Pretty Hurts Beyonce Analysis

Beyoncé’s “Pretty Hurts” is an anthem that stresses the Transcendentalist focus of nonconformity by preaching about the need for society to end its pressuring of young girls to fit a certain standard. Having a past full of constant pressure to succeed and perform in the public eye for much of her childhood, Beyoncé harbors a dislike of the idea that women and young girls should be reduced to eye candy or see ridiculous standards expected of them. Going along with the Transcendentalist theme of rejecting the common belief of the day, Beyoncé argues that the constant pressures to be “perfect” and “pretty” are more damaging than they are something to idolize and actually displace the values in life that truly matter:
Pretty hurts, we shine the

She, contrary to the popular view of society, feels that instead, a cultivation of the soul’s beauty is what needs to be the emphasis. This process of going against the common standards of the world around her goes hand in hand with the same nonconforming interests Transcendentalists held. In another point charged with a darker warning, the concerns the artist has with the impact this damaging mentality would have on the individual’s sense of self are also seen, “Plastic smiles and denial can only take you so far/Then you break when the fake facade leaves you in the dark/You left with shattered mirrors and the shards of a beautiful girl.” In this line, she attempts to express the fact that the obsession with perfection will lead girls down a dark path that is not fulfilling. Basically, it is expressing how following the popular movement to satisfy others will only leave oneself feeling extremely empty. The addition of these lyrics serves to be another example as to how harmful following the majority can be and is another illustration of nonconformity in modern popular culture. Ultimately, “Pretty Hurts” is a prime example of the continued deviation from the norm existing in today’s society as it did during the Transcendentalist movement because it takes a strong stand against a hugely popular mindset in the world