“Formation” appears on Beyoncé’s 2016 album Lemonade.
Beyoncé released “Formation” as a surprise single on February 6, 2016, one day before her Super Bowl 50 halftime appearance. The song was written by Beyoncé, Swae Lee, and Khalif Brown, with production by Mike WiLL Made-It and additional production from Pluss.
Its lyrics and video emphasize Black identity, Southern heritage, family, and resistance. The video includes references to New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina, police violence, and Black cultural imagery. Those elements made “Formation” a major subject of discussion beyond its chart performance.
The song later became part of Lemonade, which was released in April 2016 with an accompanying film. It is sometimes mistakenly treated as a standalone song unrelated to the album because of its surprise release, but its themes and visual motifs connect directly to the larger Lemonade project. “Formation” won Best Music Video at the 2017 Grammy Awards.