Heated (Beyoncé song)
2022 song by Beyoncé
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Heated" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé. It is the eleventh track on her seventh studio album, Renaissance (2022), which was released on July 29, 2022, through Parkwood and Columbia.[1]
| "Heated" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Beyoncé | |
| from the album Renaissance | |
| Released | July 29, 2022 |
| Studio |
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| Genre | |
| Length | 4:20 |
| Label | |
| Songwriters |
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| Producers |
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| Lyric Video | |
| "Heated" on YouTube | |
Composition and lyrics
Pitchfork writer Julianne Escobedo Shepherd described the song as an "a pulsing afrobeats track".[2] Michaelangelo Matos of The New York Times described as a "neo-dancehall form over a slinky, wood-block-heavy groove".[3] The song also features elements of ballroom music.[4][5]
"Heated" referred to Beyoncé's "Uncle" Jonny, her gay cousin who introduced her to post-1970s Black ball culture, dance music and club culture, concept of Renaissance.[6][7] The song was considered a tribute to "Uncle" Jonny, who helped raise her until his death during the AIDS epidemic.[8][9]
The song contains a sample of "Where to Land", written by Travis Garland, Jonathan Yip, Ray Romulus, Jeremy Reeves and Ray Charles McCullough II and performed by Travis Garland.[10]
Controversy
The song was met with criticism online for its use of the word "spaz" in its lyrics, which disability advocates said is an ableist slur.[11] Other users online said that "spaz" has a different meaning in African-American English and is synonymous with "freaking out".[12][11] Beyoncé announced the following day that the word would be removed from the song, with the word soon being replaced with "blast".[13]
Live performance
Beyoncé first performed "Heated" in Stockholm, Sweden on the opening night of the Renaissance World Tour, including it on the setlist for the duration of the tour.[14] The robot arms from the "Cozy" performance returned to the stage holding mechanical fans, referring to the line "I gotta fan myself off." Pyrotechnics went off throughout the song.
Beyoncé retained "Heated" for the Cowboy Carter Tour in 2025.[15] It immediately followed "Cuff It" and has her returning to the main stage on a flying, glowing horseshoe. The song is mashed with "Boots on the Ground" by 803Fresh, continuing the connection to fans with the "Where them fans at?" line.
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)[16] | 69 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[17] | 52 |
| South Africa Streaming (TOSAC)[18] | 26 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[19] | 68 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[20] | 51 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[21] | 20 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[22] | 3× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[23] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[24] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[25] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||