With her promotion offensive in full force, Beyoncé's name is on many tongues of late. After two highly-anticipated performances this week alone, everyone has something to say about Mrs. Knowles-Carter, good, bad, or dismissive. The lead single from her upcoming album 4, "Run The World (Girls)," is wildly polarizing, eliciting equal amounts of thunderous praise and raging criticisms. And, as always, her detractors' arguments are often just as passionate as rants from stans. The debate over whether grandeur and flash compensate for a perceived lack of substance will never end. She, herself, has never proclaimed to be Maya Angelou in Louboutins either, but that's beside the point. That there is always a discussion about her, however, is also telling. In short: she matters.

With the project, Bey's taken a decidedly more worldly turn, experimenting with international sounds, drawing inspiration from sources far and wide. One such source are the distinctive drums, horns, and rhythms of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti. Her husband's backing of the FELA! Broadway musical couldn't have hurt either. Not unfamiliar with borrowing generously, this African influence is evidenced on "Til the End of Time," which surfaced in full over the weekend. There's been no word on if this song will even make the album, but I adore it. It's a big, energetic, horn-heavy production propelled by marching snare drums and a grooving Afrobeat bass line. She even brings back super-fast rap-singing from her Destiny's Child days. Sure, it's a love song, but it's a departure from the infectiously trite, declarative girl-power stylings she favors.

While it arguably required visuals to really sell listeners on "Run The World (Girls)," -- and even still, it's no threat to Gaga (or Kelly Rowland for that matter) on any chart -- this was an instant jam. It's impossible for me to hear this song and remain still. And I am certain that I'm not alone in picking up on the Lionel Richie vibes in her melodies. As much as this song wins, it will sound several times better when played live by her band. Yeah, this is more like it. Give me five of these over one well-choreographed, catchy black girl anthem any day.

Beyoncé: "Til the End of Time"