Beyoncé decided to write a song for King Richard after attending a screening of the film and becoming inspired by Venus and Serena Williams. Will Smith commented on the song that "the marriage of a movie and a song is a kind of magic that's unmatched in entertainment".[5] Serena explained that "there was no other person who could do this song except for Beyoncé" and "there was just no doubt in [Beyoncé's] mind that it belonged to her as well". Serena noted how she and Venus have had a similar path to Beyoncé in their lives; all three trained since a young age to reach their goals, with both of their parents being highly involved in their careers.[6]
Beyoncé reached out to DIXSON and the two co-wrote the song in a collaborative process. DIXSON commented: "Obviously, we all know if Beyoncé sings, it's going to be amazing. But I don't think we talk about her ability as a songwriter and a producer enough. I knew she was one of my favorite songwriters, but it was confirmed for me through this process."[7]
Release and promotion
"Be Alive" plays during King Richard's end credits, which feature archival footage of the real Williams family.[3] The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2021, and released on November 19, 2021.[8] The song was also premiered at the festival, to the surprise of attendees.[9] The song was greeted with cheers from the attendees of the film's premiere at the BFI London Film Festival.[10] On October 21, 2021, the "Official 'Be Alive' Trailer" of King Richard was released, which features a teaser of the song.[11][12] The teaser of the song was shared by the Williams sisters and Will Smith on social media.[13]
Beyoncé did not promote the song following its release, making no awards campaign stops.[14] Beyoncé later performed the song at the 94th Academy Awards.[15]Variety reported that Beyoncé was in talks to broadcast the performance live from the tennis courts in Compton where Venus and Serena practiced as children.[14] The performance was later uploaded on Beyonce's YouTube Channel.
Composition
The song has inspirational and empowering lyrics and recalls the journey that the Williams sisters have taken throughout their careers.[16][17][18] The lyrics include messages on black pride, sisterhood and family, which link to the themes of King Richard.[19][20] Musically, the song is a powerful ballad with a drum-heavy beat, guitar licks and grizzly bass.[5][19][21] Beyoncé's vocals are described as "epic", "powerful" and "soaring", and are backed by layered vocal harmonies.[22][23][13][24]
Critical reception
"Be Alive" received critical acclaim upon release.[25] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard described the release of "Be Alive" as "an event", lauding Beyoncé's "singular voice and lush harmonies" and the lyrics which "radiate pride and beauty as a celebration of Black art and culture".[26]Variety's Clayton Davis described the song as a "very uplifting" conclusion to King Richard, comparing it to the 2014 song "Glory" from Selma,[27] while Jazz Tangcay of the same publication described it as "a soaring ballad that fits like a glove on the movie".[28] Writing for Bustle, Hugh McIntyre described the track as "fantastic, modern and original", highlighting its "great composition, one that's solid and empowering in all the right ways".[29] Rachael O'Connor of Metro described the track as "an unmistakable Beyoncé anthem", praising her vocal performance and "powerful" lyricism.[30] Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Glenn Whipp characterized the song as "an instantly engaging original number" and called it the highlight of the film's premiere.[31] Yohana Desta of Vanity Fair described the "anthemic" song as a "thumping, beautifully harmonized motivational number",[32] while Meryl Prendergast of Hot Press characterized it as a "heart-stopping" and "iconic anthem".[33]
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