Listen: Beyonce + Timbaland + The-Dream, “Grown Woman”

by Samuel Tolzmann on May 21, 2013

Posted in: Music, Pop, R&B / Soul

Is Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter pregnant with her second child? Was she ever even pregnant with the first? We may never know the answer to these questions for sure, since the incontrovertible evidence is sealed in Queen B’s high-security, temperature-controlled personal archive (which really does exist — it’s really hard to write anything about Beyonce without sounding like I’m making it all up, because her life is absurd). One thing we do know for certain is that Beyonce’s newest single is here and, like everything she lets out of said high-security, temperature-controlled personal archive, as well as Beyonce herself, it is perfect. Well, it’s not really new: it soundtracked Bey’s Pepsi ad a while back. But the leak that’s just hit the web recently is the first time we’ve been able to hear the track in full, so say an extra thank you in your prayers tonight. More things we know: the song’s called “Grown Woman,” and it’s produced by Timbaland, who hasn’t turned in something this awesome since, I don’t know, 2007 or 2008? The song snaps, crackles, and pops in his classic syncopated fashion, is outfitted with tons of samples, balafons, keyboards, and a raunchy brass section, and still manages to sound effortlessly light and breezy (with a vaguely tropical flavor). As for the lyrics, well, let the “Is Beyonce really a positive role model?” debate continue: the chorus is, yes, “I’m a grown woman! I can do whatever I want!” which she delivers with all the sass you’re imagining and more. By the way, Terius “The-Dream” Nash wrote the track, according to Gawker, so you have not one, not two, but three of your favorite R&B hitmakers to thank for this work of art. WRMC won’t publish its annual list of summer jams for a few weeks yet, but this is obviously a top contender — it’s an empowering, danceable singalong that sounds like it was made for blasting on a car stereo in the sunshine, which makes sense, ’cause, you know…it probably was made for exactly that purpose. Listen over at Pretty Much Amazing now! I mean, you don’t have to. You’re a grown woman (or man) and can do whatever you want. But if you don’t want to listen to it, then…

UPDATE: The PMA link above has been taken down! This is terrible news, but as soon as an mp3 of “Grown Woman” goes live again, I will be sure to update this post, so check back in a week or so! -SCT

Images courtesy of Slate, Pretty Much Amazing, and Tumblr.