More than 10 million people visited the Louvre in 2018–a boost of 25% since 2017. But the booming numbers aren’t necessarily due to the museum’s collection at all. Instead, the Louvre credits superstars Beyoncé and Jay Z for drawing visitors after the couple shot a music video for the song “Apeshit” in its halls.
The music video depicts Beyoncé and Jay-Z singing, rapping, and dancing in front of some of the museum’s masterpieces, like the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and Coronation of Napoleon. Their casual demeanor in the museum’s storied galleries is a statement of cultural dominance, displaying their wealth and power with one of the world’s greatest monuments to art as a backdrop.
According to the Louvre’s recent press statement, the music video helped set a global attendance record in 2018–though the museum also credits an exhibition focused on the works of French artist Eugène Delacroix as well as the opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi for boosting the number of visitors and the museum’s global reputation.
To capitalize on the “Apeshit” video’s global audience, the Louvre added a 90-minute tour of the galleries and paintings included in the music video for visitors. After all, it’s not every day that some of the world’s most successful recording artists turn your museum into a stage for their art.
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