Entertainment

Beyoncé's "Formation" Slays At Hillary's Rally

by Alaina Urquhart-White

If you were within a 100-mile radius of Cleveland, Ohio on Friday night, you may have felt a slight tremor in the Earth. This magical seismic activity would have been due to the colossal amount of power that was existing on stage at a rally for Hillary Clinton. That's right, Beyoncé and Jay Z were hanging out with Clinton, and Bey performed multiple hit songs in a custom pantsuit. Most of her songs lend themselves nicely to powerful, independent women but Beyoncé's performance of "Formation" really stuck out as meaningful to this campaign.

The superstar prefaced her performance and said, "Less than 100 years ago, women did not have the right to vote. Look how far we've come." That statement could not be more chill-inducing when you think about Clinton's fierce climb to the top, alongside Beyoncé's galactic-level success. Also, the custom pantsuit she wore as a subtle nod to Clinton, made her statement that much more powerful. "Formation" was a perfect choice of song to perform at a Clinton rally that marks the crescendo of a bizarre and stressful election season. For one, the lyrics were referenced by Clinton herself when she memorably indicated that she kept hot sauce in her purse.

On a deeper note, the song itself extends a message of climbing to the top and basically just being a boss. It specifically calls for women to get into formation and take charge, which is literally Clinton's thesis statement for the majority of her campaign. With lyrics like, "Sometimes I go off (I go off), I go hard (I go hard) / Get what's mine (take what's mine), I'm a star (I'm a star) / Cause I slay (slay)," who else can you really conjure up in your mind other than Clinton?

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The song also seems to speak to Clinton's struggles to be taken seriously in a male-driven field and her dreams for the country that she plans to lead. Lyrics like, "I dream it, I work hard, I grind 'til I own it," really show where she's coming from, which is straight from the mind of an innovator and a woman who gets things done.

Watching a strong, inspiring woman like Beyoncé performing in honor of another strong, inspiring woman sends a loud message of female empowerment that Clinton's campaign has been aching for. It is amazing to see two powerhouses come together to get our first female president elected, and they chose the perfect soundtrack for the occasion.