Beyoncé’s Morning Dew (DONK): A Magical R&B Gift for the Fans

Beyoncé is releasing the 20th anniversary of her 2nd album B’Day. Along with that is a surprise release of Morning Dew (DONK). Before we get into the track, we need to talk about the title. Well, originally the track was recorded in 2013 and a demo of this track leaked in 2023. This leaked demo went around on Tic Toc and was called DONK in reference to the hook, which says “donkey, donkey, donk.” Well, Beyoncé decided to release a cleaned up version and threw in DONK as a shout out to the hive. Now, with that context, let’s get into it.

The track is some classic 4/4 R&B. Rich bass, snappy snare and lush synth create a very warm and textured background. This will give you some old school 90s R&B and even 70s funk vibes. These are classic touchtones that work in any era and really give this track a great feel. The music on this track is not overly complex, but delivers on those classic notes you are looking for. Musically, this will remind you of Beyoncé’s early albums and especially her 2014 release Beyoncé. Even though the music is expertly executed, it’s the vocals that really bring this track to life.

I think the vocals are what give the track a modern twist. You have your classic Beyoncé vocal gymnastics as she sings about hot passionate love in the morning, while also giving some women’s power “you need a woman holding you down.” Her vocal is amazing as always in its warmth, passion and power. But it doesn’t stop there. She uses multi-tracking as background singers float in and out of her vocal and Beyoncé’s vocal sings over itself at different times. It’s this asynchronous vocal trick as staccato clips and hand claps play over longer more languid verses that brings this traditional R&B track into present day pop. I love the blend of traditional and modern, which shows Beyoncé’s talent as an artist.

With all the modern vocal and production flares, this is still classic peak Beyoncé. As a member of the hive, it’s a treat to see her going back to that classic R&B pop that helped shoot her into super stardom. I love and respect how Beyoncé has evolved as an artist by taking on different genres and challenging herself…she is a modern day Bowie. However, it’s a real treat to have her go back to the classics.

Listen to Morning Dew (DONK)