Messy Mya

517 Words2 Pages

Being aired at the beginning of February, Beyoncé’s hit single Formation served as the 2016 Black History month anthem for numerous reasons. Beyoncé being a long standing musical, entertainment, and fashion icon, her shocking release of this hit shocked the world when she unapologetically portrayed her blackness through the representation of Southern roots. She begins this musical call to action by asking the question of what happened after New Orleans. Foreshadowing a socio-political tone, she begins by paying homage to a New Orleans YouTube activist, Messy Mya who was killed in 2010 and those affected by Hurricane Katrina. In this music video that last approximately five minutes Beyoncé evolves into her self-identified role of a Feminist by exhibiting her call to expressive womanhood and activism by calling discussing the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina, Black aesthetics, family lineage, and the culture of the American South. This iconic the chorus chants “I see it, I want it, I stunt, yellow bone it, I dream it, I work hard, I grind 'til I own it… Sometimes I go off, I go hard, get what's mine, I'm a star, cause I slay, we gone slay” calling women especially Black women to rise and figuratively kill. To work hard, set goals, and accomplish their dreams all being free and themselves. As soon as the music begins, the beat …show more content…

While some critics say her music video did not directly speak in context to the issues in the Black community. It is not her responsibility as pop start to directly or literally educate the public, but her role as a musician and entertainer did spark a much needed

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