Background

Ten, ten, ten across the board. That is how Beyoncé’s “Heated” would score in a songwriting and production competition.

“Heated” is featured on her seventh studio album, Renaissance (2022). The track is an Afrobeat dancehall song with elements of ballroom music, produced by Beyoncé, Neenyo, Sevn Thomas, Jahaan Sweet, and Boi-1da.

Drake shares a writing credit on this track, the second song to feature the two since 2013’s “Mine” from Beyonce’s self-titled studio album. It’s easy to overlook the similarities between the two artists. But when I focused solely on the melody and silenced the lyrics in my head, I cannot unhear the resemblance between their styles. The dancehall genre is not owned by Drake. But a huge part of my exposure to it is through “Passionfruit” and “One Dance”.

Monday, she’s overrated, Tuesday, on her d***

We have to talk about the outro. The way she ate those words up without catching her breath is insane! The thirty-four lines are what stans like myself gobble up and try to memorize. Getting all of them correct and in beat requires intense practice and is a badge of honor that one can proudly wear once perfected. It is on my bucket list.

The sound of the fans clicking is immaculate! The bars are as clever as they are fierce. The way she delivers her lines without restraint and with a disregard for polish is refreshing and remarkable. Talking about her “imperfect” body is liberating!

Uncle Johnny making the dress and much more

I’ve always assumed that Uncle Johnny was a silly detail that made an already over-the-top song even more flamboyant. But discovering the entire record was partly a tribute to Beyonce’s uncle makes my heart warm. He helped care for Beyonce and Solange. Before succumbing to AIDS, he was a part of the black queer ballroom scene.

The references started to make sense. I know little, but my limited exposure to drag and gay communities has made many of the lyrical nods staples in my own circles. And Beyonce tapping into both her roots and its resurgence in popular media has helped her build a deeper connection with her audience.

Got a lot of style, got a lot of Tiffany on me

Extravagance, opulence. These characteristics are generally associated with white male Wall Street bankers or black hip-hop artists. Yet, Beyonce is able to penetrate and dominate these spaces decisively. With her own status, wealth, and impact, who can get in the way?

She’s a black woman in possession of all the luxury the world has to offer. And that’s representation that’s slowly creeping into our consciousness. And even just with a song, that gives permission to the rest of us to assume we can live the same.

Blastin’ on that controversy

The song is not without controversy. The original lyrics contained the word “spaz”, but it was later changed to “blast” after backlash from the disabled community.

I doubt she intended offense. Context plays an important role. But I admire her openness to adjust. I don’t think she owed it to anyone, nor do I think she would suffer any significant blow from holding her ground. I think the “slur” meant more to the affected community than it did to her.

Days after specific groups raised concern, Beyonce changed all the audio uploaded to streaming platforms. Kudos to her and all the artists listening, learning, and growing! This is the same modification Lizzo did for “Grrrls”. And other parallel examples within the music industry exist – Lady Gaga removing her duet with R. Kelly on official channels or Taylor Swift changing the lyrics to “Better than Revenge” in her re-records.

I don’t think revising history in these instances is a compromise on their artistic integrity. If anything, these speak to their empathy and their sense of responsibility.

Now I wanna flaunt it

There are no notes I would make to the song. But somehow, the live performance managed to enhance my appreciation for the track.

I don’t have regrets. But not seeing her in concert for “Heated” comes close. I can extend my gratitude to YouTube and Twitter for bringing this to my attention. I don’t want to speak more. See the video for yourself!

Conclusion

I could write about this track endlessly. But I got to fan myself off. It gets me heated. It’s been a lot of years, but this will be one that never gets past me.

There’s not much to say except that her music card never declines!