Beyoncé’s ‘Most Iconic’ Music Video Was Actually the Cheapest to Make

Beyoncé puts meticulous care into all of her work, and her music videos are no different. Her videos are an art form that fans eagerly await every time she drops an album. While a great deal of effort goes into each video, they don’t always cost a fortune. Beyoncé once said that one of her cheapest videos to make became the most iconic.

Beyoncé said it was relatively cheap to make one of her most famous music videos

In 2008, Beyoncé released the music video for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It).” It’s a black and white video that depicts her and two other women dancing in bodysuits. 

“I’d seen this 1969 video [featuring Gwen Verdon], this one take of amazing Bob Fosse choreography set against a white background,” she told Billboard. “And I thought, ‘Wow, despite all the technology we have now, wouldn’t it be great to just strip it all down — without a bunch of different camera shots and cuts, without any hair and wardrobe changes — and make it all about the performance?’ We had exactly 12 hours to film that video.”

Beyoncé used the same director and crew she had for “If I Were a Boy.” She said she made every effort to keep things “simple.” As a result, it was the cheapest video she’d made up to that point. Still, it rocketed to success.

“Out of all my videos, it was the least expensive and took the least amount of time,” she said. “And it ended up being the most iconic. I absolutely didn’t expect that — I don’t think anyone did. But I knew exactly what I wanted to do: Keep it simple. I’ve done so many things in videos with different hair and wardrobe changes, different sets, and lights. I just wanted to keep this one really minimal. And once we got on the set, it was like, ‘Wait a minute. This is something special.’”

Since then, Beyoncé’s videos for “7/11” and “Formation” are similarly celebrated.