Beyoncé and the Hyena

We're not sure what Beyonce is trying to say with her music video for her female empowerment song, "Run the World." You're guest is as good as ours.

A still from the music video for Beyonce's "Run this world."

The American R&B singer Beyonce has variously described the new video for her single “Run This World (Girls)” as “futuristic,” “electronic” and “African.” Of the overload of half-references in the video, some things came to mind: the hyena men (or rather, the hyenas on a leash) photographed by South African, Pieter Hugo; the two pantsula dancers in Converse flanking her midway through the song, among others. But the real question is what she doing planning to “build a nation” or “take over the world” from Georgia, the country (where the video was shot)? Watch:

Further Reading

Global Genre Accumulation

If there’s an underground dance scene or marginalized community nearby, Diplo or some DJ like him has or probably will “discover,” re-frame, and sell it to audiences in another part of the world.