Everything with Beyoncé is intentional— whether we’re aware of it in real time or not.
She’s officially wrapped her year-long partnership with Levi’s with the fourth and final installment of her “REIIMAGINE” series.
Directed by Melina Matsoukas and soundtracked by an exclusive version of “LEVII’S JEANS,” Bey said at the start of the campaign, “My song ‘LEVII’S JEANS’ celebrates what I believe is the ultimate Americana uniform — something we all wear with pride. I am honored to work with Levi’s to create quintessential American iconography.”
She continued, “Denim on denim has often been seen through a male lens, so this reimagining campaign, which celebrates the iconic female perspective, is important to me. I look forward to exploring innovative ways for our visions to align in empowering women and honoring their strength.”
Coincidentally, the final chapter has the singer dressed in head-to-toe denim— a nod to chapter 2 titled “Pool Hall.” However, fans have reason to believe that she’s signaling the end of act ii: COWBOY CARTER and subtly introducing the Hive to act iii. Many already speculate that the final act of Bey’s trilogy will be inspired by Rock & Roll and even blues and jazz, especially since we know she’s heavily influenced by Tina Turner and has even paid homage to Betty Davis and Prince.
So, here are the act iii easter eggs that were spotted in Beyoncé’s final ad for Levi’s.
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Say goodbye to that horse
Image Credit: Levi’s/YouTube Though horses were prominent during the RENAISSANCE era, a cowboy isn’t complete without their horse. So, as Bey rode through town on her horse, it truly felt like the final ride, especially since how she came in was not how she went out.
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“The Smoke”
Image Credit: Levi’s/YouTube Aside from the timestamp coinciding with the date of Beyoncé‘s birth, others took the “Smoke” title card as a reference to “SMOKE HOUR” with Willie Nelson off COWBOY CARTER. Part of the opening lyrics include, “(Come on, baby, it’s time to rock)/ (Don’t let go, don’t let go).”
If Bey says “it’s time to rock,” then nothing else needs to be said.
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The road to Rock?
Image Credit: Levi’s/YouTube Instead of riding off into the night on a horse, she rode off a winner on a motorcycle. If that isn’t the biggest hint at Bey stepping into her long awaited rock era, then we don’t know what is.
Additionally, with Bey launching her denim collection with Levi’s, its chief marketing officer Kenny Mitchell praised the “REIIMAGINE” campaign as one that’s a “uniform of progress.”
Explaining to Fast Company, Mitchell stated, “At the heart of the ‘Reiimagined’ campaign is the fact that Levi’s has served as what we call this ‘uniform of progress.’ That’s a key part of what we often talk about in terms of breaking and building the codes of culture. Beyoncé has been driving a tremendous amount of progress in culture. So what we’ve created together is reinterpreting iconic ads that were almost always shown through the lens of a white male protagonist and centering them on a woman of color in an empowering way. It’s very much aligned with our strategy and brand point of view of being this outfitter of the world’s change agents, icons, and originals.”
With Black musicians being the originators of Rock and Roll, though often not credited as such, this is another sign that Bey is reclaiming space that’s rightfully ours.