Jay Z didn't write "Spiritual" about the recent police killings of Philando Castile or Alton Sterling. Unfortunately, a song like this seems to have no shelf life.
"Punch (TDE) told me I should drop it when Mike Brown died, sadly I told him, 'this issue will always be relevant,'" the artist wrote in a mission statement released with the song. ["Punch," by the way, is Terrence “Punch” Henderson, co-president of Top Dawg Entertainment.]
At its heart, "Spiritual" feels like a blues song, written by a man "smack-dab in a hurricane of emotions":
"I need a drink, shrink or something
I need an angelic voice to sing something
Bless my soul, extend your arms, I'm cold
Hold me for a half hour until I am whole, yeah"
According to Vanity Fair, Jay Z released "Spiritual" today, July 8, via his Tidal streaming service — so technically, you'd need to sign up to hear it. But somebody posted the song on YouTube, and the rapper has not, as of yet, had it taken down.