Summary
Beyonce expressed many themes and messages in her song Formation. i think the main ones were empowering black people/celebrating black culture and also feminism. The video also portrayed topics such as racial injustice and police brutality. Initially these messages were not similar to my first reaction of the song but it became more evident as i started to watch the video more. Matsoukas helped Beyoncé convey these messages through striking visuals and symbolism in the music video. Matsoukas used various cinematic techniques, such as juxtaposition, symbolism, and imagery, to enhance the storytelling and amplify the song's themes. Examples of rhetorical devices used in the song is when Beyonce uses sarcasm to show she's confident and dismisses critics. For example, in the line "Y'all haters corny with that illuminati mess," she's sarcastic about conspiracy theories, showing she thinks they're silly. Another example could be when In the line "I got hot sauce in my bag, swag," Beyonce uses a hyperbole to exaggerate the significance of having hot sauce in her bag. I think the song and video became really controversial because of its political and social themes surrounding it and also because of its powerful message Beyonce wanted to send.
