essay

1. Essay
- How does Beyonce use her music video’s to convey
powerful messages?
Beyonce GiselleKnowles-CarterisanAmericansingerandactress thatrose to fame inthe late 1990s
as a leadsingerof Destiny’sChild,one of the best-sellinggirl groupsof all time.
No one askedBeyonce tobe the biggestblackpopstar of all time.Infact, growingup she wasa shy
and quietgirl whowasconstantlybulliedbyherclassmates.She gotteasedaboutherearsandher
skincolourwhile constantlybeingcalled“Dumb,stupidandugly”.Thismade Beyonce depressed
and anxious,for6 monthsinmiddle school she decidedtoonlywearherhairina bunas she was
scaredthat the bullieswouldcutoff all herlonghair. However, afterasuccessful school talentshow
she realisedthatmusicwashertherapyand hersource of joy.She decidedtoturnmusicintoa
careerand startedgoingon more talentshowsbutcouldneverbeathershynessandanxiety.Thisis
whyshe inventedheralterego,calledSashaFierce.“Ihave someone elsethattakesoverwhenit’s
time forme to workand whenI’monstage”.She explainedthatthe alteregoshe createdkindof
protectsherand whoshe reallyis.
Now,afterall the painshe facedthrough the years,withthe supportof her familyandherfaith,
Beyonce letgoof heralteregoand became a lotmore confident.She transformedherself intoa
womanthat knowswhatshe wantsand goesfor it.
Lots of people preferredthatshe failedbutshe wentoutandmade a spot forherself,ratherthan
sittingaroundwaitingforthe industrytoinvite herin.Despite neverbeingcelebratedbythe
Academy,she keepspushinganddemandingthatshe’samajor voice inthe popmusic.
Thisis whyone of her mostfamousquote is: “Powerisnot giventoyou.You have to take it” –
Economy,P.(2019). 17 of the MostInspirationalQuotesFromBeyonce--BusinessGeniusand Music
Superstar.[online] Inc.com.Availableat:https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/17-of-most-
inspirational-quotes-from-beyonce-business-genius-music-superstar.html[Accessed 17Nov.2020]
whichendedupinspiringalotof fansand people ingeneral especiallythe blackcommunity.
Beyonce isverypassionate aboutmakingsure that the black community know theirworth,
especiallywhenitcomesto empoweringwomen.Thisiswhyshe decidedtoreleaseasongwhichis
a love lettertoblackgirlsand blackwomen called 'BrownSkinGirl'featuringherdaughterBlue Ivy.
By producingthissong,notonlyisBeyonce is tellingusthatour natural selvesare beautiful and
worthyof beingexalted,butshe alsomakessure toleteveryone knowthat blackwomenare
untouchable whichisalsoclearlyshowninthe musicvideoasall the womenandkidsare elegantly
dressed.

2. In a worldwhere people trytomake brownskinsomethingugly,itremindsuswhatthe truthis: we
are the realestmagicthere everwas!" Thisisthe kindof song thisyoungBlack girl neededtohear
whenshe wasBlue Ivy'sage.
AssistanteditorMekishanaPierre echoedthe same sentimentof appreciationforthe song's
celebrationof black womensaying:"It'samessage remindingusthatregardlessof whatanyone else
saysor thinks,we are blessings," she alsoadded "We are beautiful;we are made of the sunand the
earthand our skinis'just like pearls.'
On topof that, Beyonce neverfailsto inspire peopletostrive forsuccess asher musicvideo’sand
lyricsare alsotrulyinspiring.Mostof the time she createsonesthatare homagestoconfidence and
greatnesswithinthe black community,especiallyblackhistory.She demonstratesthe beautyof the
nature and alsoof the culture of the Africanhistorywhichreallystrivestomotivateandinspire black
menand womentobe who they reallyare andto rememberwhere theycome fromwhichisavery
beautiful androyal image of kingsandqueens.
QueenBeyoncé isproudof beingblackandunafraidtosay it.
Thisis clearlyshown inone of many musicvideo’sonhersong‘Already’ ( a collaborationwith
Ghananian,ShattaWale and Major Lazer, takenfromthe 2019 Album‘the lionking’) through the
art, costumesandthe way she stylesherhair.
The bestway to sumup the song isby usingthe lyrics “Long live the king/youaking/youknow it”as
it highlightsthe richelementsof BlackhistoryandAfricantradition,while bringingittothe 21st
century.
Whenreleasingthismusicvideo Beyonce added“Ionlyhope thatfromwatching,youleave feeling
inspiredtocontinue buildingalegacythatimpactsthe worldinan immeasurableway.Ipraythat
everyone seesthe beautyandresilience of ourpeople.”- Burgos,J.,2020. Beyoncé’SMusicVideo For
‘Already’IsFinally Here & The Meaning Behind ItIs So Powerful.[online] StyleCaster.Availableat:
<https://stylecaster.com/beyonce-already-lyrics-meaning-
video/?utm_source=hsrd.yahoo.com&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=feed>[Accessed
30 December 2020].
NotonlydoesBeyonce neverfail tomotivate andinspireheraudience,she also blessesus withher
visual albumLemonade whichendsupbeingsomanythingsat once:The powerful message a
womanneeds,apolitical statementaboutracism, awarenesson policebrutality,unrealistic
standardsof beauty andblackmotherhood.
Beyonce showshowwomenfearbeingseenasunlikable becausethe social andprofessional
punishmentisreal.Theycommonlyexperienceimpostersyndrome,wonderingif they've truly
earnedsuccessor will be revealedasfrauds astheyare consistentlyportrayedas
uncouth,“ghetto,”angry,and manly.evenblackmenare rejectingblackwomenonthe basisof the
stereotypesperpetuatedbythe largerculture.Thisrejectionbyblackmenof blackwomenis
painfullyevidentinthe doublestandardof intra-racial concernthatisperhapsmoston displaywhen
an unarmedblackwomaniskilled. Thisiswhy she issucha transformational figure forwomen.
Whenshe singson the Lemonade track"Sorry" aboutbeingthe "baddestwomaninthe game,"we
can onlyimagine whatittakesto insiston herself-worthasblackwomaninan industryandculture
steepedinracism.
MelinaMatsoukas,the directorof the "Formation"musicvideo,saidthatBeyoncé explainedtoher
the conceptbehindLemonade,stating:"She wantedtoshow the historical impact of slaveryon

3. blacklove,andwhat ithas done to the blackfamily,andblackmenand women—how we're almost
socializednottobe together."
Beyoncé'svisual albumLemonadeisafearlessstory withthe same beliefsasAfrican- American
ColsonWhitehead,as he saysthat“Slaveryisa sinwhenwhiteswere puttothe yoke,butnot the
African.All menare createdequal,unlesswe decide youare nota man.”- Goodreads.com.2020.
African AmericansQuotes(309 Quotes).[online] Availableat:
<https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/african-americans>[Accessed 31 December 2020].
That'sa lesson womencan draw from Lemonade:Speak your truth even ifsociety tells youto stay
silent.
If you knowBeyoncé,youknowthatnothingshe doesisa coincidence.
One songthat reallystoodoutto me inBeyonce’sLemonade albumis‘Formation’.Thisisasong
that has now become the mostpoliticallydirectworkshe’sdone inhercareer asit isabout police
brutality,Hurricane Katrinaandblackfinancial power. Howeverthe topicthathas reallytouchedme
the most inthe song waspolice brutality.
Police brutalityhasbeenanongoingdiscussioninthe blackcommunitylongbefore iteverreacheda
national stage. Afterthe fatal shootingsof TrayvonMartin,Mike Brown,andmany otherliveslostin
recentmemory the conversationstartedtoexplode.
Many artistshave spokenoutagainstthe unfairand racist tacticsfrom police officers, andBeyoncé
goingon recordto devote sucha powerful image inhermusicvideowasn’tanunconsciouschoice
consideringitwasBlackHistoryMonth.
She filledthe musicvideowithimagesthatrangedfromgraffiti thatread"Stop ShootingUs,"to a
wall of SWAT officers...andliterallysunkaNew OrleansPolice Carintoa bodyof waterto let
everyone knowwhere she stoodonthe issues.–hand resource- Teen Vogue
JennaWortham, a staff writerfor The New York TimesMagazine summeditupbest:
"'Formation'isn'tjustabout police brutality — it'saboutthe entiretyof the blackexperience in
Americain2016, whichincludesstandardsof beauty,(dis)empowerment,culture andthe shared
parts of our history."
You can clearlysee thatshe is tryingto show youngpeople andall peoplethatAfricanAmericans/
Africansingeneral docome froma verylongline of KingsandQueenswithabeautiful historythat
deservesrespectandneedstobe showninthe mediaona regularbasis while also promotingfemale
empowerment.
Regardlessof yourpersonal opinion of herorhermusic,it’shard to denyBeyoncé’sstatusasan
absolute icon.If she’sgotsomethingtosay she’sgoingtomake sure you hearher loudandclear
throughher lyricsandmusicvideo’s.