Beyoncé and Jay-Z Were Able to Shoot ‘Apesh*t’ in the Louvre Because of Their ‘Attachment to the Museum and Its Beloved Artworks’

Beyoncé and Jay-Z made everyone go — well, apesh*t — when they dropped the video for “APESH*T” just a few days ago.

As for how they were able to film inside the Louvre? It’s actually not as uncommon as you may think.

The New York Times did some digging and as it turns out about 500 productions take place inside the museum each year…and it’s not that expensive.

While some fans have exulted that only Queen Bey has the cash and the clout to privatize Europe’s grandest museum, there is nothing very rare about filming here. About 500 shoots take place at the Louvre every year. The Carters’ clip follows in the tradition of “Wonder Woman,” “Fifty Shades Freed” and such noble cultural achievements as “The Smurfs 2.” Film and television shoots serve as an essential marketing for the Louvre — attendance is up again, after terrorism-induced declines in 2016 — and as of 2015, the top fee was just 15,000 euros, or about $17,500, for a full day’s shoot in the galleries. There are hotel rooms here that cost more than that.

Vulture spoke to the museum reps and they said that Beyoncé and Jay-Z first requested to film in May.

“Beyoncé and Jay-Z visited the Louvre four times in the last ten years. During their last visit in May 2018, they explained their idea of filming,” a spokesperson for the museum told Vulture. (Who could forget their infamous 2014 trip?) “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.”

If you missed it, check out the “APESH*T” video here.