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.
Whereas "Break My Soul," released last month, is a dance anthem celebrating resiliency, Beyoncé uses "Cozy" to showcase a specific kind of resilience — that of trans people and queer people of color — as well as the subculture of ballroom that tastemakers glean from.
The queerness of "Renaissance" is undeniable. There's the inclusion of musicians such as Big Freedia, Honey Dijon and Kevin Aviance. And then there's Beyoncé herself thanking "the most fabulous gay man I've ever known," her late Uncle Johnny, for being "the first person to expose me to a lot of the music and culture that serve as inspiration for this album."
