Bitch” and “Nigger” have lost their
meaning and are just part of the common tongue and aren’t offensive anymore.
Beyoncé has put these bits of talking into her music video to highlight the
misogyny that exists within these communities.
A series of shots throughout the video feature Beyoncé
dressed up in a white lace dress in an upper class home. This is referring to
the slavery that black people were exposed to 150 years ago and how they can
now be in that position of wealth. It is ironic to feature such shots but will
also shock some people who cannot imagine someone of colour being in such a
position. It could also be a representation of what Beyoncé would be she was
alive 150 years ago due to her extensive levels of wealth which aims to show
how that America is more divided when it comes to rich vs poor rather than
black vs white.
Furthermore, one of the lyrics from the song are “I just
might be a black Bill Gates in the making” backs up the point I made in the
previous paragraph as it clearly means that ethnicity does not define what
you’re worth. You should determine your own worth. Before that line, the lyrics
are “You just might be a black Bill Gates” showing her view regarding her fan
base. She doesn’t see any difference between what she’s capable of and what her
fans are capable off as she comes from a disadvantaged background as well.
There is a scene that repeats itself throughout the music
video accompanied by the lyrics ‘okay ladies now let’s get in formation’. The
formation she is talking about is a reference to actively protesting for Black
Lives Matter and they physically take the form of an ‘X’ shape, referencing
Malcolm X who used militant tactics rather than peaceful ones to campaign for
Civil Rights during the 1960s. This is one of the many things from the music
video that angered the police forces in America as it essentially incites
violence towards the federal government, which we have seen recently across the
whole of the United States.
Another scene which aggravated the police force
featured a small child dancing in front of a line of riot police. This scene
portrays the police as preying upon the weakest and most innocent in society,
it feeds the stereotype recently given to them and accompanied with the
messages from previous scenes, incites more violence. Alternatively, it could
also be a statement telling protesters to stand up to the police in a peaceful
manner rather than the violence that is taking over the nation. This could be
through dance, as shown in the video, or through music, like the video, or in
any other creative ways.
To conclude, the video carries a powerful message regarding
Black Lives Matter and is very relevant to today’s society. Beyoncé is using
her power as a modern icon to spread this message. The message can be
interpreted in multiple ways leading to both negative and positive results.
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