Can an epic music video make up for a disappointing single? Sometimes—although, more often than not if you're Beyoncé. Despite giving us an unconventional first track off her forthcoming album 4 (out June 28), B has been killing it in public appearances of late (namely, crashing middle school gyms), reminding us that we could never really give up on her, regardless of what "Run The World (Girls)" may sound like.
The highly anticipated video is finally here, after premiering on American Idol Wednesday night (where B also served as guest mentor to the final three contestants). Fans have made their mixed reviews of the song known, but at the end of the day it's still Beyoncé—lady has a flair for the dramatic and knows a little bit about female empowerment anthems. With the "Girls" video, she's created her own army of fiercely dressed women looking to send a message to all the deadbeat men in their path. While B isn't afraid to get rough with the boys, hang with exotic animals or flip the camera the bird, it's her sexuality that she and her army use most to assert their power. As she sings "My persuasion can build a nation," signaling the beginning of the chorus, she and her girls, dressed in colorful leotards and garter belts, gyrate and roll their hips suggestively in front of a seemingly disinterested group of military men. For Beyoncé, independence and strength do not negate sexuality. And if the video suggests these women are objects, they are truly objects of beauty, adorned in lavish couture pieces, which creates a nice juxtaposition to the desolate African backdrop. Plus, there are lions, horses and bulls. Oh my! Check it out, below.
Is "Run The World (Girls)" one of Beyoncé's greatest videos of all time? (All time?!)
