For 50 years, the Super Bowl has been an annual event Americans have anticipated throughout the 17-week football season. The best teams of the year battle for the championship title, musicians perform for the masses and national commercials compete for the most laughs.
With that comes reactions from every viewer.
This year, what got the biggest response, and is still generating emotion almost three weeks later, was Beyoncé’s halftime show performance. She debuted her single, “Formation,” with an arrangement of black women behind her, all showing pride in their race.
The performance sparked controversy because of the “team of dancers, dressed in black and wearing Black Panther-style berets,” according to an article in the Los Angeles Times.
The article refers to the single as “politically charged” and directed people to the song’s music video, which has also sparked conversation.
In associate web editor Sadie Cruz’s story, “Beyonce educated audience on culture,” she expresses her thoughts on how today’s musicians are making statements in their art that are getting people to talk about major issues in today’s society.
“This song is a semantic drive-by to almost every slur ever used against a black person,” Cruz said.
She also said the video points to struggles the black community have endured in history, such as police brutality and black beauty.
“Today, we are facing a musical uprising with more and more artists using their audience and fame to shine a light on issues of the disenfranchised,” Cruz said.
Beyoncé hasn’t been the only artist to do this. Just a couple weeks ago, Kendrick Lamar performed “The Blacker the Berry” at the Grammys and it caused the same reaction.
These musicians use the stage to convey messages of action. They want people to talk. They want change.
The more we bring these social obstacles to the forefront of people’s minds, the sooner we can open a dialogue, and maybe we can untangle the issues.
