Regular readers of this blog know I am rather infatuated with Beyoncé. So I’m more than pleased to see her land at #2 on Village Voice’s 2011 Pazz & Jop poll.
In the top spot, as I’ve mentioned, is Adele with ‘Rolling in the Deep.’ Adele also placed a second track, ‘Someone Like You,’ in the top ten, making her one of only a handful of artists to do so in the history of the poll. At #3 was Nicki Minaj’s ‘Super Bass,’ a feat all the more impressive given that the song was never intended to be released as a single. It was a true word of mouth hit (buoyed by Taylor Swift, of all people).
And rounding out the trio of very talented, very different women at the top of the poll is Beyoncé.
Despite all of my Beyoncé adoration, I’m not really a fan of her music. I really like ‘If I Were a Boy,’ ‘Single Ladies’ and ‘Crazy in Love’ but after that the drop-off is steep. Her R&B ballads are generic and her beat-heavy songs lack memorable hooks. As many times as I’ve toyed with buying one of her albums (for the cover art alone), I’ve never done it.
‘Countdown’ is something else altogether, and I can see why it has hit such a nerve. This is one crazy-ass song. Beyoncé goes from Roberta Flack to Missy Elliot in the blink of an eye, and ties it all together with that frenzied countdown that gives the song its name.
This sweet and sexy tribute to her marriage is one of the most ambitious songs I’ve heard in awhile and the fact that it works as well as it does is a minor miracle.
Oh, killing me softly and I’m still falling
Still the one I need, I will always be with you
Oh, you got me all gone, don’t ever let me go
Say it real loud if you fly
If you leave me you’re out of your mind
My baby is a 10
We dressing to the 9
He pick me up we 8,
Make me feel so lucky 7
He kiss me in his 6
We be making love at 5
Still the one I do this 4
I’m tryna make us 3
From that 2
He’s still the 1
There’s ups and downs in this love
Got a lot to learn in this love
Through the good and the bad, still got love
Dedicated to the one I love, hey
Still love the way he talk, still love the way I sing
Still love the way he rock them black diamonds in that chain
Still all up on each other, ain’t a damn thing changed
My girls can’t tell me nothing, I’m gone in the brain
I’m all up under him like it’s cold, winter time
All up in the kitchen in my heels, dinner time
Do whatever that it takes, he got a winner’s mind
Give it all to him, meet him at the finish line
Me and my boof and my boof boof riding
All up in that black with his chick right beside him
Ladies, if you love your man show him you the flyest
Grind up on it, girl, show him how you ride it
Me and my boof and my boof boof riding
All up in that black with his chick right beside him
Ladies, if you love your man show him you the fliest
Grind up on it, girl, show him how you ride it
Oh, killing me softly and I’m still fallin’
Still the one I need, I will always be with you
Oh, you got me all gone, don’t ever let me go
Say it real loud if you fly
If you leave me you out of your mind
My baby is a 10
We dressing to the 9
He pick me up we 8,
Make me feel so lucky 7
He kiss me in his 6
We be making love at 5
Still the one I do this 4
I’m tryna make us 3
From that 2
He still the 1
Yup, I put it on him, it ain’t nothing that I can’t do
Yup, I buy my own, if he deserve it, buy his shit too
All up in the store, shorty, tricking if I want to
All up in the store, shorty, fly as we want to
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Damn I think I love that boy
Do anything for that boy
Boy!
Now I’ll never be the same
You and me until the end
Me and my boof and my boof boof riding
All up in that black with his chick right beside him
Ladies, if you love your man show you the flyest
Grind up on it, girl, show him how you ride it
Me and my boof and my boof lip locking
All up in the back because the chicks keep flocking
All that gossip in 10 years stop it
London speed it up, Houston rock it
Oh, killing softly and I’m still falling
Still the one I need, I will always be with you
Oh, you got me all gone, don’t ever let me go
Say it real loud if you fly,
If you leave me you’re out of your mind
My baby is a 10
We dressing to the 9
He pick me up we 8,
Make me feel so lucky 7
He kiss me in his 6
We be making love at 5
Still the one I do this 4
I’m tryna make us 3
From that 2
He still the 1
Meet Me In Montauk 
I’ve somehow never heard this song before. I REALLY like it. Cute video too.
Watching this, Beyonce in her prime and married to a famous rapper, I can’t help but think about Whitney Houston in her prime 20 years ago and married to Bobby Brown. It’s hard to believe the fall from grace Houston had, losing her voice, her career, the tumultuous drug laden marriage, etc.. I certainly hope that 20 years from now we don’t see Beyonce, with her great voice and talent and, of course, looks, plunge into the abyss like Houston did. It seems hard to imagine it happening, but, then again, I’m not sure we could have predicted Houston’s downward spiral as she was prancing around joyfully singing “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”
Interesting and disturbing thought. I can’t see Jay-Z being the sort of destructive influence that Brown was, though.
I agree this is a good song and video; I like her with the short hair too. That is an interesting and disturbing thought about her; and it’s so sad to see a talent like Houston fall so hard. However, I can’t help but think that she had so much going for her when there are so many talented artists who would do anything to have that chance, it boggles the mind that she threw it all away for some creep and drugs.
I don’t really “get” this song. I love the sentiment, but I don’t know that I would have a clue about that sentiment if Clay hadn’t provided the lyrics. Still, I find Beyonce incredibly appealing, as an artist, a wife, a mother, and I certainly hope she has a far happier future than poor Houston did.