Music

‘Boycott Beyoncé’ … or not

29 April 2016

By Oisin

Beyoncé is not holding back, despite being accused of spreading ‘anti-police’ messages. On the first night of her Formation World Tour, Bey responded to the controversy by selling official merchandise, including black iPhone cases and black t-shirts, with the phrase ‘Boycott Beyoncé’ on.

The controversy first started when B released the music video for her single ‘Formation’, which (some) critics argued promoted anti-police messages in light of the deaths of black men and women at the hands of police offers. This was then aggravated by Beyoncé’s Super Bowl half-time show, where she paid tribute to a black nationalist and socialist organisation, the Black Panthers. Beyoncé’s new album Lemonade has also been criticised as ‘inflammatory’, by none other than the white man Piers Morgan. The boycott refers to members of police unions across different states in the USA who have been threatening not to work as volunteer officers for her tour dates on the Formation World Tour.

Beyoncé has stated numerous times that the allegations have no foundation; earlier this month, she told Elle magazine that she is not anti-police; instead she is “against police brutality and injustice. [Which are] separate things.”

Beyoncé’s response couldn’t have been better: she has made the ‘boycott’ her own. It is refreshing to see an artist using their platform to raise awareness and spark debate, especially when they are coming under fire for it. Keep slayin’, B.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMAISeUGcyY

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