Beyoncé’s latest single, “Bow Down,” contains arrogant verses that make some people question her position on female empowerment.

But women do not have to be humble to empower.

The single has been the subject of much criticism this past week, as radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh concluded Beyoncé is no longer the same symbol of female empowerment she was when she was a member of Destiny’s Child.

In typical bombastic hip-hop fashion, Beyoncé calls out her critics within the first few seconds of the song.

She sings, “I know when you were little girls, you dreamt of being in my world. Don’t forget it, don’t forget it, respect that, bow down, b*tches. I took some time to live my life, but don’t think I’m just his little wife.”

Limbaugh claims Beyoncé is telling women to “bow down” to their boyfriends or husbands, and implies the artist is comfortable standing in the shadow of her “rich guy” spouse. He also suggested she might as well rename her world tour from “The Mrs. Carter World Tour” to “The Bow Down Bitches Tour.”

Limbaugh completely misinterpreted the song, as Beyoncé never actually states women should “bow down” to any man. Instead, she affirms the opposite: “I am not just his little wife.” Beyoncé may be proud to call herself Mrs. Carter, but that does not mean she is now living in her husband’s shadow, as Limbaugh suggested.

It should go without saying Beyoncé is no one’s “little wife,” considering how active her career has been in the past few months.

It’s only March and Beyoncé has already had an incredible year from singing at President Barack Obama’s inauguration to performing during this year’s Super Bowl halftime show. She’s also released a documentary about her life, began promoting a fifth solo album and announced a world tour. There is no stopping this woman.

Yet Beyoncé cannot acknowledge her own successes, as she does in “Bow Down,” without facing a slew of criticism. The single is no exception to the controversial nature of hip-hop music.

The language in “Bow Down” offers a contrasting message to the girl power anthem “Run the World,” which she performed at the Super Bowl. She uses the word “b*tch” when referring to certain women, but it does not mean she is against feminism, as some critics have claimed. It’s crucial to understand the context in which the word is used, such as calling out her critics.

Though many critiques of the single are undeserved, it is true “Bow Down” comes across as unnecessarily arrogant. The world is well aware of Beyoncé’s dominance in the entertainment industry, and she certainly doesn’t need to tell anyone to bow down to reaffirm this position.

While “Bow Down” does not make my list of top 10 favorite Beyoncé songs, the singer has a right to create music about her success.

Rahimon Nasa is a sophomore magazine journalism and international relations major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @rararahima.

Published on March 25, 2013 at 1:28 am