Beyoncé became a household name in the 90s as the lead singer of Destiny’s Child, an R&B trio. The band released iconic music before they parted to pursue solo careers. Beyonce released her debut album Dangerously In Love in 2003 and was instantly met with rave reviews as a critical and commercial hit. Since her first two music videos, Work It Out and Crazy In Love, Beyoncé went on to make some iconic music videos through her creative inspirations and famous collaborations. The singer has collaborated with notable directors, including Kahlil Joseph, Jake Nava, and Ricky Saiz.
From her visual masterpiece Lemonade which was a heartbreaking journey for the viewers, to her older music that featured large sets and lives animals with hundreds of backup dancers, Beyoncé has always made larger-than-life music videos that define her as the undisputed Queen of Pop. Let’s take a look at some of her most expensive music videos.
8 Sorry
Beyonce shocked the world when she released her surprise album Lemonade in 2016, a visual treat that depicted various stages of her tumultuous few years before the album’s release. Sorry featured tennis star Serena Williams and famous lyrics such as Becky with the good hair and Boy, bye in black and white visuals, as noted by Harper’s Bazaar. The majority of the video was shot in the Madewood Plantation House hotel, exclusively rented for the filming, and was directed by Queen Bey herself alongside Kahlil Joseph.
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7 Formation
Beyonce won the Grammy for Best Music Video with the Formation music video released in 2016 and directed by Melina Matsoukas. The video was shot in two locations, most notably at a swimming pool, and saw a series of dancers doing a perfect choreography alongside the singer in the music video. Beyonce performed the same song at the Super Bowl in 2016.
6 Lady Gaga Ft. Beyonce- Telephone
A song that made a pop-cultural impact, Lady Gaga and Beyonce took the new age of the internet by storm in 2009 after uploading the music video for Telephone. Directed and co-written by Jonas Åkerlund, the ten-minute video had many spectacular scenes, including a jailbreak, a restaurant, and a car shot that took two days to shoot, as stated by Variety. The location on the first day was jail, while it was in the desert on the second day. The music video had a massive budget with multiple wardrobe changes and locations.
5 Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
One of her most popular songs to date, Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), has become an anthem at every party and event, most notably known for its choreography and iconic lyrics. Shot in black and white, the video featured Beyonce with two dancers and was directed by Jake Nava, who is also the director of Beyonce’s Crazy In Love. The singer is seen wearing diamond and silver jewelry that makes her hand look bionic.
4 Hold Up
After the track opens with a monologue, the screen cuts to Beyonce opening a door as the water floodgates open from both directions. The singer is seen wearing a yellow custom Roberto Cavalli ruffled dress costing upwards of $25,000 that has become iconic due to the music video. Along with the dress, Beyonce smashed different parts of eight cars as a sign of destroying the properties of the men who cheated on her, and the damage came to a total of $31,150.
3 Run The World (Girls)
Beyonce and her female brigade of dancers set fire to the screen with their stunning performance in the music video Run The World (Girls) in 2011. As mentioned by The Times, the music video had a $1 million budget and featured two hyenas, one horse, one lion, and 242 dancers, along with a myriad of costumes. The shooting spanned over three days and was recorded in the Californian desert. The video showed perfectly choreographed dance numbers in an apocalyptic landscape as a backdrop.
2 The Carters- Apeshit
While nothing makes a video more expensive than exclusively renting a hotel or location, The Carters took things to the next level when they rented the iconic Louvre museum in Paris for one day. The single from the first joint album, Apeshit, begins with a dark backdrop before the couple is seen standing in front of the Mona Lisa painting. The video was a strong message against racism, showcasing women of the 21st century from all races and colors compared to the portraits around the museum.
1 About Love- Tiffany & Co.
As a long-time ambassador of Tiffany & Co., Beyonce not only wears the brand’s jewelry to award shows and music videos but has also been inspired to cover songs for their music campaigns. A collaboration with the jewelry maker saw Beyonce serenading Jay-Z with a cover of Moon River, which Audrey Hepburn famously sang in Breakfast At Tiffany’s. According to USA Today, the budget of the music video is solely high due to the diamond necklace worn by the singer, a 128.54-carat Tiffany diamond worth over $30 million.
Her other notable high-budget music videos include Pretty Hurts, Naughty Girls, and Best Thing I Never Had. With her visual genius and ability to tell stories through videos and music, Beyonce is one of the most remarkable artists in the film industry who makes music resonate with audiences with engaging videos.
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Sources: Harper’s Bazaar, Variety, The Times, USA Today
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