Posted by Katherine St Asaph on 05/11/2011 at 11:27 AM News, Videos

The Popdust Files: beyonce, run the world (girls), Video preview

Before, there were 20 seconds. And now there are 38 more seconds—hey, that’s almost a full minute!—of Beyonce‘s “Run The World (Girls)” video, directed by Francis Lawrence and trickling out slowly over the last few weeks. This new teaser isn’t exactly new; we’ve seen a lot of it in the “B Revolution” teaser (26 seconds!): the barbed wire, the communist-inspired imagery, Beyonce on a horse, the world in general shambles. So here’s the extra stuff from this teaser: lots of static, lots of mushroom clouds, an army of decidedly non-girl soldiers, riot shields and Beyonce in a mini-wardrobe of couture. Still no sign of the song proper, but hey.

If all this (well, not the couture) seems a bit timely, you’re onto something. The Arabic-language newspaper in “B Revolution” was your first blurry, tattered clue. The license plate in Arabic shown this time around is your next. And even without those hints, the protesters vs. riot squad sub-plot clearly recalls a certain string of current events in the Middle East. It’s way too little too early to know how Beyonce and Lawrence plan to approach this, but it’s probably safe to say this’ll be a lot heavier than “Single Ladies.”

For lots more pics, videos and up-to-the-second dish on Beyoncé, be sure to check out her Popdust Artist Page.