Via YouTubeMusic / Cult VaultMusic / Cult VaultDid this 90s art film actually inspire Beyoncé’s ‘Hold Up’ music video?On the 10th anniversary of Lemonade, we revisit the video’s link to Pipilotti Rist’s Ever Is Over All, and the controversy it causedShareLink copied ✔️April 23, 2026April 23, 2026TextThom Waite Remember Beyoncé’s “Hold Up” music video? Of course you do. The visuals for the third single off Lemonade – which turns 10 today – see the singer strutting down a city street in a yellow gown. Wielding a baseball bat, she smashes car windows, fire hydrants, and security cameras as she goes, leaning into the “crazy” persona that appears across the visual album. But she’s not the first to commit vandalism in the name of art. In 1997, the Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist debuted Ever Is Over All, a projection that shows a woman in a blue summer dress, smashing car windows as she walks down a city street. Ok, there were some notable differences: for one, Rist is committing vehicular assault with an oversized torch lily, not a baseball bat, and a simultaneous video shows slow motion close-ups of the flower. Plus, the only sounds are a slow, simple melody and the occasional blast of shattering glass, not an instant-classic reggae track that interpolates the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and “Turn My Swag On”. That said, there are some obvious parallels, including the wanton destruction of parked cars, the jaunty, carefree attitude of the performers, the sharp feminist overtones, and the joy and/or indifference of onlookers. In fact, this was enough to see Beyoncé accused of plagiarism when “Hold Up” was first released. Is Beyoncé really guilty of copying Pipilotti’s homework? We may never know. The singer, alongside video director Jonas Åkerlund and overarching Lemonade filmmaker Khalil Joseph, haven’t publicly acknowledged the link between the two. Rist never released an official statement either, and, unlike others, didn’t seek to sue the billionaire musician for seemingly lifting from her work. In fact, some commentators have suggested that the artist would have found the reference “extremely gratifying” given her love of music videos and “MTV clips”. You can make the comparison for yourself below. Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREKneecap, Erika de Casier, Smerz and more call to boycott Eurovision Ethel Cain’s Coachella stage was a ‘graveyard of American industry’Oakley Going ‘field mode’ with Emi MatsushimaTOMORA are the dance-pop superduo out to ‘connect unexpected people’If Geese are a psy-op, so is everything elseA deep dive into the fan-led SOPHIE archive projectThe secret history of Black British musicSilvana Estrada: ‘Bad Bunny is my hero, but Latin America is a continent’ The ultimate guide to music festivals in 2026Stop calling Justin Bieber’s Coachella set ‘lazy’Xaviersobased’s online obsessions: NBA 2K, skate videos and NickelodeonQueer nightlife is thriving in Bucharest’s abandoned backroomsEscape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy