June 20 (UPI) — Pop music icon Beyonce has released online a new song called “Black Parade.”
The recording star debuted the track Friday night, which was Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States.
The song also arrives as the country is grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, rising unemployment and protests nationwide for social and criminal justice following the death of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis.
“Happy Juneteenth Weekend! I hope we continue to share joy and celebrate each other, even in the midst of struggle. Please continue to remember our beauty, strength and power. ‘BLACK PARADE’ celebrates you, your voice and your joy and will benefit Black-owned small businesses,” Beyonce wrote as she announced the release of her new song on Instagram.
The post received more than 3.2 million views as of Saturday morning. The audio clip had nearly 400,000 views on YouTube.
Jay-Z co-wrote the song. Lyrics include: “We got rhythm, we got pride.”
“We birth kings, we birth tribes/Holy river, holy tongue/Speak the glory, feel the love,” the song continued.
The “Black Parade” website features a list of black-owned small businesses for those who would like to support these establishments directly.
