Beyoncé: Formation Review

The video “Formation” by Beyoncé depicts the nature of the African American in the United States. Beyoncé being an African-American pop star is an iconic musician not only in American but also internationally. One of the hit songs of Beyoncé includes “formation.” In her most recent album, Beyoncé manages to exemplify flawlessness as well as vulnerability. From the video, Beyonce makes black art for black women fraternity. The track “Formation” depicts some mainstreams of wisdom visually and sonically. In the video, Beyonce is trying to fight for the rights of the Black Americans from the discrimination by the federal government.

The video is visually represented with numerous dancing scenes. The dances are well structured and captivating. Beyoncé herself is involved in the dance. She is spearheading the dance moves into an appealing eye-capturing visual art. The ladies dancing in the video are dressed half-naked to uphold their culture and the mode of dressing in the diaspora. As a result, the video is captivating and delightful to watch.

The video “formation” by Beyoncé is uniquely structured and composed. For instance, the unnerving synth illustrates every phrase snap in the stanzas, “I like my Negro nose with Jackson 5 nostrils” and “I like my baby’s hair with baby hair and an Afro.” Therefore, the synth marks the pieces as well as the bits of the track referring to when evaluating the Beyoncé canon in entirety. Just like the low echoing siren, does not crest to complete blare, “formation” track bounces under the surface. The effect comes over again when Beyoncé refrains the first verse, “My daddy Alabama/ Momma Louisiana” to ensure that the audience considers the song’s content.

When trying to understand the background of the video and the intent of the video, it is essential to look at the start of the video. Beyoncé sits on the New Orleans’s police vehicle that is drawing. We can as well see some destroyed property like buildings and some cars floating on the water. Water is floating in some of the regions that are supposed to be dry. This shows that the video was produced during or after the Katrina hurricane.

The visual arts presented during the video shooting speaks millions of words. For instance, the sign boarding that is conspicuously written: “Stop Shooting Us” requests the police to cease fire against the Black Community. Because immediately before the sign’s writings are captured, the video presents full uniformed police officers. There is a probability that the police were being brutal to the African Americans. Almost at the end of the video, Beyoncé’s video shows someone holding a photo-size picture of Martin Luther Junior which is captioned as “The Truth, a Real Dreamer.” This is a depiction that the video wanted to show how African Americans need to stand up and fight for their position in America.

Critically viewing the video posted by Knowles-Carter, the opening images and the introductory verses of Beyoncé, it is clear that the Government has assumed the New Orleans city during the Katrina hurricane. The initial words of Beyoncé are “What happened at the New Orleans?” imperatively, the question has some validity because the opening images depict the city being engulfed by water following the fatal effects of the Katrina hurricane. The government never gave the attention needed to the city since its occupants are a majorly black community.

Beyoncé’s song “Formation” presents a powerful message in the course of Black History Month. The song displays Beyoncé’s stand against police brutality. Among the Black Communities in the United States of America, police brutality is commonly experienced. In this song, Beyoncé is joining hands with other Black popular artists to speak against the racism police tactic of perpetrating brutality among the blacks and other unfair actions. Conspicuously, Beyoncé goes on record to fill her “Formation” video with images such as graffiti that reads “Stop Shooting Us.” In the video, the New Orleans Police Car is sunk into the water to make people understand that she is against police brutality.

In conclusion, the song “Formation” essentially addresses racial discrimination in the American society, especially in cities like New Orleans which is inhabited by black people. As a result, Beyoncé’s content revolves around black people and the black society in the American land. Specifically, the song dives deep into the black community concerns such as police brutality and governmental discrimination in times of natural calamities. Beyoncé’s song “Formation” presents a powerful message in the course of Black History Month. The video is an ode to black culture. However, Beyoncé makes no retreat for that. The track “formation” by Beyoncé is uniquely structured and composed.

References

Ball, K. (2016). Beyoncé’s” Formation.” Film Criticism, 40(3).

Knowles-Carter, B. (2016). Formation (Explicit). Music Video. YouTube. YouTube, 6.