Formation: A Song by Beyoncè Knowles Carter

About

• The song was relased on Februray 6, 2016
• It has caused controversy because the lyrics have so many different meanings.

Behind the Song

• Many people think the song has a certain meaning but it has different meanings for different people.
• The main topic of the song might be:
• - Anti-police brutality
• - Racial sterotyping
• - Expressing her southern roots
• - Black empowerment

Superbowl 2016

• Beyonce performed Formation at the 2016 Superbowl
• Her costume had a giant x on it, which may have been a reference to Malcolm X
• Her choreography included a fist in the air, which may have been a solute to the Black Panthers.

Media Reaction

• Some conservative media groups responded to the song negatively.
• One example was Tomi Lahren, a conservative political commentator. She said "Beyonce didn't reference the Black Panthers to bring about some kind of positive change, she did it to get attention."

Charlemagne/Tomi Debate

• Charlemagne Tha God (I swear I did not make this up) is a host of a radio show called The Breakfast Club
• On his show he talked about the performance and Tomi's rant.
• The two had a heated debate about Beyonce's halftime performance.
• They had a twenty-minute debate about the meaning behind the Black Panther Party and why it was established, the Black Lives Matter movement, and police brutality in America.
• As much of them agrued they agreed on some topics.
• "just like President Obama, Jada Pinkett Smith, Al Sharpton and so many others that just can’t let America heal, you keep ripping off the historical bandaid. Why be a cultural leader when you can play the victim, right?"

My Opinion/Conclusion

• My opinion of the song is that its a good song but I can see where people think its controversial.
• The performance its self was amazing but what Beyonce performance isn't.
• I feel like the only people that responded so against the performance was people who are conservative republicans like Tomi and the police.
• Some police unions are calling on officers to boycott her concerts over what they say is a dangerous message. A lot of officers think the preformance was out of line
• Tons of people have such strong opinons of the song but they don't really understand what Beyonce's message was.

THE END