Social Issues In Pop Culture

The social and political system in the United States of America unquestionably revolves around white supremacy and misogyny. Many pop culture icons have attempted to make a change, but none have seemed to have done it quite like Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. The pop icon released her album, Lemonade, in April of 2016, which lyrically and visually shows themes of different social issues such as racism and the treatment of women. Beyoncé combines the two together and explicitly discusses the injustices faced among African-American women, which can be heard and seen in the visuals during songs like “Don’t Hurt Yourself” and “Freedom”. Beyoncé takes her personal life, expands it, and leads it into the illustration of the struggle black women face across the United States. This illustration allows the viewers to understand the injustice faced upon black women and to recognize the strength they possess to fight against the treatment of men closest to them and of society. After Beyoncé’s notable Super bowl half-time performance, many knew that her sixth album, Lemonade …show more content…
In this anthem, she discusses her independence and successfulness through her lyrics. Through words like, “Keep your money, I got my own (13:21)” and “Get a bigger smile on my face, being alone” (13:24), the audience understands the message that she is truly a strong and successful black woman that does not need a man to support her. “Freedom”, the tenth song on the album, also deals with infidelity and even the oppression the African-American community faces. In the song, Kendrick Lamar references tactics the police would use when confronting protests during the civil rights movement with the lyrics “Fire hydrants and hazardous smoke alarms on the back of us”. Both songs contribute to the message of injustice and the strength developed as a