Beyoncé

Formation (2016), directed by Melina Matsoukas, situates Beyoncé's star image within a dense set of Southern Black cultural references and political images. Fashion and choreography operate alongside place, history and collective identity. Watch the shifts between individual poses and scenes populated by other people: the star is both an unmistakable centre and part of a larger visual argument. The video rewards attention to the production's collaborators and contexts, rather than treating its memorable frames as isolated pictures of celebrity confidence.