Beyonce Kicked Off The 2022 Oscars By Performing ‘Be Alive’ From ‘King Richard’ At The Compton Tennis Courts

Even before the trailer for King Richard dropped, the Beyhive was buzzing about a potential new Beyonce song in the Venus and Serena Williams biopic. “Be Alive” ended up being pretty much the only new music we got from Bey last year, but it did not disappoint. Like the title suggests, the powerful track glories in the simple pleasure of being alive, and how satisfying it feels to confound expectations when the world is against you.

The song picked up a 2022 nomination from the Oscars for Best Original Song after initially being shortlisted by the selection committee, and rumors were swirling last week that Bey would actually perform the song during the awards show tonight, but would do so from the Compton tennis courts named after the Williams sisters.

And that’s exactly how the show’s planners chose to open tonight, with a glowing Beyonce clad all in yellow, surrounded by plenty of other dancers — some even rocking the signature hair beads that defined Venus and Serena’s early looks as players. Blue Ivy showed up to perform alongside her mother too, making this moment feel very full circle. This is the first time Beyonce has performed at an awards show in almost five years, and she nailed it with an over-the-top spectacle as she always does. Check out clips from her performance below.