The hidden symbol you might have missed during Beyonce's VMAs performance

By Charlotte Willis

news.com.au·

30 Aug, 2016 06:30 AM2 mins to read

Beyonce left a secret message at the MTV Video Music Awards. Photo / AP

For anyone (everyone) too busy being mesmerised by Beyonce's show-stealing performance during Monday's MTV Music Video Awards, there's every chance you might have missed a powerful political message in her set.

We say performance, but what Bey delivered was pretty much a mini-concert - a jaw-dropping medley of hits from her visual album, Lemonade, that still has all of social media talking.

Beyonce performs onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. Photo / Getty Images

After serving up fierce renditions of hit singles, Pray You Catch Me, Hold Up, Don't Hurt Yourself, and Sorry, flanked by her body paint-adorned backup dancers, the reigning queen finished with the very last track on the album - Formation.

The subtle, yet unmistakeable feminist message became evident at the very end, when her dancers arranged themselves on the stage, forming a Venus symbol - the universal symbol for women.

Fans who picked up on the Venus symbol commented that it was the perfect close to Formation, a song celebrating black womanhood.

"I put the definition of feminist in my song to give clarity to the true meaning" - Beyoncé https://t.co/ImZtWjUXaN pic.twitter.com/2fhztg0Kth
— xoNecole (@xonecole) August 29, 2016

She was met by a standing ovation, the only appropriate response following such a staggering performance.

And she closes on the symbol for WOMAN. #Beyonce #VMAs pic.twitter.com/3DVAlKQKYp
— Elaine L. (@LaineyGossip) August 29, 2016

Did y'all catch the dancers all laid out at the end using the woman symbol? #Beyonce She is all about the details
— Kim Katrin (@KimKatrinC) August 29, 2016

VMA SET UP THE STAGE LIKE THIS SO BEYONCÉ COULD DROP THIS SYMBOL pic.twitter.com/gq24QLG6Ng
— saraleo nimo| BLM (@beeyonceknight) August 29, 2016

Factor in the bold statement she made on the red carpet about Black Lives Matter, along with her record-setting eight wins (including video of the year for Formation), and it's fair to say Beyonce WAS the VMAs this year.