Beyonce Releases Gritty, Rap-Tinged New Song From Upcoming Album

Beyonce performs at halftime of this year's Super Bowl in February.

NEW YORK -- Beyonce has just released the first new song from the sessions leading up to her forthcoming fifth solo album.

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Though there's no guarantee it'll arrive on the LP, "Bow Down/I Been On" is the first new music fans have heard from Bey since the release of her 2011 LP Four.

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Produced by Hit Boy, the track is a far cry from the triumphant, glistening pop most are used to hearing from Beyonce. Instead, it's a gritty, Houston rap-tinged track that features an empowered Bey growling, "Bow down, bitches" on multiple occasions. In another line, she's possibly referencing the shadow of Jay-Z: "I took some time to live my life, don't think I'm just his little wife." (Listen to the song at Billboard.com.)

It's an odd sampling, though, as it mainly uses Beyonce through only the first minute, before devolving into what sounds more like a Hit Boy mixtape track. The California-born producer is best known for producing hits like Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Ni**as in Paris," West's "Clique" and Lil' Wayne's "Drop the World."

Beyonce kicks off her "Mrs. Carter World Tour" on June 28 in Los Angeles.

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The new song got a lot of attention on Twitter after it hit the Internet. Among the reactions:

BBC1 Radio DJ Scott Mills
Is that Beyonce song a joke?

Blogger Just Jared
Bow down betches!!! So good

Dollar ‏‪
Beyoncé is at a point in her career where she no longer has to be censored and robotic. She's earned that. Let her be great! … This new Beyonce song is nothing "historic" or "epic." It's just unexpected and hood. She flipped the script and people like that. ‪#TheEnd

Scooter ‏‪
Rihanna could NEVER sing that opera part though... RT ‪@xoajs: I like beyonce a lot but that sounds like a rejected Rihanna song.

Kevin Lorenzo ‏‪
Beyonce is rapping better than some of your favorite rappers on “I Been On” that is hilarious.

eROC ‏‪
Beyonce sound mad as hell on this new song.....None of these other RnB chicks is safe

Bomani Jones
also, the irony of beyonce screaming "bow down b*tches" after all those girl power anthems isn't lost on me.

Drew Prosser ‏‪
Can we just talk about how Beyonce sang opera & rapped in one song?

Suri's Burn Book
Is Beyonce serious with this song? Because, respectfully, um ... no.