SAN FRANCISCO — Call it a backlash against the backlash. A move to #BoycottBeyonce has some clapping back over what they see as the superstar being unfairly targeted. It all began when the singer dropped her music video for her song “Formation” on Saturday.
In the song Beyonce speaks of her heritage with lyrics such as “My daddy Alabama/Momma Louisiana/You mix that Negro with that Creole/Make a Texas bamma” and declares, “I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros/I like my Negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils.”
The video, which pays homage to New Orleans and includes references to Hurricane Katrina’s devastating aftermath, also features a scene of a young African-American boy wearing a hoodie before a line of police officers while the words “Stop shooting us” appear on a wall.
Some called the imagery in the video an affront to police and urged viewers ahead of her halftime performance at the Super Bowl to #BoycottBeyonce for her aligning herself with the Black Lives Matters movement.
Beyonce’s performance Sunday — with dancers in Black Panther-like attire — didn’t assuage those feelings.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani criticized the singer when he appeared Monday on Fox News, calling her performance “outrageous.”
“This is football, not Hollywood, and I thought it was really outrageous that she used it as a platform to attack police officers who are the people who protect her and protect us and keep us alive.”
But supporters quickly called foul. It’s no secret that her loyal fan base, the BeyHive, has a mighty sting when you come for the Queen, but this time support was more wide ranging, with some finding the criticism to be racially motivated.
The provocative conversation is occurring while excitement mounts over Beyonce’s upcoming “Formation” tour. Tickets go on presale Tuesday for select cities for members of the singer’s fan club and American Express cardholders, and it’s fair to say fans are excited.
