Single ladies, independent women, chicks with attitude, women on the move…sound familiar? A superstar like Beyoncé doesn't really have to pick an original theme in order to get some radio airtime. For the time being, Beyoncé's calling card, perfected in the "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" music video, is being a ridiculously talented woman who is about as widely imitated as anyone in the world. You know you're a big deal when everyone from small children to Barack Obama wants to be like you, and most of the rest of the country approves. At least, that's what he told Beyoncé when he met her backstage at his inauguration. We might need to tell you, however, that even President Barack Obama reputedly has his own version of the dance. On top of that, you have probably already picked up on the fact that Justin Timberlake attempted the dance on Saturday Night Live, and that Kanye West made a fool of himself defending the music video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Shot in black and white in order to pair it with the video for "If I Were A Boy," the "Single Ladies" video features Beyoncé with two back-up dancers in black leotards doing an original dance that has become "the single ladies dance." As if we needed to tell you that.Īnd we probably also don't need to tell you that a gazillion people have made YouTube videos imitating the dance, and that of these gazillion, a few of them were very young children. But for "Single Ladies," the outstanding feature-and the one that's gone beyond viral on the internet-is the music video. There's the female independence theme, and the perfection of the Sasha Fierce alter-ego. What is about the super-poppy "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" that goes so perfectly with her ever-growing image as a contending queen of pop? Who knew a single song could be highly esoteric, highly vindictive, and highly dance-able?īeyoncé has been hailed and awarded for pretty much every aspect of her skill as a musician, dancer, and actress, and compared to big diva names ranging from Diana Ross to Marilyn Monroe. It also give an ominous undertone to the most bitter, complicated line of the song. This semi-spooky contrast between the melody and the chords is a risky move called polytonality, "a technique normally reserved for highly esoteric jazz and classical music," according to the music commentator quoted above. But a bass synth comes in on chords from the key of E minor. And during the chorus ("If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on"), Beyoncé is singing a simple major scale (E major, to be specific). Mostly, the tune of "Single Ladies" is pretty standard, simple stuff. Listen closely for the single snare behind the song and you should be able to catch what makes this song's beat so strange-and so catchy. On top of the unusual back beat, if you listen closely, you can hear a snare drum on the last count of every measure (the last "and" if you count one-and-two-and-three-and-four-AND).
![man beyonce single ladies video man beyonce single ladies video](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/40/e4/ab/40e4ab0b968e4357c23f63f2d3e490f7--beyonce--beyonce-performance.jpg)
![man beyonce single ladies video man beyonce single ladies video](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BIHSE69i2Bs/UdkxeTuzweI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/_9CRhZ-dEzg/s1600/BEYONCE+CLOSE+UP.png)
As one music commentator points out, this emphasis "is reinforced by the dancing in the music video, in which the choreography consists largely of Beyoncé jolting around on every beat." This has the effect of putting an equal emphasis on each of the four beats in the measure. That's what all the upbeat clatter is, and it is basically the only percussion in the song.
![man beyonce single ladies video man beyonce single ladies video](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c0/25/d8/c025d8be4b07cc98de24be5b8ef918bc.jpg)
In "Single Ladies," instead of a back beat, we hear a consistent clap on every single 8th note (that's twice every beat).
![man beyonce single ladies video man beyonce single ladies video](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/93/72/ae/9372ae1ff4ed2be7115a6c4781f8749f.png)
Nothing strange there, but most pop songs in 4/4 have a "back beat"-a clap, snap or snare drumming out the beat on every other note (usually the 2nd and 4th, which has the effect of emphasizing the 1st and 3rd notes listen to Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' "Empire State of Mind" for an example). "Single Ladies" was produced by Beyoncé along with the same dynamic duo ("Tricky" and "The-Dream") who produced Rihanna's 2008 hit "Umbrella." Compared to most other pop songs, there are a couple of weird things about the song's sparse, simple arrangement. We can tell there's something brilliant about the song, but what exactly is it about the beat and the harmony that inspires everyone from tiny babies to Justin Timberlake to get their dance on? Whether "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" is a meaningful song, or just a fun one, it's definitely a fun one.