Beyonce's 'exhausting' new single
"Girls (Who Run the World)," the forceful lead track on Beyonce's upcoming album, leaks online. Is it any good?
![Beyonce's new single leaked online ahead of the official release of her fourth studio album, and though fans may rejoice, critics say the new track is just tiresome.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/P6NxDtevfsjUTC6KFYtaa6-415-80.jpg)
The video: The debut song from Beyonce's hotly anticipated new album, which comes out in June, is now available for public consumption, at least in demo form. (Listen below.) "Girls (Who Run the World)" was produced by the superstar DJ Diplo, and samples Major Lazer's "Pon de Floor." It opens with a military-like chant over Beyonce intoning "Girls! We run this mutha/Girls! We run the world." The snare-drum-heavy beat then starts integrating electronic bleeps, all over the same relentless chorus. "Girls" is the latest in a long string of Beyonce singles promoting female empowerment, from "Survivor" to "Independent Women" to "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On it)." How does "Girls" compare?
The reaction: The song is "fun to listen to," and will "probably inspire plenty of peppy YouTube tributes," says Maura Johnston at The Village Voice. But "there's also something exhausting about it." Like many of its current pop counterparts, this song tries to incorporate too many elements at the expense of a unifying vision; it should "heed Coco Chanel's advice and take one accessory off before leaving the house." Sorry, says Brian Moylan at Gawker, but this song just "sucks. I mean, it sucks really bad." The dizzying mess of "feedback squiggles, ray gun zaps, and snare drums" brings to mind a "scene in a sci-fi movie in which someone is walking through a marketplace and they're assaulted by all sorts of synthesized noise and babble from all directions at once." Have a listen for yourself:
Beyonce - Girls (Who Run The World) [www.extasyradio.com] found on Pop
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Big Tech's answer for AI-driven job loss: universal basic income
In The Spotlight A new study reveals the strengths and limitations
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'I will not be silent' on Gaza, says Kamala Harris
Speed Read In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Harris supported Israel's right to defend itself while expressing a desire to end Palestinian suffering
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
'How long can TikTok dominate as a social network?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published