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Why Beyonce's 'Protector' song has parents bawling

"Beyonce you gonna need to start paying for my therapy cause the way these tears are flowing."

Beyoncé/Youtube

Brb, grabbing tissues.

Not even 24 hours after its release, Beyoncé’s soulful, genre-bending “Cowboy Carter” album broke records on Spotify, becoming the platform’s most-streamed album in a single day so far this year.

With 27 tracks—ranging from thought-provoking covers to an eclectic array of originals—there’s a little something for everyone. There’s even a more whoopass version of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”

But there’s one tune in particular that’s striking a cord with parents. Not to mention making them shed a few tears.

In “Protector,” there’s a quick snippet of Bey’s youngest daughter Rumi asking mom for a “lullaby.” The heartfelt acoustic ballad proceeds to be just that, and more.

The tender lyrics touch on the special love oath a parent makes to their child—both to shield them from the world, and help them shine in it.

This can most clearly be seen in the chorus, which says:

"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.”

"I first saw your face in your father’s gaze,” she sings, perhaps referencing the love shared between them that helped create their child. (excuse my while I wipe a tear)

“Protector” is such an emotional bullseye that one person on X dubbed it this year’s “Mother’s Day anthem.”

Another listener agreed, “Bey gave us Protector right in time for Mother’s Day.”

Of course, there were many more reactions where that came from. Especially from new parents.

“Listening to protector while rocking my 7 month old son to sleep….. Beyonce you gonna need to start paying for my therapy cause the way these tears are flowing,” one person shared.

Another added, “Just bawled my eyes out listening to Protector… as a new mom that one hit different Beyoncé.”

But that doesn’t mean childless folks weren’t moved.“I don’t even have kids and Protector on #COWBOYCARTER has me like this on my drive to work,” read one X post.

If you’re one of the very, very few who haven’t heard it, grab some tissues and give it a listen below. Then go call your mom, if you can:

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Guy with 90s-style radio show on TikTok is actually changing lives for aspiring musicians

"The Bun 91.3" is giving unknown artists massive followings and even record label deals.

@thebun91.3/TikTok

This guy rocks.

TikTok is a place where obscure music is celebrated, retro comedy is king and lives can be changed overnight. But it’s a rare feat for all three of those corners to intersect on the platform.

As is the way with many TikTok sensations, faux radio show “The Bun 91.3” started off as a fun hobby. The DJ, known only to listeners as “The Bun,” highlights songs by up-and-coming artists all while sporting aviator sunglasses and mastering that cheesy, old-school radio voice.

Much to his surprise, The Bun’s passion project has actually been bringing major attention to aspiring musicians who might otherwise go unnoticed, just like real radio shows did back in the day.

Take for instance the band Bird Photos. In his video playing their song “Dove,” The Bun said that the group had only 85 monthly listeners. After the clip was viewed over 650,000 times, Bird Photos’ reach skyrocketed to over 36,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

@thebun91.3 Next song up: Dove - Bird Photos #rock #indierock #indie #indiepop #thebun913 #radiohost #spotifyplaylist ♬ Dove - Bird Photos

“Man really gave them a 7800% increase in listeners in four days. We LOVE small artist promoters,” one person commented.

Or singer/songwriter Sarah Crean, whose song "2:00 AM" blew up with over 4.6 million views after The Bun professed he "couldn’t get enough of it” (one of his signature phrases). Crean went from having only 295 monthly listeners to 170,000 monthly listeners and ended up signing with well-known record label AWAL.

@thebun91.3 Next song up: 02:00 AM - Sarah Crean #indiepop #indierock #menitrust #japanesebreakfast #indie #sarahcrean #thebun913 #radiohost #spotifyplaylist ♬ 02:00 AM - Sarah Crean

“My gratitude for it all is immense," Crean told Insider. "He's putting really incredible artists forward to such an open-minded following and it's opening so many doors for them…I think he's got something really special there."

Following successes like these, The Bun’s creative outlet has turned into something of a mission—one which he is fully committed to. The DJ also shared with Insider that he not only spends every morning scouring the internet for cool tracks, but he’ll also find local bands and solo artists to see them play at nearby venues.

Of course, with his newfound internet clout, musicians often reach out to him for coverage. Like Minova, who submitted their song “I Miss You So” and got so many new followers they released a whole new single. (Of course, The Bun covered that, too.)

@thebun91.3 Next song up: I Miss You So - Minova #minova #dayglow #wallows #clairo #sarahcrean #indiepop #sadgirlstarterpack #thebun913 #spotifyplaylist #radiohost ♬ I Miss You So

For The Bun, helping aspiring artists potentially get out of any side hustles and instead focus on what they love is the best part of the job. "I just get a lot of joy out of them winning," he told Insider.

We see plenty of videos on TikTok with folks sharing their art, but it’s not every day that we see someone going out of their way to showcase someone else’s. The Bun is out there doing the dang thing, and doing it all with a huge dose of quirky charm. It’s something we can’t get enough of.

By the way—you can also find The Bun’s special curated playlist featuring these artists, and more, over on Spotify.

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Struggling musician unknowingly gives $5 to a TikTok star and gets a huge career boost

You never know where an act of kindness will lead.

@mdmotivator/TikTok

David Kamara had no idea just how far his kindness would take him.

Hopefully, we engage in acts of kindness for their own intrinsic rewards. However, it’s also pretty amazing when generosity gets reciprocated.

TikTok creator Zachery Dereniowski is best known for approaching random strangers, requesting a dollar, then giving the first person to offer one a large sum of money and helping make one of their dreams come true.

On February 17, Dereniowski stood on a street outside the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada, holding a yellow, smiley-face balloon, asking folks if they’d buy it for a dollar.

Everyone turned him down until he was approached by a friendly man named David Kamara. Kamara handed Dereniowski a flyer, explaining that he was a musician. Whipping out an iPad to show off some of his work, Kamara’s energy was instantly infectious.

“I grew up in the hood, so when we were little we used to go to the Dollarama to get the dollar store mics…I never knew it would manifest into this,” he told Dereniowski.

It wasn’t until after he listened to the song that Dereniowski asked Kamara if he’d like to buy the balloon for a dollar. Without missing a beat, Kamara upped the offer to an e-transfer of $5, saying "a dollar is not going to do much.”

For helping him out, Dereniowski gave Kamara the “magic” balloon, telling him that it would help “manifest” his biggest wish once he let it go in the air.

Kamara knew exactly what he wanted to manifest—a Grammy.

@mdmotivator “I’ll be sending the money to my family in Africa” 🥺❤️ (L1NK 1N B10) #mystery #music #money #africa #spotify #viral #kindness ♬ original sound - Zachery Dereniowski

(Note: We don't recommend letting balloons go for environmental protection and safety reasons.)

Dereniowski didn’t come with any trophies up his sleeve, but he did give Kamara $2,000 on the spot to use towards his music career. Kamara, unsurprisingly, was absolutely elated.

"I can't believe you just did that bro. Nobody would do that for me!” he exclaimed, adding that he would be sending some of the 2,000 to his brothers and sisters in Africa.

“You just blessed me, so I can bless,” he told Dereniowski.

To Kamara’s surprise, the blessings would keep coming. Dereniowski informed Kamara that his millions of followers would now know where to stream Kamara's music. The good deed influencer even wrote an on-screen caption showing that Kamara's work was available on Spotify and Apple.

The clip, which received over 11 million views, gave Kamara an instant surge to his fan base. According to an interview with Insider, his Instagram following grew from 16,000 to over 63,900, and his TikTok (which was only recently created) went from only 40 followers to over 43,600. Holy moly.

Just as he dreamed of, Kamara’s music career has seen a major shift as well. His two most popular songs, “Replay” and "For you," now have been listened to on Spotify over 280,000 times collectively.

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Kamara told Insider that he had no idea who Dereniowski really was, but thought he might need money to get home, which is why he offered $5. That good deed has been reciprocated beyond his wildest imagination. And true to his word, he continued to share his blessings with others. In addition to sending that money back to his family, he plans on giving it to some of Dereniowski’s fans who shared their personal situations in the video’s comments.

Kindness really can be the gift that keeps on giving.

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'Hamilton' creator Lin-Manuel Miranda offers up a musical guide to climate change.

The 'Hamilton' creator's latest playlist has an important theme.

It's not often these days that you see news about climate change and think, "Yes! I can't wait!" This is the rare exception — sort of.

Through the magic of a Spotify playlist, "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda wants to help you keep your eye on the ball and inspire you to take action (here's a list of 21 things you can do right now) on climate change.

Climate change is depressing to read about. Things like the fact that the head of the Environmental Protection Agency isn't sure that climate change exists (it does) or the fact that actual climate scientists are a bit freaked out by our current approach to addressing climate change are unnerving — if not downright scary.

Miranda's playlist provides a soundtrack to help keep you motivated so you don't lose hope while you're reading the latest news.

The playlist, called "Climb It, Change Is Real," is 16 tracks long and it's a straight-up banger.

It features songs like R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)," Nelly's "Hot in Herre," Sean Paul's "Temperature," and Michael Jackson's "Earth Song." It's a fun mix you can listen to while reading up on things like how climate change might change the world's food supply, how India's plan to plant 50 million trees can help fight back against rising temperatures, and why 21 teens and young adults are suing the U.S. government over climate inaction.

Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images.

"Hamilton" did wonders for national interest in our nation's first Secretary of the Treasury. Maybe Miranda could make a musical about climate change? No pressure or anything.

Until then, you can check out his playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

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Need a pick-me-up? Revisit these Lin-Manuel Miranda tweets offering pure love and joy. - Upworthy ›

spotify

Why Beyonce's 'Protector' song has parents bawling

"Beyonce you gonna need to start paying for my therapy cause the way these tears are flowing."

Guy with 90s-style radio show on TikTok is actually changing lives for aspiring musicians

"The Bun 91.3" is giving unknown artists massive followings and even record label deals.

Struggling musician unknowingly gives $5 to a TikTok star and gets a huge career boost

You never know where an act of kindness will lead.

'Hamilton' creator Lin-Manuel Miranda offers up a musical guide to climate change.

The 'Hamilton' creator's latest playlist has an important theme.

It's not often these days that you see news about climate change and think, "Yes! I can't wait!" This is the rare exception — sort of.

The playlist, called "Climb It, Change Is Real," is 16 tracks long and it's a straight-up banger.

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