King Richard is already set to feed us with powerful performances depicting the poignant story of two of the greatest tennis players the world has ever seen: two Black sisters born and raised in Compton, named Venus and Serena Williams (played by Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton). Will Smith plays the titular character – their father, Richard – in a biopic that reportedly had the tennis superstars in tears during an early screening. Now, the film has bestowed another gift on the world: Beyoncé is back with her first song in a year, “Be Alive”, for the film’s soundtrack.
Filled with soaring harmonisations, the moving song starts with the hook “It feels so good to be alive / Got all my family by my side / Couldn’t wipe this Black off if I tried / That’s why I lift my head with pride,” and makes reference to their hard work and struggle to succeed: “The path was never paved with gold / We worked and built this on our own.”