"Beautiful Liar " by Beyoncé & Shakira
Reviewed by: Krystal Burns
Note: We focus on reviewing songs, and therefore cannot comment on the appropriateness of the album in its entirety. Please use your best judgment whenever purchasing or listening to music.
The Artist
Two very different female vocal artists put their voices together for the new hit “Beautiful Liar.” Beyoncé stays true to her signature R&B style, while mixing in some of the Latino/Asian vibe that landed Shakira celebrity status. While the duet is often an awkward listen, the ladies have a message for the girls.
The Album
The “Beautiful Liar” EP was released March 20th. It includes four variations of the song including Spanish and instrumental.
The Song
The message of the song is pretty straightforward as Beyoncé and Shakira go back and forth in conversational style lamenting the fact that they’ve both, unknowingly, been seeing the same guy, referred as the beautiful liar. They are tempted to be upset with one another, but ultimately realize they are both the victims and decide “let’s not kill the karma/ let’s not start a fight.”
The title alone reminds me of a truth we tend to ignore most of the time -- the idea of a beautiful liar whose goal is to deceive us and cause conflict. “. . . for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14) Not only is Satan the father of lies, but he is clever enough to make himself attractive even to Christians.
Karma is the Hindu/Buddhist idea that we cause the good and bad things that happen in our lives. The idea in the song is that the girls currently have “good” karma and fighting would be bad and cause other bad things to happen to them. As Christians we know that our decisions have very real consequences, but we also know that God is ultimately in control of the world and everything that happens, not us. We should work out our differences with others lovingly and peacefully because this honors God and most reflects who He is. Finally, this is how we take a stand against Satan and his plan to destroy God’s church and the reputation of all believers.
Remember, you may think you’re just fighting with your parents or your peers, but we are all under attack and we have all fallen prey to the beautiful liar at one time or another. Therefore, protect yourself in Christ because “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)
So What Do You Think?
1. How would you describe “Beautiful Liar” stylistically?
2. Should Shakira and Beyoncé do more songs together?
3. What are some of Satan’s lies our culture has embraced?
4. List some of your own struggles. Now relate them back to Ephesians 6:12. Spend time praying through each one and asking for God to give you strength and protection.
5. What do you think of the video for this song? Does it fit the lyrics -- or is it really just about the pair shaking their hips?