As she is known to do, Beyoncé dropped a surprise music video on us earlier today. The timing makes sense—ever since we learned she’d be performing with Coldplay (or should we say, Coldplay would be performing with her) at tomorrow’s Super Bowl, we’ve been counting down the days to the sporting event her live concert. So this is really just a lovely surprise for her fans, who’ve been waiting all year for new music from the Queen.
And did she deliver, DAMN. The song is catchy, made up of the stuff that sends music straight to the top of the charts. But that’s not what’s incredible about it—we already know Bey is capable of chart-topping hits. Where Beyoncé really hits the nail on the head is her honest, unapologetic portrayal of what black culture really is. In just under five minutes, she covers a number of issues affecting the black community: police brutality, the #BlackLivesMatter movement and Katrina, among others. Not only that, Beyoncé touches on black pride and black identity, both in subtle ways (all that gorgeous, natural hair!) and with more powerful statements like the rally to bring black women together.
Watch the video below—and be prepared to declare, “I slay.”