Beyonce Speaks On ‘Formation’ Video, Police Brutality, Ivy Park With ‘Elle’
Beyonce has been setting 2016 on fire so far. The R&B superstar first completely blew away the Beyhive with her “Formation” music video, the same one which brought on criticism and accusations of being anti-police. She then caused an even bigger ruckus after she performed the song at the Super Bowl while also announcing her Formation World Tour. While fans and everyone else argued about the accusations of reverse-racism, Beyonce herself stayed relatively quiet on the controversy.
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But Beyonce is no longer staying silent, reports EW. The “Drunk in Love” singer did a cover story with Elle magazine and spilled it all, discussing everything from her career, police brutality, feminism, Ivy Park, and other topics.
“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. 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.”
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Beyonce had a lot to say about being a feminist, talking about the very definition of the word itself and double standards when it comes to gender. Beyonce clarifies that she placed the definition of feminism in her “Flawless” song and music video to try and educate people on what the world actually means. There are often some who find the word to be negative or threatening in some way.
As Beyonce talks, she says that the word simply means believing in equal rights for both women and men.
“If a man can do it, a woman should be able to,” she said.
Beyoncé has the perfect response to #Formation critics https://t.co/IRXHzqzbjV pic.twitter.com/UHkS45cs1j
— HuffPost BlackVoices (@blackvoices) April 5, 2016
Beyonce has received criticism over the fact that she has identified as a feminist and has even been questioned over why she deems motherhood as the greatest achievement in her life. Some see this as a disappointment and as valuing the social expectations of a domestic, family life rather than goals and accomplishments in her career. But Beyonce hasn’t let any of this get to her, and still defines herself however she chooses, even going so far as to say she is no longer concerned with labels and does not want to be boxed in.
She says that by declaring herself as a feminist, it might seem as if she is making that her biggest priority over things like sexism or racism. That’s not something that the singer wants.
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Beyonce recently announced a new activewear line, Ivy Park, and the idea for the activewear came when she realized that there wasn’t a reasonable athletic brand for people such as herself.
“Nothing aspirational for girls like my daughter,” Beyonce said. “I thought of Ivy Park as an idyllic place for women like us.”
She didn’t want to do an endorsement deal for another company, but rather create her own brand, where it could be a joint venture. Ivy Park is designed to provide sexy yet functional athletic wear for women, especially those with curves. Beyonce took certain features normally found in men’s sportswear and mixed them in with her own ideas. The name Ivy Park comes from the idea of a park being a social place where everyone is welcomed.
[Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images]
