Beyonce’s “Rise Up” single cover

The soundtrack for the animated Epic film was released since May 28th but the standout song, Beyonce’s “Rise Up”, slipped under the radar with little mention made by her fans, probably because it lacked an accompanying dance routine. Luckily, the new track has surfaced online for your listening pleasure.

Written by Sia and purchased by Beyonce and produced by Hit-Boy, “Rise Up” highlights the richer tones of Beyonce’s maturing voice with emphasis on carefully layered harmonies instead of gruff growls or overdone vibrato. Of course, the lyrics of the tune are incredibly sappy but Epic is a family film, so it would have been quite odd if Beyonce sang about “shake that booty for female equality” on the hook.

Beyonce will release her new studio album later this year, and it will feature contributions by Sia, Timbaland, Hit-Boy, The-Dream, Ne-Yo and others. Listen to “Rise Up” below and feel “empowered”: