Nicholas Nam (Dancehall Magazine) reviews some of the new songs from Beyoncé’s new release, rebirth.
For her latest successful release, rebirthBeyoncé enlisted two of Jamaica’s genre-blending champions: icon Grace Jones and rising star BEAM.
Grace Jones’ voice permeates the tracks Flick. From the start, her vocals swirl together with Beyoncé’s, forming a heady union that disintegrates as quickly as it appears. of Slave to the rhythm the singer weaves in and out of the track, delivering catchy lines like “Brukup / It’s Brukup / It’s Brukup,” a slick reference to Jamaican dancer George Adams, who wowed audiences from Kingston to Brooklyn with his contortionist styles. Nigeria’s rising star, Tems, briefly joins the action, mixing up the mix with her honey birth.
As an instrumental in Flick the boom, hard bass and rhythmic grooves prove that the song is nothing short of a dance floor anthem. Beyoncé, P2K and GuiltyBeatz are credited as producers. Producer Sean ‘MeLo-X’ Rhoden, who was born in New York to Jamaican parents, provided additional production including “rudebwoy” adlibs. He was previously credited for co-writing We are sorry AND banoutside Bey Lemonade album of 2016.
Interesting, rebirthHis liner notes also reveal this Flick was partially recorded at Zak Starkey’s studio in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
Meanwhile, BEAM’s talent is stamped all over Beyoncé’s rebirth.
Beyond her supplying additional vocals to the song Wait for it AND warmed, the Jamaican-born, Miami-bred maverick shares center stage with home track superstar Energy. It’s a two-fold contribution as BEAM delivers his shape-shifting chorus atop the quirky instrumental he co-produced with Beyoncé, Skrillex and Al Cres. [. . .]
Beyoncé previously collaborated with Sean Paul a baby (2003), far from it Love dangerously album, and with Mr. Vegas in a remix of Standing in the Sun (2014).
She has also sampled Major Lazer Pon De Floor with Vybz Kartel on Run the world (Girls) (2011), from her fourth studio album, 4.
In June 2020, Jamaican dancer Lenora Antoinette Stines filed a lawsuit against Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z for not crediting her The Black Effectwhich appeared in pairs Everything Is Love collaboration album. Stines, who claimed she never received any revenue for her vocal contribution to the song, later withdrew the lawsuit in November 2020, court records show.
Tracks featuring Grace Jones and BEAM join the rest of the tracks in a coordinated effort to get dancers all over the world going. The release of rebirth was announced along with the title track Break my soul, which fueled anticipation for the new direction of Beyoncé’s sound. True to the tone set by its lead single, the album taps into a wide range of club-ready influences, from Afrobeats to New Orleans dance. [. . .] For the full article, see https://www.dancehallmag.com/2022/07/29/news/jamaicans-grace-jones-and-beam-join-beyonce-in-her-renaissance.html
