Login
Login

Find Your Way Back (Beyoncé song)

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Find Your Way Back

| type = song

| artist = Beyoncé

| album = The Lion King: The Gift

| released = July 19, 2019

| recorded = 2019

| studio = Parkwood West (Los Angeles, California)

| genre =

| length = 2:42

| label =

| writer =

| producer =

}}

"Find Your Way Back" is a song by American singer Beyoncé. It is the fourth track on The Lion King: The Gift (2019), Knowles' curated album released through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records alongside her appearance in the 2019 live-action theatrical adaptation of 1994's The Lion King.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/07/beyonce-the-lion-king-the-gift-album-review.html|title=Beyoncé's Lion King Soundtrack Puts the Focus Back Where It Belongs: Africa|first=Craig|last=Jenkins|date=July 31, 2020|website=Vulture|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=July 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724101606/https://www.vulture.com/2020/07/beyonce-the-lion-king-the-gift-album-review.html|url-status=live}} A remix by frequent collaborator MeLo-X was released on July 31, 2020 to coincide with the release of the deluxe album edition and film Black Is King.{{Cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2020/07/beyonce-deluxe-edition-lion-king-the-gift-already-video-watch/|title=Watch Beyoncé's "Already" Video and Stream Deluxe Edition of The Gift|date=July 31, 2020|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=April 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412130503/https://consequence.net/2020/07/beyonce-deluxe-edition-lion-king-the-gift-already-video-watch/|url-status=live}}

Upon release, the song debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard World Digital Songs chart alongside the rest of her album contributions, resulting in five top 10 hits.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2020/08/14/beyonc-completely-dominates-the-world-songs-chart-with-her-lion-king-smashes/|title=Beyoncé Completely Dominates The World Songs Chart With Her 'Lion King' Smashes|first=Hugh|last=McIntyre|website=Forbes|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=September 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903092334/https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2020/08/14/beyonc-completely-dominates-the-world-songs-chart-with-her-lion-king-smashes/|url-status=live}} The song remained on the chart for seven weeks.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/beyonce/chart-history/WDT|title=Beyoncé: Chart History: World Digital Song Sales Chart|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 26, 2023|via=Billboard.com|archive-date=July 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724101609/https://www.billboard.com/artist/beyonce/chart-history/wdt/|url-status=live}} Described by BBC as "light-footed", Rolling Stone lauded the song for "feel-good Afropop production" and Knowles' willingness to allow "the sounds of the continent [to] prevail over her star power."{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49035502|title=Beyoncé's Lion King album is more about Beyoncé than The Lion King|date=July 19, 2019|via=www.bbc.com|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=January 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119124320/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49035502|url-status=live}}{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-beyonce-songs-1378620/|title=The 70 Greatest Beyoncé Songs|first=Rolling|last=Stone|magazine=Rolling Stone |date=July 26, 2022|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=January 3, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230103114240/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-beyonce-songs-1378620/|url-status=live}}

Background and composition

“Find Your Way Back” was written by Knowles, Hazzard, Booi, Magwenzi, and Osaretin, and originated from a casual session between Booi and Magwenzi in Johannesburg during summer 2018 after the duo "knew they wanted to utilize the bass guitar in a cool way and make something that could 'groove and vibe'."{{Cite web|url=https://ew.com/music/2019/07/23/bubele-booi-beyonce-lion-king-album-interview/|title=How emerging South African producer Bubele Booi ended up on Beyoncé's 'Lion King' album|website=EW.com|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=December 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227033058/https://ew.com/music/2019/07/23/bubele-booi-beyonce-lion-king-album-interview/|url-status=live}} Further discussed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Booi sent the song and a few others to the Parkwood Entertainment team [through his Universal Music Publishing Group A&R rep Ari Gelaw] after a brief trip to New York, but didn’t hear back as the weeks went by. He eventually returned to South Africa, assuming the opportunity was “dead in the water" before receiving a phone call from Parkwood.

{{quote box

| quote =“[Parkwood Entertainment A&R rep Mariel Gomerez] says to me, ‘Hey, I just wanted to tell you something. My boss likes your music,’...So I’m like, ‘Okay, cool. Who’s your boss?’ And she’s like, ‘I can’t legally say her name.’ So I’m like, ‘Oh, you mean the boss-boss.’ And now I’m freaking out on the inside.” Later, when Booi was visiting friends in Los Angeles and an hour away from boarding a plane, he got another call. “Don’t leave L.A.,” [A representative at] Parkwood told him. They invited him to a camp to focus solely on the project. “That was an incredible moment for me. I can’t even express how ridiculous it was,... It’s a week of meeting and interacting with the coolest people. And during that you create a bunch of things and it gets passed around, and you never really know what’s happening.”|source=—Bubele Booi in EW article "How emerging South African producer Bubele Booi ended up on Beyoncé's Lion King album" (2019){{cite web |first= Rachel |last= Yang |author-link= Rachel Yang |year= 2019 |title= How emerging South African producer Bubele Booi ended up on Beyoncé's Lion King album |via= ew.com/music |access-date= December 27, 2023 |url= https://ew.com/music/2019/07/23/bubele-booi-beyonce-lion-king-album-interview/ |archive-date= December 27, 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231227033058/https://ew.com/music/2019/07/23/bubele-booi-beyonce-lion-king-album-interview/ |url-status= live }}

| align = right

| width = 30%

| border = 1px

| fontsize = 90%

}}

The song contains elements of 2017 song "Maradona", written by Sarz and performed by Niniola.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/entertainment/local/2019/07/26/beyonce-x2019-s-reimagined-x2018/4605840007/|title=Beyonce's reimagined 'Lion King' goes global|first=Jon Pareles The New York|last=Times|website=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=December 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227035210/https://www.dispatch.com/story/entertainment/local/2019/07/26/beyonce-x2019-s-reimagined-x2018/4605840007/|url-status=live}} Nigerian producer and songwriter Bankulli was responsible for the subtle ode to Yoruba Fuji music, contributing vocals in the bridge.{{Cite web|url=https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2019/09/16/nigerian-artist-bankulli-speaks-on-writing-songs-for-beyonce/|title=Nigerian artist Bankulli speaks on writing songs for Beyonce - P.M. News|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=December 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205063839/https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2019/09/16/nigerian-artist-bankulli-speaks-on-writing-songs-for-beyonce/|url-status=live}} Lyrically, the song alludes to the "Circle of Life" messaging of the film, and acts as a self-reflection about the navigation of one's life: "Find your way back / Big, big world, but you got it, baby / Find your way back, don't let this life drive you crazy / Find your way back, come back home with the street lights on / Find your way back, find your way back."{{Cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/1058024/decoding-all-the-lyrics-from-beyonce-s-the-lion-king-the-gift-album|title=All the Lyrics You Need to Know From Beyoncé's The Lion King: The Gift Album|date=July 19, 2019|website=E! Online|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=December 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227034459/https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/1058024/decoding-all-the-lyrics-from-beyonce-s-the-lion-king-the-gift-album|url-status=live}} She also reminisces on the lessons taught by her father as a guiding light through life’s travails.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/beyonce-the-lion-king-the-gift-tracks-ranked-8521705/|title=Every Song Ranked on Beyonce's 'The Lion King: The Gift': Critic's Picks|first=Glenn|last=Rowley|magazine=Billboard |date=July 19, 2019|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=February 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201064101/https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/beyonce-the-lion-king-the-gift-tracks-ranked-8521705/|url-status=live}} The Daily Texan went further, describing the song and fatherhood messaging as a "a spiritual sequel to “Daddy Lessons” from Knowles' 2016 album Lemonade.{{Cite web|url=https://thedailytexan.com/2019/07/23/beyonce-curates-perfect-african-influenced-sound-for-the-lion-king/|title=Beyoncé curates perfect, African-influenced sound for 'The Lion King'|first=Carlos|last=Garcia|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=August 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809075648/https://thedailytexan.com/2019/07/23/beyonce-curates-perfect-african-influenced-sound-for-the-lion-king/|url-status=live}}

Reception

The song was met with acclaim. Hannah Browne of publication The Line of Best Fit described it as "[a] hip-turning highlight", while Ed Power of The Irish Examiner noted "gusto" and "reverence."{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-30941575.html|title=Album review: Beyoncé - The Lion King: Gift|first=Ed|last=Power|date=August 3, 2019|website=Irish Examiner|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=May 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517005203/https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-30941575.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/beyonce-black-is-king-album-review|title=Black is King is a mesmerising and powerful visual album straight from the mind of Beyoncé|website=The Line of Best Fit|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=December 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227040515/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/beyonce-black-is-king-album-review|url-status=live}} Christobel Hastings of Stylist opined that the song "has the capacity to transport to another dimension" while "[unexpectedly] rival[ing] her love of [Knowles'] 00s R&B catalog."{{Cite web|url=https://www.stylist.co.uk/entertainment/music/best-beyonce-songs-ranking/673657|title=The definitive list of Beyoncé's best songs, according to Team Stylist|website=www.stylist.co.uk|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=December 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227044219/https://www.stylist.co.uk/entertainment/music/best-beyonce-songs-ranking/673657|url-status=live}} In a more mixed review, NME mentioned that the "self-help trope" of the song "ramble[s] a bit" when combined with album opener "Bigger", however they also mentioned their singular "power as [standalone] pop tracks", "underpinned by rhythmic Afrobeat-esque production."{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/beyonce-lion-king-the-gift-review-2531330|title=Beyoncé – 'Lion King: The Gift' review|first=Dhruva|last=Balram|website=NME |date=July 22, 2019|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=September 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924110631/https://www.nme.com/reviews/beyonce-lion-king-the-gift-review-2531330|url-status=live}}

Visual

Knowles filmed the music video in the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes near Pismo Beach, California.{{Cite web|url=https://www.travelcoterie.com/visit-these-beyonce-black-is-king-destinations/|title=Visit These Beyonce "Black Is King" Locations|date=August 3, 2020|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=September 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924213328/https://www.travelcoterie.com/visit-these-beyonce-black-is-king-destinations/|url-status=live}} Directed by Knowles, she is featured alongside two dancers wearing masks inspired by the traditional face coverings worn by the Dogon peoples of Mali, as well as an ensemble of dancers covered in sparkling jewels.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/lists/beyonce-black-is-king-african-culture-references/|title=A Quick Cultural Guide to Beyoncé's 'Black Is King'|first1=Angelique Jackson, Audrey Cleo|last1=Yap|first2=Angelique|last2=Jackson|first3=Audrey Cleo|last3=Yap|date=August 4, 2020|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806155009/https://variety.com/lists/beyonce-black-is-king-african-culture-references/|url-status=live}}

Personnel

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

{{div col end}}

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Weekly chart performance for "Find Your Way Back"

! scope="col"| Chart (2019)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"|US Hot R&B Songs (Billboard){{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/beyonce/|title=Beyoncé | Biography, Music & News|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=June 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621223842/https://www.billboard.com/artist/beyonce/|url-status=live}}

|25

scope="row"| World Digital Song Sales (Billboard)

|5

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Find Your Way Back"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|title=Find Your Way Back|artist=Beyoncé|type=single|award=Gold|accessdate=December 27, 2023|relyear=2013|certyear=2023}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ "Standing on the Sun" release history

! scope="col"| Region

! scope="col"| Date

! scope="col"| Format(s)

! scope="col"| Version

! scope="col"| Label(s)

! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}}

scope="row" rowspan="2"| Various

| July 19, 2019

| rowspan="2"| {{hlist|Digital download|streaming}}

| original Version

| rowspan="2"| {{hlist|Parkwood|Columbia}}

| align="center"|{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/beyonce-the-lion-king-african-artists-interview-8523901/|title=Meet the African Artists Beyonce Collaborated With For 'The Lion King: The Gift'|first=D. J.|last=Soupamodel|magazine=Billboard |date=July 25, 2019|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=February 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201064100/https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/beyonce-the-lion-king-african-artists-interview-8523901/|url-status=live}}

July 31, 2020

| MeLo-X Remix version

| align="center"|{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefader.com/2020/07/31/beyonce-black-is-king-stream-disney|title=Beyoncé drops new visual album Black Is King|website=The FADER|access-date=December 28, 2023|archive-date=December 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227040105/https://www.thefader.com/2020/07/31/beyonce-black-is-king-stream-disney|url-status=live}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{Beyoncé songs}}

{{The Lion King}}

Category:2019 songs

Category:Beyoncé songs

Category:Songs written by Beyoncé

Category:Song recordings produced by Beyoncé

Category:Songs written by Starrah