"Formation" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé for her sixth studio album Lemonade (2016). It was written by Beyoncé, Mike Will Made It, Swae Lee, and Pluss, and produced by the former two. It served as the album's lead single, surprise-released on February 6, 2016, through Parkwood Entertainment. "Formation" is an R&B song with trap and bounce influences, in which Beyoncé celebrates her culture, identity and success as a black woman from the Southern United States.
Some scenes in the video depict flooding in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
Beyoncé performing during the Super Bowl 50 halftime show
Flanked by her dancers, Beyoncé performs "Formation" on The Formation World Tour in 2016
Sales at Red Lobster increased by 33% after it was referenced in "Formation"
Lemonade is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé. It was released on April 23, 2016, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records, accompanied by a 65-minute film of the same title. It follows her self-titled fifth studio album (2013), and is a concept album with a song cycle that relates Beyoncé's emotional journey after her husband's infidelity in a generational and racial context. Primarily an R&B and art pop album, Lemonade encompasses a variety of genres, including reggae, blues, rock, hip hop, soul, funk, Americana, country, gospel, electronic, and trap. It features guest vocals from Jack White, the Weeknd, James Blake and Kendrick Lamar, and contains samples and interpolations of a number of hip hop and rock songs.
Beyoncé performing during The Formation World Tour at Carter–Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina on May 3, 2016
The film samples work by Malcolm X.
The character of Catherine of Aragon in the West End musical Six, originated by Jarnéia Richard-Noel, was inspired by Lemonade-era Beyoncé.