Yahoo News Fact Check: What to Know About That Video Purporting to Show Beyoncé and Jay-Z in Japan
Claim:
A video from May 2024 authentically depicts Beyoncé and Jay-Z in Japan.
Rating:
On May 2, 2024, X account @PopBase shared a video claiming to depict American recording artists Beyoncé and Jay-Z during a trip to Japan. The post received more than 2.1 million views and 36,000 likes, as of this writing.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z during their trip to Japan.
pic.twitter.com/Nzh8bYJEgM— Pop Base (@PopBase) May 2, 2024
Other viral tweets sharing the video accused Beyoncé of cultural appropriation and compared her to Taylor Swift, who was accused of appropriation when she was photographed wearing a kimono.
Twitter user : “ taylor swift appropriating asian culture by wearing their attire which are given by Japanese stylist”
Twitter users in same scenario to beyonce : “ queen ! Slay!! Appropriate them slayonce”!! https://t.co/nBRKdn4TQ1— Folklush. (@folklush29) May 2, 2024
The video was indeed real; the footage was posted on Beyoncé's personal Instagram account as a part of a reel on May 1, 2024 (archived here). It was likely taken in March 2024, which is when she held a signing event at Tower Records Shibuya, Tokyo. However, neither Beyoncé nor Jay-Z was sporting traditional Japanese apparel.
(Instagram account @beyonce)
The singer and her husband visited Japan to promote Beyoncé's latest album, "Cowboy Carter." She held an album signing on March 29, 2024.
【緊急決定！！！】
#ビヨンセ 緊急来日中！！！
本日3/29(金)タワーレコード渋谷店にて
サイン会の開催が決定！！！#COWBOYCARTER
🔽詳細はこちらhttps://t.co/Ufy6jOzMvi pic.twitter.com/0PYHD1wM0e— ソニーミュージック洋楽 🌞 (@INTSonyMusicJP) March 29, 2024
The coat Beyoncé wore in the video can also be seen in designer LaPointe's Fall 2024 "Ready to Wear" line.
Sources:
'Https://Twitter.Com/Folklush29/Status/1786030271738814496'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/folklush29/status/1786030271738814496. Accessed 3 May 2024.
'Https://Twitter.Com/PopBase/Status/1785938676817743944'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/PopBase/status/1785938676817743944. Accessed 3 May 2024.
'Https://Twitter.Com/INTSonyMusicJP/Status/1773530631634370597'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/INTSonyMusicJP/status/1773530631634370597. Accessed 3 May 2024.
Nast, Condé. 'LaPointe Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear Fashion Show'. Vogue, https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2024-ready-to-wear/sally-lapointe/slideshow/collection. Accessed 3 May 2024.
