Beyoncé's New Song “Be Alive” Is Attracting Buzz For Her First Oscar Nomination

After a musical hiatus of nearly a year and a half, Beyoncé has finally released new music. The 28-time Grammy winner shared “Be Alive” on Nov. 12, and while the tune hasn’t been met with the same fanfare the powerhouse vocalist is accustomed to at this point in her career, it may quickly become one of the most significant tracks in her acclaimed discography.

The 40-year-old entertainer penned “Be Alive” for the biographical drama film King Richard, which stars Will Smith as Richard Williams, the father and first coach of sisters Venus and Serena Williams. Queen Bey has amplified the hype for the film’s Nov. 19 release with her fresh single. At the end of the film, “Be Alive” plays over a montage, which makes it eligible for the Academy Award in the Best Original Song category.

Beyoncé has been attempting to earn a nomination in that field for decades, but somehow the most successful female artist of all time at the Grammys (with 79 nominations) has never earned an Oscar nomination. Many predictors have “Be Alive” as a surefire nominee, and some are even already suggesting it’s a frontrunner for Best Original Song.

A number of factors suggest point to “Be Alive” reversing her no-nomination streak. She has long been seen as someone who has been overlooked, and Academy voters may take this latest submission as an opportunity to rectify this. The song is also a fantastic choice for one of the five available slots, as it’s a great composition, one that’s solid and empowering in all the right ways. Beyoncé and co-writer/producer Dixson have crafted something modern and original.

The fact that Beyoncé has been quiet for so long may also encourage voters to choose her latest release, as it would signal a comeback to critically acclaimed form. The former Destiny’s Child singer’s previous before “Be Alive” was “Black Parade,” which earned her four Grammy nominations, including both Record and Song of the Year. That song was released in June 2020, and since then, she hasn’t attached her name to anything.

The nominations for the 94th Academy Awards will be announced on Feb. 8, 2022.

Lyrics to Beyoncé’s “Be Alive”

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

I got a million miles on me

They want to see how far I go

The path was never paved with gold (Gold)

We worked and built this on our own (Own)

And can’t nobody knock it if they tried

This is hustle personified

Look how we’ve been fighting to stay alive

So when we win, we will have pride

Do you know how much we have cried?

How hard we had to fight?

It feels so good to be alive (It feels so, so, so, so good)

Got all my sisters by my side (I got all my sisters by my side)

Couldn’t wipe this black off if I tried (Black off if I tried)

That’s why I lift my hеad with pride

Now we’re sitting on top of thе world again, huh

I got a million miles on me

They want to see how far I’ll go (They want to see how far I’ll go)

The path was never paved with gold (No)

We fought and built this on our own (We fought and built this on our own, own)

And can’t nobody knock it if they tried

This is hustle personified

Look how we’ve been fighting to stay alive

So when we win, we will have pride

Do you know how much we have cried?

How hard we had to fight?

It feels so good to be alive (It feels so good, so good)

Got all my family by my side (And we gon’ sit on top of the world again)

Couldn’t wipe this black off if I tried (And I wouldn't trade nothin’, and I wouldn’t trade nothin’)

That’s why I lift my head with pride (So baby, lift your head, yeah)

It feels so good to be alive (Darling, it’s a celebration for you, yeah)

I got the tribe all by my side (You’re doin’ everything they said you couldn’t do)

Couldn’t wipe this black off if I tried

That’s why I lift my head with pride (Lift your head, yeah)

Woo!

(Ooh)

(Ooh, I tried)

(Oh!)