Formation Music Video- Beyoncé Flashcards
What album was formation the lead single for?
lemonade
what event was the album released a day before?
day before Beyoncé performed at Super Bowl final in Feb 2016.
Who directed the music video that was released with the song?
Melina Matsoukas
what awards has the video won?
Clio award for Innovation and Creative Excellence in a Music vid 2016 awards, nominated in music video category at 59th Grammy awards.
What is the backdrop of the video?
flooding in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina & associated racial tension in US.
What historical parallels does the video draw on?
racism and slavery.
How are the racial tensions (following floods) easily accessible?
through Kayne West’s comments about president George Bush at time.
What is Beyoncé inviting the audience to do?
interpret historical circumstances through racial tensions following floods.
what does the music video offer a wealth of?
messages and possible meanings (sometimes conflicting/contradictory)
what do many of the references in the video require an awareness of?
Issues and events (e.g. flooding in New Orleans and racial tension in America).
Why does the video require a high level of media literacy?
To recognise and understand intertextual references (footage from documentary about bounce “That B.E.A.T, references to news footage of police brutality like lone dancing boy.)
What do contrasting and conflicting factors create?
arguably a confused meaning in audiences or maybe a coherent message.
what do the Antebellum dresses reference?
slavery
what do the Antebellum dresses contrast with?
stereotypical “pop”signifiers like tight fitting/revealing costume in some of the video’s dance sections.
what does Beyoncé’s performance shift from and to?
aggression (obscene gestures with fingers) to more culturally recognisable dance routines less lauded with political or social messages.
what are some of the possible readings/ meanings of the video? (all come from contrasting use of signs)
Black experience in US, personal exploration of her life, discuss gender & equality.
What genres had Beyoncé worked in that combine into Bounce?
Pop, R&b, dance, hip-hop (which are all mutable and subject to change.
where does Bounce originate?
New Orleans where Beyoncé grew up.
what is being signified by Beyoncé sitting in Antebellum dresses with other black women?
reference Antebellum era of US history, possibly signifying how Beyonce personally has not moved on.
what is Baudrillard’s Postmodernism theory?
in modern age of simulacra we immersed in world of images which no longer refer to anything “real”.
what theory does the video challenge?
Baudrillard’s Postmodernism.
what might the video be a collection of?
images referring specifically to reality and encourage audiences to consider these issues.
being released a day before Super Bowl performance what does this imply?
arguably video is sales promotion for career. making valid social comments or reducing important issues to means= promote career & sell records?
What mustn’t be forgotten about the purpose of the video?
It is made for finance and profit- issues of representation can cloud this.
