Beyoncé’s music video that paid homage to entertainment icons from the 1950s onward was “Countdown.” Released in 2011, the visually busy video borrows from several decades of film, fashion, dance, and pop culture rather than recreating just one source.
The clip includes a look inspired by Audrey Hepburn in the 1957 film “Funny Face,” Twiggy-style makeup and poses, references to Brigitte Bardot and Diana Ross, and visual echoes of “Fame,” “Flashdance,” and “West Side Story.” Its fast editing and bold blocks of color make the references feel like a moving collage of performance history.
Adria Petty directed the video, with Beyoncé also involved as a co-director. The video became especially notable because it showed Beyoncé’s pregnancy, including a prominent shot of her baby bump. It also drew discussion over choreography resembling work by Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker; Beyoncé later described that ballet as one of several inspirations.
The wording can cause confusion because the video spans the 1950s through later decades. Nevertheless, “Countdown” is the specific video identified with this broad sequence of entertainment homages.