Beyoncé's Formation is a powerful "statement of intent"

q's pop culture panel weighs in on the worthy, contentious, and mind-boggling stories from the week in arts and entertainment. Opinionated and irreverent, our panel takes pop culture seriously (but not too seriously).

Joining Shad today are Anupa Mistry of The Fader, journalist Rachel Giese, and Beyoncé scholar Dr. Naila Keleta-Mae.

Today's topics: 

• Unpacking Beyoncé's Formation — a fiery political and personal anthem. The panel describes it as a head-turning "statement of intent" released the day after Trayvon Martin's birthday and the day before her highly-publicized Superbowl performance. 

• Samantha Bee's new late night talk show. The panel weighs in on the power of Bee's unflinching humour and her knack for punching up.