Beyoncé Sparks Cultural Appropriation Outrage in New Coldplay 'Hymn For The Weekend' Video

By Ariel Celeste Johnson (ariel.johnson@mstarsnews.com) | Feb 02, 2016 11:10 AM EST

Get the Most Popular Mstars News

Your favorite diva is back in the hot seat. Beyoncé has come under fire after fans got a glimpse of her in the new Coldplay, "Hymn for the Weekend" music video. The internet is swarming with accusations that Beyoncé is engaging in cultural appropriation with the donning of some traditional Indian garbs, specifically a sari. This, along with other aspects of the video is sparking some serious debate and outrage on cultural appropriation versus cultural appreciation.

Dressed like a Bollywood star, Beyoncé sings along with the "Princess of China" British rock band, Coldplay. The video depicts lead singer, Chris Martin, traveling throughout various parts of India where he is surrounded by peacocks, children covered in paint and holy men blowing colored powder in the air as they play Holi in the streets, very reminiscent of the India shown Iggy Azalea's "Bounce" or Diplo's video "Lean On."

Teen Vogue assessed the video as, "It's a white person's fever dream of what India looks like. I imagined a million wide-eyed white people watching this video, chorusing 'Wow, India is so colorful.' The video is full of fire-breathers and fireworks, brown hands clasped in prayer over lamps, and slum children dancing joyously because they are rich in spirit. It's all camp and chaos, a kaleidoscope of whirling parts that never add up to an accurate whole."

 Watch the Hymn For The Weekend video ft @beyonce and @sonamkapoor at YouTube.com/Coldplay now! #Coldplay

A photo posted by Coldplay (@coldplay) on Jan 29, 2016 at 7:18am PST

Beyoncé, while stunning in the video, she has also sparked outrage because she is seen wearing a traditional headscarf called a sari. This is problematic because a sari is supposed to represent a woman's level of humility and Beyoncé is wearing it along with a cleavage filled camera shot.

Watch the Hymn For The Weekend video ft @beyonce and @sonamkapoor at YouTube.com/Coldplay now! #Coldplay A photo posted by Coldplay (@coldplay) on Jan 29, 2016 at 7:18am PST

"Hymn for the Weekend" is the first single from the Coldplay "A Head Full of Dreams" album released in December. Fans can likely expect to see more of the sounds and styles from "Hymn for the Weekend" video when Beyoncé and Coldplay perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday at 6:30pm on CBS.

Check out the video below and let us know whether you think the duo is appropriating or appreciating culture.

© 2024 Mstars News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Get the Most Popular Mstars News

Related Articles

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

Follow Us Everywhere

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Music Times Network is always looking for well-versed, enthusiastic contributors and interns.
Submit your application today!

DON'T MISS

LATEST STORIES

MUSIC VIDEOS

Real Time Analytics