The early months of the pandemic were short on joy and a bit too heavy on confusion and chaos. But in July, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter—the first of her name and last of her kind—blessed us with the mind-bending Blackstravaganza that was Black Is King.
In the time since its auspicious arrival, her magnum opus has been deconstructed, decoded, and thought pieced to death. But for those looking for an in-depth exploration of the lyrical metaphors, historical anecdotes, and nods to African spirituality that are embedded all throughout this brilliant project, then Spotify’s Dissect podcast heard you loud and clear and is here to answer the call.
Hosted by Cole Cuchna, Dissect deploys an academic approach to analyzing the iconic albums that have left an indelible mark on music and hip-hop culture. And now, with the help of scientist Dr. Titilayo Shodiya—who just so happens to host another show that you should absolutely check out, Dope Labs—Dissect is applying its award-winning analysis to the symbols, themes, and meaning behind Black Is King.
From Spotify:
The series breaks down BIK’s commentary on White supremacy proliferated through Western religion; spoken word poems like Joshua Abah’s “Uncle Sam” featured in the project, and its uncanny parallels to featured rappers’ work like Kendrick Lamar’s “Wesley’s Theory”; and the story of how one Black female artist’s stolen and appropriated work led to the smash hit, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” while becoming the key reason behind Beyoncé creating Black Is King.
Anyone who’s ever listened to a single episode of Dissect already knows the amount of research and analysis that goes into this show. So for those eager to sneak a peek under the hood and really dig into what Black Is King is all about, you would be doing yourself a disservice by missing out on this podcast.
Trust me on this one.
Dissect is available exclusively on Spotify.