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In a statement, Father John Misty revealed he wrote the first verse and refrain to this song, along with the melody:

About a year and half ago, my friend Emile Haynie played Beyonce some of my music, along with some tunes I’ve written for other people, back when she was looking for collaborators for the record…Pretty soon after they sent along the demo for “Hold Up”, which was just like a minute of the sample and the hook. I’m pretty sure they were just looking for lyrics, but I went crazy and recorded a verse melody and refrain too that, unbelievably – when you consider how ridiculous my voice sounds on the demo – ended up making the record – right between picking up the baseball bat and decapitating the fire hydrant.

I was mostly kind of in the dark, my involvement with the record kind of ends with me just sending off the demo, it wasn’t until she came to my Coachella set in 2015 and told me personally it had made the record that I really had anything concrete with which to convince my friends that I hadn’t actually gone insane.

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In a [statement,](http://pitchfork.com/news/65053-father-john-misty-tells-two-stories-about-beyonce-collaboration-one-real-one-fake) [Father John Misty](/artists/Father-john-misty) revealed he wrote the first verse and refrain to this song, along with the melody:

>About a year and half ago, my friend Emile Haynie played Beyonce some of my music, along with some tunes I've written for other people, back when she was looking for collaborators for the record...Pretty soon after they sent along the demo for "Hold Up", which was just like a minute of the sample and the hook. I'm pretty sure they were just looking for lyrics, but I went crazy and recorded a verse melody and refrain too that, unbelievably - when you consider how ridiculous my voice sounds on the demo - ended up making the record - right between picking up the baseball bat and decapitating the fire hydrant.

>I was mostly kind of in the dark, my involvement with the record kind of ends with me just sending off the demo, it wasn't until she came to my Coachella set in 2015 and told me personally it had made the record that I really had anything concrete with which to convince my friends that I hadn't actually gone insane.

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I was mostly kind of in the dark, my involvement with the record kind of ends with me just sending off the demo, it wasn't until she came to my Coachella set in 2015 and told me personally it had made the record that I really had anything concrete with which to convince my friends that I hadn't actually gone insane. Father John Misty Tells Two Stories About Beyoncé Collaboration: One Real, One Fake | Pitchfork

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8 years

This is interesting. “A year and a half ago” Bey was looking for collaborators on the record. That puts us in October/November 2014. Beyonce knew song #2 was on the record by April 2015. Beyonce releases album April 2016.

Elevator incident was May 2014…

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I'ma riot, I'ma riot through your borders
Call me bulletproof Beyoncé (Ft. Kendrick Lamar) – Freedom

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Beyoncé ups the ante from the first verse—she was content to march, now she’s going to riot.

In May 2015, it was reported Beyoncé and Jay Z had “wired tens of thousands” to assist in bailing out Baltimore riots protestors.

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6 years

By rioting through the boarders, Bey is insisting that nothing will stop her fight for justice. She is referencing oppression of black females in history, and racism, and colorism, and all oppression. She is stating that nothing will tear her down. She says call me bulletproof, showing how she will stand and fight through it all, basically reassuring the reader that she and the black lives matter movement mean business.

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8 years

Call me bulletproof could also be a reference to gun violence – Beyonce is ‘bulletproof’ and not at risk of being gunned down like other rioters, due to her fame and high profile status.

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8 years

M.I.A.’s 2015 song “Borders” mentions:

Queen (What’s up with that?)
Killing it (What’s up with that?)
Slaying it (What’s up with that?)

A reference questioning female R&B and Hip Hop performers' antics.

Considering both of the songs' themes (freedom: from oneself, slavery or a repressive political regime), it could be seen as a response line; Beyoncé claiming she is beyond that representation (some subtle form of shade?).

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I'ma rain, I'ma rain on this bitter love
Tell the sweet I'm new Beyoncé (Ft. Kendrick Lamar) – Freedom

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Beyoncé has decided to forgive and move forward after experiencing personal pain—she’s chosen family and love ahead of anger and separation.

There is an explicit connection between “bitter love” and “sweet” in this couplet. While Beyoncé could have settled on a “bittersweet” ending, she’s chosen to leave the bitterness behind and take only the sweetness with her.

As said in the closing skit by Jay Z’s grandmother Hattie White:

I had my ups and downs, but I always find the inner strength to pull myself up. I was served lemons, but I made lemonade

‘Rain’ could also be heard as its homophone,‘reign’. Beyonce is choosing to take her husband’s suspected infidelity in stride and reign over the rough patch in her relationship, rather than letting it get in her way by ‘rain[ing]’ over her. She is the Queen after all.

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Go Flex Post Malone – Go Flex

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“Go Flex” is a retrospective look at Post Malone’s rise to fame. The song blends several genres into one, featuring Malone’s raps, along with an acoustic guitar.

Malone mentions drama with his girlfriend and alludes to Stone Cold Steve Austin.

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