Beyoncé – JUST FOR FUN

I am the man. I know it.

Beyoncé says in a forced affirmation amid an inner turmoil that she’ll never detail.

As many layers as Cowboy Carter offers, I gravitated to this track in my first run-through. It feels familiar and as comforting as a sweater passed down from my dad, like it was designed for me before I existed.

Time moves quickly, and so do I.

Perseverance has been a recurring lesson in my life experience, but it remains a challenge. Being strong for yourself is also being strong for those around you who want to see you thrive.

Cuz time heals everything. I don’t need anything.

Thematically, this track is a shift for Beyoncé, who has conquered the world ten times over. What do you make of a deity picking up the pieces and shuffling forward? If she’s so infallible, but still hurting, what can the rest of us hope for?

Rather than a pleading through admission of defeat, this song reveals a human underneath the armor of perfection. She relates to all of us pushing forward, and moves through her mortal limitations like all of us can. Step by step, she’s closer to better, which is the best achievement any of us can hope for. One peaceful night is a triumph, like it would be for a newly sober cast-off that everyone else has given up on.

Here’s to hoping I fall fast asleep tonight.

With expert songwriting of Ryan Beatty, this uniquely sentimental moment on Cowboy Carter offers a hand to regular people beating themselves up for healing slowly, and getting stronger at the pace that only they can determine. It’s melancholic and honest, while looking in a mirror and saying boldly:

I need to get through this or just get used to it.

So what’ll it be?