Beyonce has been keeping a low musical profile over the past few months, but she’s breaking cover with a new song, “Be Alive,” featured in the new trailer for “King Richard,” the Will Smith-starring biopic on the rise of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams from the perspective of their father, Richard (played by Smith).
The song, which plays throughout the second half of the trailer, is an orchestra-laden anthem, with a powerful vocal by Beyonce. “It feels so good to be alive, that’s why I live my life with pride,” backing singers intone while Beyonce soars over the music — “Do you know how much we have pride / How hard we have to try?”
Beyonce’s projects have been relatively few and far between since the release of her blockbuster 2016 album “Lemonade.” Even though she’s released three albums, none have been full Beyonce solo albums: the 2018 tag-team album with Jay-Z, “Everything Is Love,” as well as two albums related to “The Lion King” reboot in which she voiced the character Nala and curated the albums, which featured her own songs as well as appearances from Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino and rising African pop singers like Burna Boy and Mr. Eazi.
I’m SO excited for you to watch the new trailer for #KingRichard starring Will Smith and featuring the song “Be Alive” by @Beyonce. It’s in theaters and streaming exclusively on @HBOMax November 19. pic.twitter/pILYvbJsbw
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) October 21, 2021
In its review of the film, PvNew wrote: “The vast majority of sports movies are about exceptional talent. “King Richard” is about exceptional belief: the conviction of one man, Richard Williams, that he could turn his daughters Venus and Serena into the world’s greatest tennis players. It’s a plan he hatched — together with wife/queen Brandi — even before the girls were born and put down in a 78-page manifesto, nearly all of which has come true (or so the film informs us over the end credits). Hindsight makes this a story worth telling. At the time, everyone thought he was crazy. “It’s like asking someone to believe you have the next two Mozarts living in your house,” says one coach, passing up the opportunity of a lifetime.”
