We are only just into the fourth month of the year, but pop superstar and business mogul Beyonce sure has been making the most of 2016.
In early February, she dropped Formation, the wonderfully powerful song which ignited both renewed excitement at the possibility of a new album being released soon and the flames of those offended by what they perceived to be an anti-police message. Her performance at the Super Bowl meant that people went as far as to organise anti-Beyonce protests, but only three people turned up.
There is no doubt that Beyonce remains one of, if not the, most powerful pop-star, and she knows it. Now, she’s given an exclusive interview with ELLE Magazine to address all the accusations she has faced since boldly claiming the word “feminist” and the (utterly baffling) misinterpretations of Formation – which, as Bey confirms, isn’t spreading an anti-police message.
“..anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of the officers who sacrifice themselves to keeps us safe. But let’s be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things.” Queen Bey said, when addressing the wide-spread misunderstanding of the message of her latest hit. She went on to add that if celebrating her roots during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, then they probably already harboured those views long before the video and long before Beyonce herself. “I’m proud of what we created and I’m proud to be a part of a conversation that is pushing things forward in a positive way.”
Throughout the interview, photos of Beyonce in her Ivy Park athletic wear were featured, and prompted a discussion on the singer’s feminist ethos. Commentators are often quick to judge and dismiss Beyonce’s “brand” of feminism, but the interview makes it crystal clear that in doing so, they prove why it is still needed. She discussed the importance of self-love, women supporting one another and how it relates to her latest business venture. “It’s really the essence: to celebrate every woman and the body she’s in while always striving to be better.”
When discussing her Mrs. Carter Show tour, her song Flawless and her iconic “FEMINIST” sign, Queen Bey said that she didn’t use it as propaganda or to proclaim her beliefs to the world. Rather, it was “to give clarity to the true meaning. I’m not really sure people know or understand what a feminist is, but it’s very simple. It’s someone who believes in equal rights for men and women… We need men and women to understand the double standards that still exist in this world, and we need to have a real conversation so we can begin to make changes. Ask anyone, man or woman, “Do you want your daughter to have 75 cents when she deserves $1?” What do you think the answer would be? When we talk about equal rights, there are issues that face women disproportionately. ” And on those who believe a feminist woman can’t own her body and her sexuality? “If you believe in equal rights, the same way society allows a man to express his darkness, to express his pain, to express his sexuality, to express his opinion—I feel that women have the same rights.”
You can read the entire interview on Elle.
Images & gifs: Noisey, Elle, hypetrak