ABSTRACT
Beyoncé’s “Formation” is a pro-dirty South, pro-Cheddar Bay biscuit, pro-Black everything anthem. In it, Bey celebrates that Black that makes white America uncomfortable: Nappy Black, ’Bama Black, queer Black, sexual Black, militant Black. In a country that likes its Blackness smiling, agreeable, passive, straight, and as close to white as possible, this is a radical act. That is why the last line of “Formation” is dissonant: “Always stay gracious. Best revenge is your paper.” “‘Formation’ and the Black-ass truth about Beyoncé and capitalism” explores the context that allows an artist famous for “stacking money, money everywhere she goes” to credibly make work that challenges systemic racism and sexism.
