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‘Formation’, the song recorded by American popstar Beyonce for her sixth studio album Lemonade (2016), has become the best music video of all time.
According to Page Six, ‘Formation’ secured the No. 1 spot on a list of 100 music videos ranked by Rolling Stone magazine. The video, released in 2016 and directed by Melina Matsoukas, pushed other iconic music videos like Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’, Prince’s ‘Kiss’, and Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’ aside.
The video featured several striking visuals, including Beyonce laying on top of a sinking police car in a ruined New Orleans and a wall with the words “stop shooting us” spray-painted on it.
According to the magazine’s director Matsoukas, the 39-year-old singer wanted the video to show the “historical impact of slavery on black love, and what it has done to the black family,” as she explained to The New Yorker in 2017.
“I wanted to show — this is black people. We triumph, we suffer, we’re drowning, we’re being beaten, we’re dancing, we’re eating, and we’re still here,” Matsoukas added while discussing the ‘Formation’ video’s concept.
As per Page Six, critics categorized the video, and Beyonce as “anti-police.” Beyonce denied the accusations in an interview with Elle claiming that anyone who truly believed she was “anti-police” was wrong.
“I’m an artist and I think the most powerful art is usually misunderstood, but anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe,” the mother of three told Elle in April 2016.
The singer also explained that the message behind ‘Formation’ was “I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things.”
