On February 6 , 2016 , Beyoncé released " Formation " and its accompanying music video exclusively on the music streaming platform Tidal ; the song was made available to download for free . She performed " Formation " live for the first time during the NFL Super Bowl 50 halftime show . The appearance was considered controversial as it appeared to reference the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party and the NFL forbids political statements in its performances . Immediately following the performance , Beyoncé announced The Formation World Tour , which highlighted stops in both North America , and Europe . It ended on October 7 , with Beyoncé bringing out her husband Jay-Z , Kendrick Lamar , and Serena Williams for the last show . The tour went on to win Tour of the Year at the 44th American Music Awards
44th American Music Awards
American Music Awards of 2016
Beyoncé