King Richard is already set to feed us with powerful performances depicting the poignant story of two of the greatest tennis players the world has ever seen: Black sisters born and raised in Compton named Venus and Serena Williams (played by Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton). Will Smith plays the titular character—their father, Richard—in a biopic that reportedly had the tennis superstars in tears during an early screening. Now, the film has bestowed another gift on the world: Beyoncé is back with her first song in a year, “Be Alive,” for the film’s soundtrack.
Filled with soaring harmonies, the moving song starts with the hook “It feels so good to be alive / Got all my family by my side / Couldn’t wipe this Black off if I tried / That’s why I lift my head with pride,” and makes reference to their hard work and struggle to succeed: “The path was never paved with gold / We worked and built this on our own.”
Apparently, Beyoncé asked to write a track for the film after catching an early screening. “The marriage of a movie and a song is a kind of magic that’s unmatched in entertainment,” Will Smith said in October. “I was so happy when Beyoncé called.” Friends with the sisters, the Queen has brought Serena on stage in the past, and the tennis legend danced alongside her in the music video for “Sorry” on 2016’s seismic visual album Lemonade.
King Richard is out on November 19; in the meantime, hear the song below.
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