Beyoncé has released a surprise new song, Black Parade, hours after announcing a new initiative to support black-owned businesses.
The track includes powerful lyrics about black history, police brutality and the George Floyd protests.
"Put your fists up in the air, show black love," sings the star. "Need peace and reparation for my people."
The song was released on Juneteenth, a holiday marking the official end of slavery in the US.
The celebration originated in Beyoncé's home state of Texas but is now celebrated annually on 19 June throughout the US, with varying degrees of official recognition, sometimes under the names Emancipation Day or Black Independence Day.
Black Parade is Beyoncé's first solo release since last year's Homecoming, a live album and documentary covering her blockbuster performance at Coachella in 2018; and The Lion King: The Gift, which accompanied Disney's live action remake of its classic animation.
"I'm going back to the South, where my roots ain't watered down," she sings as the song opens.
The lyrics go on to reference the Covid-19 pandemic ("Fly on the runway in my hazmat"), police brutality ("Rubber bullets bouncing off me") and Tamika Mallory, a prominent activist in the Women's March and Black Lives Matter movements.
Listen to the song below.
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