It would be easy to credit the look of Beyoncé's new video to Lady Gaga's influence. After all, Beyoncé's last two music videos were "Telephone" and "Video Phone" — both done with Gaga. In a preview from her forthcoming release "Why Don't You Love Me," we see that Beyoncé, who plays a braless, tarty car mechanic, has retained a few of "Telephone"'s signatures, including:

1. Drag-queen makeup. Though Beyoncé dabbled in this for "Video Phone," she seems to have moved on completely from a minimalist look she used to favor that said, "I've been running on the beach all day and just look how SWEATY and POUTY and SLEEPY but TURNED ON I am. SIGH."

2. Daisy Dukes. Her denim shorts are less tattered than the ones she wore for "Telephone," and styled with thigh-high stockings.
3. Graphics. Gaga uses these to make her music videos feel like movies. Beyoncé employs them here, but it's unclear from just the preview if she will use them to warn us she's about to make the world's most disgusting poisoned sandwich.
4. Bold nails. In "Telephone" it was American flags; here, they're bright aqua blue.

But while it's hard to look at any diva these days and not wonder whether or not their antics, such as, oh, miming cunnilingus, were contrived to keep up with Gaga, the true essence of Beyoncé's video could have come from somewhere else entirely. Beyoncé may (and with only a brief preview it is perhaps too soon to tell) be making a comment on America. And why shouldn't she? She's not only American, but also sang at our president's inauguration. Also, the Met Costume Institute exhibit opening tonight, with a giant ball for 620 of Anna Wintour's fanciest and closest friends, is devoted to the American woman. And it was at this gala a couple of years ago that Beyoncé discovered Thierry Mugler, whom she later asked to design her tour costumes, after viewing the "Superheroes" exhibit. So now enjoy Beyoncé as the leggy patriot, or perhaps more fittingly, everything we as a nation can believe in!

Beyonce: 'Why Don't You Love Me' Video Preview [Just Jared]