When Beyoncé and Jay Z dropped bombastic new song Apes**t last week, the first from their joint album Everything is Love, reactions from the public mostly focused on the jaw-dropping music video that accompanied it.

Filmed in the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris, the Carters’ choice of location prompted awe from social media users, amazed by the level of flex involved in renting out such an iconic space. 

“Beyoncé filming in the Louvre is literally more exclusive than if she were to film in the Oval Office, you guys can’t even fathom how powerful this woman is,” read one typical tweet. 

Yet only the latter half of that statement is true. As it turns out, renting the Louvre is not an unattainable goal for mere mortals – especially if they’re accompanied by a film crew. 

In fact, the world’s largest museum is relatively affordable to gain access to as a VIP. For 10,000 euros (£8,000), 50 people can enjoy a private tour of the Louvre’s permanent collections which include works by Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. Split evenly, that’s 200 euros (£176.55) per person.  

For those wanting to hire a specific venue, the Hall Napoléon – housed beneath IM Pei’s glass pyramid, the Louvre’s most enduring symbol – is available at a starting price of 28,000 euros (£24,654) for 500 guests. 

We’re not saying it would be the perfect place to get hitched… but we’re not not saying that either.

As for filming, the Louvre actually plays host to about 500 shoots a year. A full day’s shooting in the galleries costs around 15,000 euros (£13,150) – not out-of-this-world expensive considering the funding film projects can drum up. 

However, there were some concessions made for the most famous pop star in the world (and her husband): the Louvre put the hiring process on fast-forward for them. 

“Beyoncé and Jay-Z visited the Louvre four times in the last 10 years,”  a Louvre spokesperson told Vulture. “During their last visit in May 2018, they explained their idea of filming.

“The deadlines were very tight but the Louvre was quickly convinced because the synopsis showed a real attachment to the museum and its beloved artworks.” 

Locking down filming for a music video in of the world’s most-recognisable landmarks, just five weeks before your album drops, and keeping it a complete secret? Now that is powerful. 

Images: Beyoncé / Vevo / Youtube