'The Day Beyoncé Turned Black' SNL Sketch Is Hilarious (And Eye-Opening)

The SNL Beyoncé's skit mocks the hysteria surrounding her new formation video...

beyonce-superbowl L
beyonce-superbowl L
(Image credit: Rex Features (Shutterstock))

The SNL Beyoncé's skit mocks the hysteria surrounding her new formation video...

Unless you've been buried inside a cave these past couple of weeks, you won't have failed to notice the general furore and outrage from a lot of people who are hella-upset with Beyoncé's latest single Formation which premiered at the 2016 Superbowl.

And now SNL have released a sketch which parodies the reaction from some very angry former fans and called it 'The Day Beyoncé Turned Black.'

In the vid, America turns into a post-apocalyptic nightmare as Beyoncé's white fans go into full on melt-down over the realisation (after listening to Formation and watching the Superbowl, presumably) that the singer, is in fact, a black woman.

Watch the vid below:

The SNL Beyoncé sketch is mainly a LOL-filled satire of white sensibilities in the US and perfectly highlights just how crazy some reactions to Bey's new music have been. But we're thinking it also kind of undermines Bey, because SNL are suggesting that the singer has previously denied her own blackness before she followed this new, politically-charged musical direction. Being black isn't something you can shake-off and shrug on when it's convenient, and er, last time we checked, Bey has always been a black singer.

But yeah, we can admit, her latest political statements are quite the departure from her one-size-fits-all pop-star days, where she kept pretty schtum over race issues. But then again, we reckon she did what the had to do in order to sell records in an industry where white artists continue to pick up more awards for their videos than black singers, and cultural appropriation is rife.

Now she's got to a point in her career where she can release music that unapologetically references the modern-day civil rights movement in the US (her Superbowl performance paid homage to the Black Panthers and was performed on what would have been Trayvon Martin's 21st birthday, the murdered teenager who became the focal point for the Black Lives Matter group in 2013) - and we're totally in support of her new musical/political direction.

The leading destination for fashion, beauty, shopping and finger-on-the-pulse views on the latest issues. Marie Claire's travel content helps you delight in discovering new destinations around the globe, offering a unique – and sometimes unchartered – travel experience. From new hotel openings to the destinations tipped to take over our travel calendars, this iconic name has it covered.