On “Protector,” Beyonce employs the help of her daughter Rumi Carter, with the 6-year-old lending her voice on the track’s intro. “Mom, can I hear the lullaby? Please?” Rumi is heard saying. Beyoncé then delves into the first verse, in which she recounts the joy of watching her kids grow and revisits pleasant memories of them. “And there I was, tangled up in marigold/ We were listenin’ to the reverent children singin’/(Sing, sing, sing, sing, sing, sing)/ Hm, yeah/ Hummin’ low as the garden river flows / While the August light becomes a golden evenin’,” she belts on the track.
In the chorus, the newly minted country singer sings about her love and dedication to her brood. “And I will lead you down that road if you lose your way/ Born to be a protector, mm-hmm/ Even though I know someday you’re gonna shine on your own/ I will be your projector, mm, mm-hmm,” she sings. With these lyrics, Beyonce lets Blue Ivy, Rumi, and Sir know that she will always be with them every step of the way — even as they continue to grow and forge their own paths.
Of course, this is not the first time Beyonce is making her music a family affair. Notably, the singer’s oldest daughter Blue Ivy lent her voice on her mom’s 2019 hit single “Brown Skin Girl.”
