If you need a final push to get through this Friday, there's hardly a better candidate than a motivational new song featuring the unrestrained vocals of Beyoncé.
Released online late last night, "Runnin' (Lose It All)" is a new track from British producer Naughty Boy, who has previously collaborated with acts like Sam Smith, Bastille, and Wiz Khalifa. The song and accompanying video are lush, letting Beyoncé and singer Arrow Benjamin loose on sweeping choruses. It's simple, and it's gorgeous.
After keeping a relatively low profile in 2015, Beyoncé has kicked it up a few notches for the fall — but always on her terms. Beyoncé has reached the point where she doesn't have to do anything she doesn't want to do. Her historic appearance as the first black female musician to make the cover of Vogue's coveted September issue did not have the traditional accompanying interview with it. She didn't answer a single question, and in fact, a representative told The New York Times in May that Beyoncé hadn't answered a direct question in over a year.
FIRST LOOK: Beyoncé Covers VOGUE Magazine - September 2015 Issue pic.twitter.com/OpMj6EEase
— BEYONCÉ LEGION (@Bey_Legion) August 13, 2015
Beyoncé's iron-clad hold on her image makes the moments when she releases her grip even slightly more notable. Her headlining performance at the Made in America festival earlier this month was a dizzying medley that spanned her entire career, and included nods to both Maya Angelou and ultimate fighter Ronda Rousey.
Meanwhile, "Runnin'" marks the first time we've heard Beyoncé on a new song in over a year. It might not technically be her own song, but Beyoncé's voice — powerful, tender, bruised, and defiant — engulfs it completely with its fire.
So while some puzzle over her refusal to speak when spoken to, as prescribed in whatever social contract celebrities implicitly sign, Beyoncé is happy to let her enormous voice speak for her.
