Jane Dark Sugarhigh blog on Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" restoring "melodic range to pop"

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Um, I don't think that anyone really believes on any level that this song is about kicking Jay-Z to the curb.

beyonce girl u own this song i know jay z was embarresed when he heard this wit his big lip self u need to have this on radio its to good to have to search for it and u sho right u can have a nuther him in a minute u go girl tell yo man cuz sum people just be like oh its ok he wont do it again but u told him he must not know bout u lol

max (maxreax), Wednesday, 14 February 2007 17:47 (seventeen years ago) link

Beyonce in Sports Illustrated (and others at the R n roll hall of fame) Beyonce in Bikini Is Swimsuit Cover Girl for music theme issue! Hah.
By Associated Press
3 hours ago

NEW YORK - Beyonce has hit another high note, claiming the coveted cover shot of this year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue in a yellow-and-pink bikini.

"The Dreamgirl As You've Never Seen Her," a cover headline teases. There's also a photo spread inside the magazine.

The 25-year-old singer-actress ("Dreamgirls") posed on a Florida beach in the bikini designed by House of Dereon, the fashion label she started with her mother, Tina Knowles.

The 2007 swimsuit edition continues with a music theme inside, featuring scantily clad models posing with Kanye West, Aerosmith, Kenny Chesney, Gnarls Barkley and Panic! At the Disco.

A five-page spread featuring Russian Anne Vyalitsyna was shot at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland in September.

"Once the decision was made to have a music hook, one of the first settings to come up was the Rock Hall, because it's such an iconic place," said Sports Illustrated spokesman Rick McCabe. "It was a natural fit."

Vyalitsyna posed with Jon Bon Jovi's motorcycle and other Rock Hall items.

The magazine portrayed the museum with respect, said Todd Mesek, Rock Hall spokesman.

"We felt it would've been an omission if we weren't included," he said.

___

curmudgeon (DC Steve), Wednesday, 14 February 2007 17:49 (seventeen years ago) link

Beyonce has given much better performances in the past ("Say My Name", "Bills, Bills, Bills", "Bootylicious", "Lose My Breath", "Dangerously In Love", "Emotion", "So Good", "Crazy In Love"). The construction of the entire song is a shambles; it doesn't go anywhere musically or lyrically and the place it sits in is low-rent rip-off of TLC's "Unpretty".

Well, I like "Irreplacable" more than most of those songs, including "Unpretty", and don't necessarily agree that she gives better performances on all of them, so taste is a bugger, etc.

And how is "Irreplacable" a ripoff of "Unpretty" other than that both are R&B songs built around an acoustic guitar?

The Reverend (Rodney J. Greene), Wednesday, 14 February 2007 22:11 (seventeen years ago) link

Both are mid-tempo "empowerment anthems" based on an acoustic guitar riff based very heavily on the circle of fifths sung by African-American women more known for their trendsetting/trendchasing (delete as applicable to the relative stage in each act's career) hip-hop/r&b work.

Jesus Dan (dan perry), Thursday, 15 February 2007 01:48 (seventeen years ago) link

Fair enough, but that doesn't really answer my question. I didn't ask how they are similiar, (and half of that is based on circumstance, rather than anything within the songs. the circle-of-fifths thing may be a good point, but my knowledge of music theory is rather rudimentary) I asked how one is a ripoff of the other. I don't see any reason to assume that Beyonce was consciously or even subconsciously setting out to make a song that sounds like "Unpretty".

The Reverend shines like a lighthouse (Rodney J. Greene), Thursday, 15 February 2007 05:17 (seventeen years ago) link

not that there isn't a difference, but i don't know that it's so easily distinguished--ESPECIALLY w/r/t to a world-famous pop star and a song ostensibly about her relationship with her world-famous boyfriend--and i dont know that super-formalist readings of it (or really of any pop song) are going to be all that helpful or interesting.

-- max (mreadn...), February 13th, 2007.

WTF? When did singing a song that's not actually about one's own life become something only decipherable by "super formalist" readings??? Did Johnny Cash actually kill a man?

Shadowcat (A-Ron Hubbard), Thursday, 15 February 2007 05:26 (seventeen years ago) link

I mean in what sense is Irreplaceable "ostensibly" about Jay-Z???

Shadowcat (A-Ron Hubbard), Thursday, 15 February 2007 05:27 (seventeen years ago) link

"Both are mid-tempo "empowerment anthems" based on an acoustic guitar riff based very heavily on the circle of fifths sung by African-American women more known for their trendsetting/trendchasing (delete as applicable to the relative stage in each act's career) hip-hop/r&b work."

Dan, as long as Sugababes' "Ugly" it's hard for me to take this accusation seriously.

Tim F (Tim F), Thursday, 15 February 2007 06:03 (seventeen years ago) link

As long as Sugababes' "Ugly" exists, even.

Tim F (Tim F), Thursday, 15 February 2007 06:03 (seventeen years ago) link

hurting--maybe i misspoke? i meant that a formalist reading (by which i guess i really mean a new critical reading i.e. w/out extratextual information such as uh i dont know biographical context) is lacking b/c it takes the song to be objectively given, extant in a vacuum, separate from the mechanisms by which its produced and consumed. now i dont have a window into beyonces life but i thought (and i could be wrong but i couldve sworn i read this all over the place) that the song has been generally taken by the public (if not the critics who tend to be suspicious that a pop star might bring "real" life into what is thought of as a genre abt "image" and "surface") as being specifically referential to her relationship w/ jay-z. and EVEN if that reading of the PRODUCTION of the song itself is wrong (and i dont think its strictly true since apparently ne-yo wrote the lyrics but i dont think you can deny that giving a recently-jilted girl a song like that to sing wont bring her own attitude, exp., etc to it), the mechanisms of CONSUMPTION of the song are such that a huge number of ppl take it to be abt her and jay. (id maybe even argue that one meaning the song itself produces involves her relationship to jigga)

max (maxreax), Thursday, 15 February 2007 07:20 (seventeen years ago) link

"recently-jilted"? Did I miss something?

The Reverend shines like a lighthouse (Rodney J. Greene), Thursday, 15 February 2007 07:37 (seventeen years ago) link

i dont know; i should probably actually start reading hip hop weekly if im going to talk a big game abt biographical references.

max (maxreax), Thursday, 15 February 2007 07:49 (seventeen years ago) link

the mechanisms of CONSUMPTION of the song are such that a huge number of ppl take it to be abt her and jay

surely 'ring the alarm' rather than 'irreplaceable' though? the rihanna/teairra mari rumours, and so on. i basically agree that this tabloidy method of consumption is a worthwhile angle though.

lexpretend (lexpretend), Thursday, 15 February 2007 08:06 (seventeen years ago) link

Ok hang on, did they actually break up?

Shadowcat (A-Ron Hubbard), Thursday, 15 February 2007 14:39 (seventeen years ago) link

i think they've tried to suggest it wasn't that kind of exclusive relationship anyway.

temporary enrique (temporary enrique), Thursday, 15 February 2007 14:40 (seventeen years ago) link

Well anyway, I know what a formalist reading is. I don't think one has to exactly "close read" this song to see that it's probably not literally about Jay-Z. But if you want to believe Beyonce is channelling her emotions about him into the song or something, fine. I just heard a Willie Nelson interview where he talked about writing this super pitiful heartbreak song (whose name I forget) and the whole inspiration for it was that his wife was sleeping on his arm and he had to get a cigarette, strike a match and light the cig all with his other hand.

----

If I bought it nigga please don't touch
And keep talking that mess, that's fine
But could you walk and talk at the same time
And It's my mine name that is on that Jag
So remove your bags let me call you a cab

Standing in the front yard telling me
How I'm such a fool - Talking about
How I'll never ever find a man like you
You got me twisted

You must not know about me
You must not know about me
I could have another you in a minute
matter fact he'll be here in a minute - baby

You must not know about me
You must not know about me
I can have another you by tomorrow
So don't you ever for a second get to thinking you're irreplaceable

So go ahead and get gone
And call up on that chick and see if she is home
Oops, I bet ya thought that I didn't know
What did you think I was putting you out for?
Cause you was untrue
Rolling her around in the car that I bought you
Baby you dropped them keys hurry up before your taxi leaves
Standing in the front yard telling me
How I am such a fool - Talking about
How I'll never ever find a man like you
You got me twisted

You must not know about me
You must not know about me
I could have another you in a minute
matter fact he'll be here in a minute - baby

You must not know about me
You must not know about me
I will have another you by tomorrow
So don't you ever for a second get to thinking you're irreplaceable

So since I’m not your everything
How about I'll be nothing
Nothing at all to you
Baby I wont shead a tear for you
I won't lose a wink of sleep
Cause the truth of the matter is
Replacing you is so easy

To the left
To the left
To the left
To the left
To the left
To the left
Everything you own in the box to the left

To the left
To the left

Don't you ever for a second get to thinking you're irreplaceable

Shadowcat (A-Ron Hubbard), Thursday, 15 February 2007 14:46 (seventeen years ago) link

If I bought it nigga please don't touch

I thought the album version was the same as the single edit but apparently not!

the part where I think most analysis of Beynoce's relationship songs being about Jay falls apart is when she seems to be singing from the perspective of a relationship where either she (in "Ring The Alarm") or he (in "Irreplaceable") is financially dependent on the other, that one would be broke if the other dumped them, which obviously isn't the case. but then maybe she's just trying to frame the songs in such a way that people who aren't extravagantly rich can identify with them (as opposed to, say, "Upgrade U," where I've never even heard of half the brands they're babbling on about).

Al (Alex In Baltimore), Thursday, 15 February 2007 14:58 (seventeen years ago) link

I thought the album version was the same as the single edit but apparently not!

no swearing on my copy of the album!

i think beyoncé's return, again and again, to the theme of economics is essential to both the persona she builds up of herself as popstar, and to enable her songs to ring true to 'normal' life. she's consistently used financial security/superiority to represent more than just what it is; and, far from rendering her heartless and cold, the way she constantly returns to it kind of proves that she's more in touch with the sometimes-unpleasant details of how real-life relationships (both within & without her income bracket) function than any number of singers who prefer to sing about the more romantic, rose-coloured picture. what's that statistic again, half of all relationships end because of financial disagreements/incompatibility?

lexpretend (lexpretend), Thursday, 15 February 2007 15:10 (seventeen years ago) link

Even with a song like "Crazy In Love" it's a bad idea to go too far with biographical assumptions. I mean it's not like Jay-Z and Beyonce are just sitting on the couch spooning one day and then a light-bulb goes on and they rush into the studio to let their feelings pour forth.

Shadowcat (A-Ron Hubbard), Thursday, 15 February 2007 15:15 (seventeen years ago) link

Though they and their handlers might like it if the buying public sees it that way.

Shadowcat (A-Ron Hubbard), Thursday, 15 February 2007 15:16 (seventeen years ago) link

the way she constantly returns to it kind of proves that she's more in touch with the sometimes-unpleasant details of how real-life relationships (both within & without her income bracket) function

she doesn't offer any comment on how unpleasantly materialistic life can get, just affirms it; and by affirming it by talking about ridiculous fucking bullshit brands, sports cars, and war diamonds yay, she really isn't on the side of the poor lex.

temporary enrique (temporary enrique), Thursday, 15 February 2007 15:43 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah, well that's all about playing to the aspirational audience.

Shadowcat (A-Ron Hubbard), Thursday, 15 February 2007 15:52 (seventeen years ago) link

well for sure, but i'm not going to use the end-product of that calculation as a stick to beat the allegedly "romantic, rose-coloured picture" provided by other artists. it is what it is.

temporary enrique (temporary enrique), Thursday, 15 February 2007 15:55 (seventeen years ago) link

In last month's GQ Beyonce says that as someone born into the middle classes, she's "more intelligent" than people from "the hood", and this makes it easy for her to cope with success.

She then didn't add a "Why you frontin' wigga?" style html mark-up box.

White Collar Boxer (DomPassantino), Thursday, 15 February 2007 15:58 (seventeen years ago) link

no, hurting, yr right--i don't want to take it (a bio. reading) too far, but i don't think it's a wrong-headed movement; especially not if a huge number of fans are hearing the song that way--but i can already see the danger of this angle, namely, that i sort of assumed that this was the song that everyone thot was abt hov but apparently none of you did, so either i hallucinated that reaction, or its v. specific to the ppl i interact w/.

max (maxreax), Thursday, 15 February 2007 16:58 (seventeen years ago) link

Way late but anyway:

Fair enough, but that doesn't really answer my question. I didn't ask how they are similiar, (and half of that is based on circumstance, rather than anything within the songs. the circle-of-fifths thing may be a good point, but my knowledge of music theory is rather rudimentary) I asked how one is a ripoff of the other. I don't see any reason to assume that Beyonce was consciously or even subconsciously setting out to make a song that sounds like "Unpretty".

I did not use the word "ripoff" to imply intent on the part of Beyonce. I used the word "ripoff" to imply similarity, chronology and how I view the relative quality of both (I am not a fan of "Unpretty" but I would rather listen to that any day over "Irreplaceable", despite Beyonce being a much better singer than anyone in TLC).

Jesus Dan (dan perry), Thursday, 15 February 2007 22:13 (seventeen years ago) link

aw c'mon her ridiculous bullshit dazzles any cultural theory etc etc...

da mystery of sandboxin' (fandango), Thursday, 15 February 2007 23:09 (seventeen years ago) link


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