I may get a lot of hate for my opinion on this piece, but I’ve actually thought, read articles and had extensive conversations about Beyonce’s “Formation” single and its music video in relation to current social issues. My opinion on this topic is fairly developed and fixed.

I want to make it very clear before you read any further, that I am all for the cultural pride and the Black Lives Matter endorsement that is vehemently showcased throughout the music video and some of the lyrics of the song. And my issue doesn’t necessarily concern Beyonce herself, but some of the reactions of people across the country.

For starters, the musicality and vocals behind “Formation” is horrific. And this may be my personal opinion on commercialized trap music that is currently being released to the masses, but even for “Queen Bee” herself, this single is bad. I just don’t like the way the song sounds.

The actual lyrics of the song is one aspect that I find quite interesting. Throughout the “Formation” track, Beyonce talks more about herself than anyone or anything else. More specifically, she uses this song to respond to her “haters,” talk about her sex life with Jay-Z and engulf herself in her Beehive (fans), who glorify her as their Queen Bee.

Now, Beyonce does have a few lines that should be viewed as prideful statements in the black culture such as when she says, “I like my Negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils.”

Messy Mya, a New Orleans native killed in 2010, even poses a tantalizing question at the start of the song: “What happened after New Orleans?” Obviously, this question brings up a lot of conspiracy theories that have surfaced since Hurricane Katrina happened in 2005.

These quotes are very important, and I’m proud of Beyonce for using her platform to say it, but besides maybe one or two other lines, these were the only lines that could be applicable to a widespread of people.

In the “Formation” music video, Beyonce, who also directed the video, does pay homage to the black culture, which is stigmatized repeatedly in society. Watching the music video, viewers see images of police brutality, Hurricane Katrina, Black Lives Matter and many more social issues concerning race that have plagued America.

The reason why people should care about these facts that I just dissected in Beyonce’s “Formation,” is because the visuals in the music video simply do not match the message in the track. This song is not a black pride anthem.

Beyonce having pride in herself is not the same as having pride in black culture.

I applaud Beyonce for finally using her influence to spawn conversations about race in this country, but adding a few lines in your song about racial issues doesn’t make the song a symbol of black culture or black pride.

If you don’t believe me, look up the lyrics and listen to the track on its own.