Upon first viewing the "APESHIT" music video this weekend, we were, of course, in complete awe. Once that initial haze of amazement over Beyoncé's voice, lyrics, body, outfits, dance moves, and general presence wore off, we were left with a few questions. Did the Carters shut down the entire Louvre to shoot this video? If so, how much did that cost? How long did the shoot take? Were tourists and locals turned away from an afternoon roaming the museum's galleries because of the shoot? What precautions were taken to protect the priceless pieces of art from light damage? Yes, those are just some of the things the curious (and practical) minds among us were wondering, so after we finished fully processing Bey's perfection, we reached out to the Louvre to get some answers.
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Since Beyoncé and Jay-Z make guests sign non-disclosure agreements before attending their parties, it really comes as no surprise that the Louvre wouldn't reveal many details about the "APESHIT" video shoot. When we contacted the Louvre to ask our many questions about the filming preparations and process, we received a single statement back via email. Though the very official three-sentence response didn't provide closure on many of our most burning curiosities, it did reveal some interesting information.
According to the Musée du Louvre's statement, "Beyoncé and Jay-Z visited the Louvre 4 times in the last 10 years." One of those visits obviously resulted in the iconic and often-memed 2014 photo of the couple standing in front of the Mona Lisa, which was referenced in the "APESHIT" video. Another of the couples' Louvre visits resulted in the music video itself. "During their last visit in May 2018, they explained their idea of filming," a spokesperson from the Louvre, stated.
Since this conversation about the vision for the "APESHIT" video happened just last month, that means all the planning happened extremely quickly. "The deadlines were very tight but the Louvre was quickly convinced because the synopsis showed a real attachment to the museum and its beloved artworks," the museum said in its statement. When you examine the significance of each piece that appears in the video, it is clear that Beyoncé and Jay-Z put a lot of thought into the inclusion of the artwork. The Louvre obviously responded well to that and the couple's consistent patronage of museum. Plus, we're guessing Bey and Jay also paid a hefty fee to be able to film there, even if the amount is still unconfirmed.