
How Beyoncé and Rihanna turned the 2016 VMAs into two very different career showcases
At Madison Square Garden, Beyoncé condensed Lemonade into a collective statement while Rihanna used four medleys to map the range of a Video Vanguard career.
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A Dork five-star record, 'RENAISSANCE' marked Beyoncé's exuberant return to dance and club culture after a decade of weightier artistic statements. 'THIQUE' arrives as the album's twelfth track, a braggadocious hip-hop cut where she raps about body confidence and desire over trap-influenced drums and a muted techno bassline. Produced by Beyoncé, Hit-Boy, and Lil Ju, the song finds her at her most playful and unfiltered, channelling the album's loose, carefree spirit into verses that celebrate physical presence without apology. The lyrics lean into swagger and provocation, Beyoncé crediting herself as she delivers lines like 'that's that real thique' and 'look at your body, right' across a production that nods to Miami bass and 1996 freaknik energy. It's body music in the most literal sense, part of the album's broader homage to black and queer dance culture, filtered through her singular prism. The track's dubstep-oriented framework and rapid-fire delivery sit comfortably within 'RENAISSANCE''s sequenced flow, a record designed to play as one long DJ set where even the stranger moments feel essential. Where 'Lemonade' offered emotional excavation, 'THIQUE' and its parent album prioritise physical release and celebration. It's Beyoncé at her most direct, the sort of track that makes no attempt to compete on introspection because it's too busy commanding the floor.
"THIQUE" is a track by Beyoncé, from the album RENAISSANCE, released 28th July 2022. The track is 4:05 long. It's filed under Pop. Full lyrics are available below. Dork has published 17 articles about Beyoncé.
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