After Beyoncé dropped “Formation” in February, the world went into a frenzy. From our six reasons why “Formation” is important to critics labeling it an anti-police song, the Mike WiLL Made It produced song sparked a lot of conversations on and offline.
In her new cover story with ELLE, Beyoncé broke her silence to speak on the real message behind the song. “I mean, I’m an artist and I think the most powerful art is usually misunderstood. But anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken,” she said. “I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe. But let’s be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things. If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me. 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.”
Beyoncé Covers ELLE: Talks Ivy Park, Perfectionism and Business
She also addressed critics who feel that she can’t be a feminist while embracing her femininity. “Choosing to be a feminist has nothing to do with your femininity—or, for that matter, your masculinity,” she said. “We’re not all just one thing. Everyone who believes in equal rights for men and women doesn’t speak the same, or dress the same, or think the same. If a man can do it, a woman should be able to. It’s that simple. If your son can do it, your daughter should be able to. Some of the things that we teach our daughters—allowing them to express their emotions, their pain and vulnerability—we need to allow and support our men and boys to do as well.”
Read more of Beyoncé’s interview with ELLE here.
