Photo of Beyoncé performing at Made in America 2015, by Kevin Mazur
Beyoncé says recent criticism over her new video for her single "Formation" is "completely mistaken."
"I'm an artist and I think the most powerful art is usually misunderstood," she said in a new interview with ELLE. "But anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of the officers who sacrifice themselves to keeps us safe. But let's be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things."
The singer goes on to address her critics even more directly, while insisting her message is intended to be an uplifting one: "If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me. I'm proud of what we created and I'm proud to be part of a conversation that is pushing things forward in a positive way."