This is Beyoncé’s world, and we’re all just lucky to be living in it. After releasing her Homecoming concert film on Netflix, the singer gifted fans with an album version of the show, as well, with two bonus studio tracks tacked on at the end: the fan-demanded “I Been On” and curveball cover “Before I Let Go.” Originally a Maze song from 1981 (conveniently the year Beyoncé was born), the track is a barbecue-ready R&B jam that celebrates the relationships the singer has forged throughout her life. Backed by subtle brass, chants, and a shuffling beat, the singer pours one of her most soulful performances in years into the song.
“Before I Let Go” begins with a call out on the world — appropriately attentive whenever Beyoncé drops anything — before she smoothly expresses “you make me happy.” As she continues through the track, the singer thanks god for delivering the subject into her life and declares that she has no intentions of letting go of them anytime soon. Verse two deviates from the Maze composition, interpolating the melody of Cameo’s “Candy” and making references to Coachella, swag surfin’, and having the time of your life. The whole thing is nothing more than feel-good fodder, but after exploring such heavy subjects oNher previous three albums, “Before I Let Go” is a well-deserved break from Beyoncé’s regimented career and lets her and her listeners bask in the glory of the singer’s victory lap that is Homecoming.
Rating: 5/5