When Beyoncé released Act I of her three-part music series, she wanted people to feel free. Ahead of the release of “Renaissance,” she wrote, “My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment, a place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking.” It seems like she wants people to be just as free with Act II and specifically with “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
She starts the song by saying, “This ain’t Texas (Woo) / Ain’t no hold ’em (Hey) / So lay your cards down, down, down, down.” This is a reference to the betting game Texas Hold ‘Em, where people are supposed to keep their cards close to their chest. But Beyoncé wants people to be vulnerable, which is why she tells them to lay their cards down. Throughout the song, she makes references to her hometown while still talking about letting go. She sings, “There’s a heatwave (There’s a heatwave) / Comin’ at us (Comin’ at us) / Too hot to think straight (Too hot to think straight) / Too cold to panic (Cold to panic) / All of the problems / Just feel dramatic (Just feel dramatic) / And now we’re runnin’ to the first bar that we find, yeah.” Beyoncé sings about how some problems aren’t worth the worry and to just be free. She wants people to have fun with her music and the lyrics in “Texas Hold ‘Em” show this firsthand.
