Never one to be outdone by anyone, least of all a fellow Texan, Beyoncé has joined forces with Megan Thee Stallion for a remix of “Savage”–the Tik Tok viral track that appears on the Houston rapper’s latest EP, Suga. Indeed, throughout the reworking, Beyoncé seems to be condescendingly noting subtly (in a high pitch) of Megan thee Stallion’s original, “Okay.” Reminding us all the meaning of what a true remix was from her Destiny’s Child days (think: how different–and better–the remix to “No, No, No” was back in 1998), Beyoncé doesn skimp on lending a number of verses to the reinvigorated song (leaving more of her mark on it than Rihanna did with her so-called latest “feature” on PartyNextDoor’s “Believe It”). And all for the benefit of the duo’s mutually shared hometown of Houston, with proceeds (though who knows how much, really) going to Bread of Life’s coronavirus relief efforts.
Sure to set off a new series of faux dancers and choreographers swaying haughtily to it on Tik Tok, Bey even name checks the particularly popular in quarantine app with the nod, “Hips tik tok when I dance” (a line Jay-Z allegedly takes credit for offering–but everything is shared in marriage, no? Including money power glory). Elsewhere, she tries her best to make talk of being rich come off as “sassy” (the way Ariana Grande was able to on “7 Rings”). It almost works as she brags, “Big B and that B stand for bands” and “Please don’t get me hype (I’m hype), write my name in ice/Can’t argue with these lazy bitches, I just raise my price/I’m a boss, I’m a leader, I pull up in my two-seater.” Barring the fact that it’s unwise to call anyone lazy at this juncture due to their overall sensitivity about being “nonessential” and largely (a word that also applies to most’s physiques as well these days) unemployed, Yoncé is actually perhaps just doing her best to make people feel as luxurious in their less than deluxe housing setups as they can.
After all, being a savage is just as much about being ratchet as it is bougie. And one needs equal parts of both in order to be the true definition of the word; turning lemons into lemonade, discarded wine corks into an operatic choir conducted by a bottle opener, etc. Bey also seeks to forever crystallize the “stay at home” “trend” of 2020 in sonic form with references to Demon Time (a series on Instagram Live where strippers can anonymously–a.k.a. in masks, before it was chic–shake their ass for the CashApp) and fellow skin-centric outlet OnlyFans, speaking to just how DIY in innovation people (mainly women) have gotten in their compromised quest for money during this Era of Corona. Accordingly, Beyoncé shruggingly sings, “On that Demon Time, she might start an OnlyFans.”
Other allusions to our time spent in isolation include, “Talkin’ to myself in the mirror like, ‘Bitch, you my boo’”–a sentiment that combines the perfect savage blend of undeniable narcissism and ratchet tendencies, particularly while working with the limited tools available to one in quarantine. And the limited number of people available to spend IRL time with. Through it all, the J. White Did It backing beat is sure to remain the sound of our “summer,” however ratchet that might end up looking as well. All the way from Houston to Hanoi. No matter, just add a ghettoto beach backdrop to the inevitable video of you dancing to this on Tik Tok.
