Beyonce’s ‘Formation’ World Tour: Bey Hopes To Cause As Much Political Controversy As Possible

It was recently revealed via Twitter that singer Beyonce’s upcoming Formation World Tour will be “aggressively political and controversial.” Exactly what that means is to be determined, but it certainly suggests Beyonce will be whipping up a media frenzy.

Everyone, even those living under rocks, saw the huge political backlash that resulted from Beyonce’s “Formation,” a single released on February 16. The song and its accompanying video contained many images and lyrics that were perceived by many people (including the former mayor of New York City) to be racist and anti-police. The release of Beyonce’s single coupled with her larger-than-life rendition of the song during the Super Bowl 50 halftime show in which Beyonce dressed as a Black Panther prompted a national stir, even inspiring anti-Beyonce rallies.

USA: Documentary filmmaker calls Beyonce comparisons to the Black Panthers overblown: https://t.co/0nshWKAF9U pic.twitter.com/0RbdXbZwvo

— Celebrity Cake Chomper (@CelebsGPN) February 24, 2016

The point is that Beyonce received a huge amount of free press resulting from how incredibly controversial her “Formation” single was, and it was recently revealed that the fire she started is not one that she intends to let die on Beyonce’s fast-approaching Formation World Tour.

This is evidenced by the Tweet posted several hours ago by the BeyHive, a large and reputable Beyonce fan account known for posting accurate breaking news about Beyonce’s music.

Although Beyonce herself has not come out to confirm the Tweet, International Business Times reports that it has long been believed she supplies the account with information herself.

Another source reveals that Beyonce “will be stirring up controversy with the performances reportedly based on a political agenda.”

This is huge news for not only attendees of the Beyonce tour, but, if the reaction is anything like that to Beyonce’s recent musical endeavors, to the entire world. Because Beyonce has shown that when she wants to get politically aggressive and cause a sensation, she is more than capable of the task.

More specific details of the actual show experience at Beyonce’s Formation World Tour were also divulged recently by LA Times music writer Gerrick Kennedy.

“Source tells me Bey’s tour set is sick: 6-story rectangular video wall, turntable mainstage, flying apparatus, water & pyro fx on runway,” said Kennedy.

“I didn’t believe it when told to me. I’m a set design nerd so I love to see boundaries pushed, but I had pause.”

Obviously, this Beyonce show is going to be big.

It is extremely probable the Beyonce tour will bank largely on #BlackLivesMatter, as that is one of the keys to Beyonce’s current wave of pop culture dominance. And such an emphasis on race in her shows could signal a major shift in career tone for Beyonce.

Beyonce “is one of those stars of color who – until now – has been beyond race for the mainstream audience,” writes CNN. To illustrate its point, the article goes on to highlight the recent Saturday Night Live sketch in which Caucasian consumers are shocked as they listen to Beyonce’s “Formation” single and realize that she is, in fact, black.

Basically, a heavy emphasis on ethnic pride is a newcomer to Beyonce’s persona as a musical artist. The news that she is planning on playing it up in her upcoming Formation World Tour shows that it is an angle she plans to keep and foster as part of her celebrity profile.

The BeyHive also discussed the tour’s content a little, confirming that the new songs from Beyonce’s 2016 album would be performed on the tour. They would not reveal the tracklist or release date of the album, though, even though they claimed to know both pieces of information. Thanks, BeyHive.

Beyonce’s Formation World Tour is set to kick off on April 27 in Miami, and you can buy tickets for the shows at Ticketmaster.

What do you think we can expect from Beyonce on the tour?

[Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images]