Tonight brought with it one of the premiere screenings of Warner Bros‘ ‘King Richard’ at the London Film Festival 2021.
Anchored by Will Smith in the titular role, the spirited biopic is centered on the life of Richard Williams – the father of tennis legends Venus & Serena Williams.
Beyond the film’s stunning performances (and trust, they were indeed stunning. Especially that of Aunjanue Ellis, who is captivating in the role of matriarch Brandi), one of the film’s other major attractions is its end credits track – ‘Be Alive’ sung by the incomparable Beyonce.
Already deemed an early Oscars favorite by critics who saw the film last month, That Grape Juice echos those sentiments having heard the track moments ago.
Find out why below…
With its pulsating production courtesy of Dixson, the hard-hitting number sees Bey belt out an anthem of pride and overcoming in the face of adversity.
At one point, she sings:
“It feels so good to be alive / Got all my family by my side / Couldn’t wipe this Black off if I tried.”
Sonically, the song – with its marching, army-like urgency – is a close cousin of ‘Freedom’ from Queen Bey’s game-changing ‘Lemonade’ album.
As the capacity crowd at the Southbank Centre stood on their feet applauding the brilliance of ‘King Richard,’ we couldn’t help but dream of what an Oscars performance of the blazing ‘Be Alive’ would sound like as the track blared beautifully from the speakers.
‘King Richard’ hits theaters on November 19.