The 10th Anniversary of “Single Ladies” — The Evolution of Beyonce
It’s been 10 years since Beyonce released the music video for “Single Ladies,” an ode to female empowerment that spawned the dance craze of the new millennium. With it minimalist aesthetic and jaunty choreography, the iconic video was a rallying message for female agency that has left an indelible mark on pop-culture. At the 2009 Video Music Awards, Kanye West notoriously asserted Beyonce “had one of the best music videos of all time.” Looking back, “Single Ladies” merely set the precedent for her iconicity.
A decade later, Beyonce has ascended to “Queen Bey” — a hallowed pop-culture icon with who has been appointed a god-like status. Most notably, Beyonce’s has crafted a legacy that is based on her extensive resume rather than public appearances and interviews, and she uses her artistry as a platform to convey messages of greater importance. Much of Beyonce’s personal life has remained ambiguous while she uses her art to discuss important social justice issues.
In 2014, she performed her song flawless “Flawless,” another anthem for female empowerment, with the word “FEMINIST” projected behind her at the Video Music Awards. Following the performance, she preached the word’s dictionary definition — “a person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes.” In 2016, she released the music video for “Formation,” set in post-Katrina New Orleans. The video is an ardent illustration of the black experience with an implicit focus on police brutality. In stark contrast to her earlier hits, “Formation” visualizes black disempowerment as a call to action. Her subsequent performance of the song at the 2016 Super Bowl was a not-so-subtle nod to the Black Panthers, once again calling attention to “Black Lives Matter” — it has been marked as one of the most potent displays of political art in recent memory in an arena that has traditionally been the hallmark of American exceptionalism and corporate agendas. She has since continued to use her platform as a vehicle for social change through politically charged tweets, performances, merchandise and endorsement of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential elections, all without regarding the implications the controversy may have on her career.
When leaked elevator security camera footage raised questions about her marriage, she released Lemonade, addressing both her personal affairs and broader issues of racial injustice. Through this 65 minute masterpiece, Beyonce begins to bridge the gap between her individual adversities and her politically driven platform. Among all of this, she continues to raise the bar — the release of an entirely visual album was unprecedented. With the release of Lemonade, Beyonce introduced a new level of artistry to which the “Single Ladies” music video pales in comparison. In a visual album more along the lines of a movie, Beyonce chronicles her struggle to work through her marriage and healing after her husband’s affair. But beneath a personal narrative is a powerful political message that uses imagery to empower black women.
In 2018, Beyonce, this time alongside Jay-Z, once again transcended the dynamism of the music video as a medium. Shot in The Louvre museum, “APESHIT” powerfully visualizes black diaspora. The setting is a poignant reminder of the enduring legacy of colonialism — Beyonce and Jay-Z bring blackness into an institution that ostentatiously depicts a white, imperialist history. Reimagining a world in which African art is held to the same standard, black bodies are featured as works of art in a museum in which they have been historically unwelcome. The videos sophistication and symbolism is emblematic of Beyonce’s creative evolution throughout the past decade. The focus of her music has shifted from catchy pop hits to a cogent call to action. Ten years after she had the world doing jazz hands, Beyonce has broadened her role as a pop-culture icon to remind us of the harrowing reality of history and urge us to act against injustice.
