Beyonce Returns With New Juneteenth Jam 'Black Parade': Listen
By Paris Close
June 20, 2020
Beyonce dropped a new jam for Juneteenth.
On Friday (June 19), the singer unveiled her latest song, “Black Parade,” a timely, much-needed anthem for our times. In addition to releasing the record, Beyonce launched the Black Parade Route initiative that supports Black-owned small businesses.
With the energy of the South and the motherland of Africa, Beyonce melds her one-of-a-kind cadence with the song’s cultural rhythms, energetic ad-libs, and spirited orchestral arrangements.
“Ooh, melanin, melanin, my drip is skin deep, like/ Ooh, motherland, motherland, motherland, motherland drip on me/ Ooh, yeah, I can't forget my history is her-story, yeah/ Being black, maybe that's the reason why they always mad/ Yeah, they always mad, yeah,” Queen Bey sings in the opening verse, throwing her Black pride in the faces of those who envy it.
“Black Parade” arrived hours after a newly-added “Black Parade” vertical appeared on Beyonce’s website. The tagline for the cause reads: “Being Black is your activism. Black excellence is a form of protest. Black joy is your right.”
On the Black Parade page, Beyonce offers a list of Black-owned businesses visitors can shop from, in categories ranging from art and design and beauty to home and living and fashion to restaurants and health and wellness services.
“Happy Juneteenth Weekend! I hope we continue to share joy and celebrate each other, even in the midst of struggle,” the 38-year-old wrote to celebrate the holiday on Instagram. “Please continue to remember our beauty, strength and power.”
Photo: Getty Images