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Library/Music/Formation
Grade B34 sourcesHIS-00163

Formation

Music · 2016 · Notable

54Editable slideCertificate

Beyoncé's Formation reached No. 10 on the Hot 100 after its video and Super Bowl launch.

Original · Beyoncé
Clip · BeyoncéVEVO on YouTube
Formation (Explicit)
Beyoncé on YouTube
Formation: cover art
Wikipedia (non-free, fair use)
beyonce
TIME
57th GRAMMY Awards - Press Room
TIME
'The Day Beyoncé Turned Black' sketch airs on 'SNL' - UPI.com
UPI

Spread Score

How it works
Reach42Contagion10Breadth100Velocity87Longevity4154

Numbers

US radio audience at R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay debut
16.3M
As of Feb 18, 2016 · Audio · Billboard
Peak date
Week of Feb 9, 2016
Feb 6 ’16 to Week of Feb 9, 2016
Platforms
8
Started on YouTube
Origin
Seeded
Entertainment

Mechanics

  • Platform jumpPrimary
  • Controversy
  • Press loop
  • Identity badge
  • Response chain

How it spread

Trace the origin

Beyoncé released Formation before a scheduled Super Bowl performance. Twitter reactions, radio play and parodies followed; Red Lobster reported a sales increase. When the song went on sale, it debuted at No. 10 on the Hot 100.

Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Wikipedia views · Google searchesJan ’16MarAprMayJunSepDecMar ’17AugFeb ’18JunPeakYouTubeXPressTVOpen webRetailAudioFacebook
YouTubeXPressTVOpen webRetailAudioFacebook

16 more events on this chart

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Timeline (19)

  1. February 2016

    Beyoncé seed · Feb 6 ’16

    Beyoncé released Formation and its video, with a free Tidal download.[1][2]

    beyonce
    Open the first post ↗

  2. Twitter users platform jump · Feb 6 ’16

    Formation reached No. 1 on the real-time Billboard + Twitter Trending 140 chart after release.[3]

  3. TIME press · Feb 6 ’16

    TIME covered the release and immediate social-media reactions to the video's Black Lives Matter imagery.[1][4]

    57th GRAMMY Awards - Press Room
Changelogupdated Oct 12 ’26
  1. 2026-10-12Added: 16 events, 24 sources · Score 57
Origin
Seeded
Sector
Entertainment
Region
US
US radio audience at R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay debut
16.3M
As of Feb 18, 2016 · Audio · Billboard
Evidence
Grade B

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matt little on Instagram: "LINK IN BIO - Master Splinter headed off to feed #TMNT"

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3.5K derivatives

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Wikipedia views · Google searchesJan ’16MarAprMayJunSepDecMar ’17AugFeb ’18JunPeakYouTubeXPressTVOpen webRetailAudioFacebook
YouTubeXPressTVOpen webRetailAudioFacebook

16 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. February 2016

    Beyoncé seed · Feb 6 ’16

    Beyoncé released Formation and its video, with a free Tidal download.[1][2]

    beyonce
    Open the first post ↗

  2. Twitter users platform jump · Feb 6 ’16

    Formation reached No. 1 on the real-time Billboard + Twitter Trending 140 chart after release.[3]

  3. TIME press · Feb 6 ’16

    TIME covered the release and immediate social-media reactions to the video's Black Lives Matter imagery.[1][4]

    57th GRAMMY Awards - Press Room

  1. owner response · Feb 7 ’16

  2. owner response · Feb 7 ’16

Join free to see the other 16 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

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Why it worked

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