FORMATION ANALYSIS

The song "Formation" written by Beyoncé was the lead single for the album "Lemonade". It was released the day before Beyoncé performed it at the super bowl final in February 2016. Along with the song, the music video was also released on the same day, which was directed by Melina Matsoukas.The video is based upon the victims of the flooding in New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina. As well as the racism that is very prominent within America, and America's history, regarding slavery and different protests for equality.

When looking at Goodwin's conventions of a music video, we see that  there are intertextual references within the song. The costume within the video shows the heritage of Beyoncé as well as her cause that she is singing about. The use of costumes such as Antebellum dresses can relate to slavery as women within higher classes who had slaves, often wore extravagant dresses like this. Therefore the fact that a black women, Beyoncé is wearing a similar type of dress could show how she wants her and her community to be treated equally, and wants to be able to have that kind of superiority. This type of dress is also worn, with a 'Pop culture' mix as it is low cut and is worn like a bodysuit. This allows the audience to still be gratified through voyeurism, as the audience can still see Beyoncé's figure, including her cleavage and legs. This can also be seen when there are a group of girls facing away from the camera, and are twerking, which ensures the audience can only see their bums moving.

There are parts within the song where the lyrics are amplified through the visuals. This is most visible when Beyoncé sings the lyric "okay now ladies lets get into formation." This is amplified through a group of women and Beyoncé lining up. This is effective as it shows unity between the community while fighting for a cause dear to them and one that Beyoncé is singing about to spread awareness on it. However in contradiction to this Beyoncé could be singing about the topic as she knows that there would be a lot of sales and promotion for the album thus extending her audience and promoting her star image as someone who understands the struggles of those who don't have a cushioned life.

There are demands by record companies for the singers face to be a predominantly within the music video through the use of close up/ mid shots, and the "Formation" music video is no different. The music video shows Beyoncé within different settings, which can show how she relates to everyone who has been a victim of racial discrimination, as well as being more down to earth, and more relatable hence making more sales.