Superstar Beyoncé has opened up in a brand new behind the scenes video for her new film clip, Pretty Hurts.
The 32-year-old singer opened up about trying to create a video that would speak to her audience about the scrupulous beauty standards that pressure women in society.
The clip sees Beyoncé primped to perfection to slip into the role of a smiling beauty queen, who is struggling with inner happiness and striving for external perfection.
A stripped down Beyoncé treats her fans in her new behind the scenes doco for Pretty Hurts
“Some of the things that young women go through, it’s just really heartbreaking for me,” the natural looking star says in the documentary.
Beyoncé plays a perfectly primped beauty queen as she tries to convey her “heartbreaking” message
At one point, the mother-of-one’s face is dotted and lined in a surgically prepped state to highlight the lengths women will go to achieve an eternally youthful look.
“I’m pretending to get a face-lift and Botox. It represents all the things that women go through to keep up with the pressure that society puts on us.”
The clip was inspired by this image of a young Beyoncé smiling in front of her childhood trophies
The video’s director Melina Matsoukas – who has already directed several of Beyoncé’s music clips, including Sweet Dreams and Move Your Body – says she was passionate about the concept of the clip after being inspired by an old picture of Beyoncé standing in front of a wall of trophies.
“I wanted to recreate that and have her break them and say that it doesn’t really advance you to get these awards that are just based on outer beauty,” says Matsoukas. “The concept of the video is really a behind the scenes look into society’s take on beauty and how it doesn’t bring you happiness and it doesn’t move you forward in life.”
Earlier this year the singer came under fire for her steamy performance at the 56th Grammy Awards with a sexy live rendition of ‘Drunk in Love’.
Beyoncé performs at the 56th Grammy Awards this year
A scantily clad Bey was seen flicking her damp hair in a series of provocative dance moves around a steel chair as she was joined on stage by her husband, Jay-Z, for part of the performance.
Some online detractors labelled the performance “pornographic” and likened it to the infamous Miley Cyrus VMA twerking effort of 2013.
“#Grammys2014 total shame from #BeyonceAtGrammys… parents we have to think twice about watching the #Oscars live with the kids,” tweeted one upset viewer.
“#BeyonceAtGrammys Beyoncé REALLY?? Wow disappointed in your lack of taste. Did your daughter see you,” another user commented.
Beyoncé steamed up the stage of the Staples Centre in LA
But while some found the performance “tasteless”, many thought that the singer was simply cementing her reputation as a strong and progressive female performer in an industry where women are routinely exploited.
In a show broadcast to millions, the reigning Queen of Pop appeared on stage in a barely-there leotard over a sheer black body stocking and structured corset during her January perfromance
However, some celebrity viewers in the audience were enamoured by the energetic show and tweeted messages of praise.
“BEYONCE you aren’t even a woman anymore you are the world and you are the lord … When Beyonce giggles un-self consiously in front of the whole music industry it’s pretty clear she’s surpassed the earthly plane,” tweeted GIRLS creator, Lena Dunham.
Beyoncé has previously discussed her philosophies about being a good role model for women while still embracing her sexuality in her performances.
“I don’t at all have any shame about being sexual and I’m not embarrassed about it and I don’t feel like I have to protect that side of me because I do believe that sexuality is a power that we all have,” said the singer in a behind the scenes interview for her self-titled album, Beyoncé.
In that same interview the mother to Blue Ivy, 2, discussed that part of being empowered is to embrace all of the elements that make up being a woman.
“You can have your child and you can still have fun and still be sexy and still have dreams and still live for yourself.”
