Whether you're a die-hard Beyoncé fan or not, her single, 'Pretty Hurts,' is pretty hard-hitting. The official music video (watch below) is a 7 minute long video, which sees Beyoncé transform into 'Miss 3rd Ward' for a Beauty Pageant, which is hosted by the marvellous Harvey Keitel. However, things at this Pageant aren't so glamorous, and the music video provides a visual accompaniment to a song which suggests that people are hurt by societal expectations of beauty.
Whatever you think of Beyoncé as an artist, person, etc., and whatever you may think of some of the other songs from her album, 'Pretty Hurts' is quite touching and the singer's vocals elevate it to something more than just another song about Beauty. With the increasing pressure on women to look 'beautiful' and society affirming the concept of beauty through its tabloid magazines and media (which often comment on how much weight a certain celebrity has losts, what their 'pins' look like, or other image-focused remarks), it seems young women are feeling lost or insecure in their looks, and this can often be damaging to a person's well-being and health.
Now, I'm not saying Beyoncé has all the answers, because she doesn't. But if one person can feel as if they are not alone, through hearing Beyoncé sing about insecurities and the pain that people feel about their appearance, then surely that's a good thing. If Beyoncé manages to get people talking about body-image then that's a good thing.
Feeling happy and confident in your image is key to a positive life, and its something that needs to be talked about more often - don't ever feel like you have to conform to societal expectations to be valued as a person - you are more than your appearance. But anyway, back to the music video.
The video for 'Pretty Hurts' sees Beyonce exhibiting several eating-disorders as she struggles her way through the Pageant, only to lose out on the trophy in the final two. In the video she is seen being pointed out on her weight several times, hitting the gym in an attempt to burn some calories in order to feel accepted.
A more thought-provoking video than some are probably used to, 'Pretty Hurts' is pretty much what it says on the tin - it's claiming that the attempts to conform to a standard of 'pretty' created by our society ultimately hurts people. So, is this another killer track from Beyoncé or do you prefer some of the other songs from her album?
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