Granderson: Beyoncé's album "Renaissance" embraces Black queer culture

Ts Madison at Los Angeles DragCon in May in Los Angeles. From its opening line — “This is a reminder” — to the lush vocals dripping off a sweaty house groove, “Cozy,” the second track on Beyoncé’s seventh studio album, “Renaissance,” may not have the distinction of being the first single, but it sure feels like the album’s north star. “Renaissance” is an homage to Black queer culture, and “Cozy” is the perfect entry point, highlighted by the inclusion of trans actress and TV personality Ts Madison and lyrics that, as one Twitter user pointed out, “specifically described Daniel Quasar’s ‘Progress’ pride flag to bring to the forefront marginalized LGBTQ+ people of color, trans people, and those living with/lost to HIV/AIDS.” Some fans believe the song’s line telling people not to mess with “my sis” is about the infamous elevator clash between her sister, Solange, and husband Jay-Z back in 2014. Beyoncé’s “Cozy” doesn’t burn like “Auntie Diaries,” isn’t as blatant as “Smile” or as innocent as Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ top 15 hit “Same Love” from 2012. But trust, it is no accident that the last thing Beyoncé says before we hear Madison’s voice is “they hate me because they want me.” Intimate partner violence is all too prevalent against trans women.