The Hard-To-See Feminism in Beyoncé's Newest Song

So about two weeks ago, Beyoncé Queen Of Mortals released a new single entitled "Bow Down / I Been On" on her Soundcloud. If you haven't heard it, it's worth checking out:

It's a really interesting song, and it has been the target of much criticism both for its style and its substance. Old-guard Queen Bey fans have struggled to connect to a song that falls, in a musical sense, well outside the scope of what we've come to expect Beyoncé's recorded music to sound like. Lyrically it is a self-promotional, anti-hater anthem that subordinates her female audience with one simple command: "bow down, bitches." Feminists, fellow musicians, and even Rush Limbaugh (although for entirely different, and entirely offensive reasons) have come down hard upon this track and its purveyor for publishing a song that so directly and bluntly counteracts Beyoncé's canon of pro-woman, pro-feminist music. And on the surface these critiques hold up: saying "bow down, bitches" to your female audience seems to work against a movement of empowerment and independence for women. But the song is more complex than that. Much more complex.

Listen: The End Groove – Mar. 21, 2013

The End Groove returns after a two-week break with several brand-new tunes, and few few less-new tunes. Good times are had.

The playlist:

“Feeling Good” – The Sheepdogs
“All the Time” – The Strokes
“By The Way” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Moral of the Story” – Watsky
“Freaks and Geeks” – Childish Gambino
“Bow Down/I Been On” – Beyoncé
“Vile Inafaa” (feat. Octopizzo) – Muthoni The Drummer Queen
“Gotta Get Over” – Eric Clapton
“Let The Groove Get In” – Justin Timberlake
“I’ll Be Alright” – Passion Pit
“Entertainment” – Phoenix