Beyoncé Drops Surprise Juneteenth Track "Black Parade"
Proceeds from the song will support Black-owned businesses.
In the final hours of Juneteenth, Beyoncé released a surprise new song, “Black Parade.” The track, produced by Beyoncé and her longtime collaborator Derek Dixie, pays direct homage to the singer’s southern roots, making it a poignant tie-in to the Juneteenth holiday, which originates from the day enslaved people in Texas learned of their freedom.
Proceeds from “Black Parade” will go to support Black-owned businesses, as Beyoncé has outlined on her website. The businesses included in the initiative, which her website calls the “Black Parade Route,” were curated by stylist and founder of Black Owned Everything Zerina Akers. “‘Black Parade’ benefits BeyGOOD’s Black Business Impact Fund, administered by the National Urban League, to support Black-owned small businesses in need,” the website details.
This is Beyoncé’s first musical release since the current wave of Black Lives Matter protests began earlier this year. On her Instagram account, she has discussed the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police. She has also penned a letter asking for criminal charges to be brought against the officers who killed Taylor.
Beyoncé’s only other release for 2020 also made reference to her Texan roots. Her “Savage (Remix)” with fellow Houston native Megan Thee Stallion hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
Listen to “Black Parade” above and head to Beyoncé’s website to learn more about the Black-owned businesses supported by the track. In other Juneteenth news, music companies such as Sony Music, Warner Music Group and Spotify have chosen to observe the day as a company holiday.
