FOUR YEARS AGO ON FEBRUARY 6, 2016 - BEYONCÉ RELEASED “FORMATION.”
The song received critical acclaim, and was the most searched song of 2016, according to Google. “Formation” was nominated for three Grammy Awards and won in the category “Best Music Video.” Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Time Magazine, Complex, Fuse, NPR, and Paste magazine considered the song the best one of 2016. In 2019, “Formation” was included on several year-end lists by magazines, including Essence and Parade, referring to it as the greatest song of the decade.
“When Beyoncé does something, you listen. Not just because her lyrics are infectious and her beats are always catchy, but because if she has something to say, you know it’s going to be important. Her latest music video, for the new single “Formation,” might be one of her most important songs yet. The video dives deep into the issues that the black community is currently facing, from police brutality to unrealistic standards of beauty. The timing is perfect, considering it is Black History Month. And if you know Beyoncé, you know that nothing she does is a coincidence. She’s got something to say, and she’s going to make sure you hear her loud and clear. It is a literal ode to black culture, and it makes no apologies for that. People who say that they “don’t get” this video or that it’s not “speaking to them” need not apply: it’s not for the entire world to approve of, or even consume. Beyoncé does not need the world’s approval, she has her own.” — TEEN VOGUE, (2016)
