Beyoncé opened the BET Awards in style on Sunday night (27 June), with an empowering performance of her track ‘Freedom’.
She kicked off the awards ceremony with her first TV performance since the release of her smash hit album, ‘Lemonade’.
The intense performance opened with excerpts from Martin Luther King’s iconic ‘I Have A Dream’ speech specifically relating to racial equality, while she and her backing dancers made their way to the stage.
After some typically on point vocals and tight choreography, things were then cranked up another notch when Kendrick Lamar put in an appearance, to perform his rap on the track.
The duo’s performance - which included a pool of water on stage, pyrotechnics and a whole lot of smoke - was even more impressive given that their appearance had been kept a secret in the lead-up to the awards.
Beyoncé made her return to the music scene this year, with the surprise release of her ‘Black Lives Matter’-inspired single ‘Formation’.
She later performed the track during the halftime show at this year’s Super Bowl, courting controversy by making allusions to race activist Malcolm X, as well as her outfit, which bore similarity to the uniforms worn by the Black Panthers.
The BET Awards also featured performances from Usher, Alicia Keys and a special tribute to Prince from Janelle Monáe and Sheila E.
Beyoncé was also among the big winners at the show, taking home Video Of The Year, the Viewers’ Choice Award, among others.
And if her ‘Freedom’ performance - which you can watch here - hasn’t got you excited for the ‘Formation’ tour’s arrival in the UK this week, then nothing will...