4 (Beyoncé Knowles album)
Encyclopedia
4 is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles
, released through Columbia Records
on June 24, 2011. Three weeks before its scheduled release, 4 leaked
in full. The twelve-song set (eighteen on the deluxe edition) marks the first release by Knowles since separating professionally with father and manager, Mathew
, in March 2011. In 2010, Knowles took a break from her career to rest and gain perspective. During the hiatus, she dedicated herself to enjoying the everyday things in life, which she claims reignited her creativity and became a source of inspiration. Knowles also drew inspiration from Fela Kuti
, Earth, Wind & Fire
, Lionel Richie
, with additional influences from The Jackson 5
, New Edition
, Adele
, and Prince
among others.
For the record, Knowles allowed herself the artistic freedom to record songs in which she wanted the melody and lyrics to come together naturally. She mixed the 1970s R&B
, the 1990s rock ‘n’ roll as well as her hip hop
character and used a lot of horns to create a new and broader sound with musical changes, bridges, vibrata, live instrumentation, and classic songwriting. Knowles' main objective was to bring back the emotion, live instruments and soul music
, which according to her, were missing out of the music industry. Allowing herself to belt out some ballads featured on the track-listing of 4 which she described as "a labor of love" Knowles further explained that she used a lot of the brassiness and grittiness in her voice that people had heard in her live performances, however, not necessarily on her studio material.
The record is predominately a R&B and pop music
album; critics noted a predominant late 1970s and early 1980s R&B and soul music
influences. 4 takes on matters of the heart with a mixture of ballads, mid- and up-tempos. Common themes in the album include womanhood and monogamy
. Upon its release, 4 received mostly positive reviews from critics, who viewed it as a progression from Knowles' previous albums and commended its mid-tempo musical style, understated production, and her vocal performance. However, some criticized its ballads and songwriting. In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
chart, selling 310,000 copies in its first week. It also became a number-one chart hit in several other countries.
Preceding the album's release, lead single
"Run the World (Girls)
" was released for digital download
worldwide on April 21, 2011. The single was rushed for release after an early demo leaked on April 18, 2011. "Best Thing I Never Had
" was released on June 1, 2011, as the album's second single. "Countdown
" was released as the third US mainstream/rhythmic and third international single on October 4, 2011, while "Party
" was released as the album's third urban single in the US on October 24, 2011. "Love on Top
" is set to be released as the fifth single on December 4, 2011.
on January 28, 2010, Knowles announced that she would be taking a break from her music career saying "to live life, to be inspired by things again". Knowles, who had a very hectic schedule during the I Am... Sasha Fierce era from late 2008 to early 2010, stated that she came with up with this decision after that her mother, Tina Knowles
' advice to take some time off. She told Jocelyn Vena of MTV News
: "After I finished the last tour, I was a bit overwhelmed and overworked, and my mother was the person that preached to me [...] 'You really need to live your life and open your eyes and you don't want to wake up with no memories." During this reflective time in her life, Knowles began work on her fourth album, and was writing and producing material, following the release of I Am... Sasha Fierce in November 2008, which was inspired by her alter ego
, Sasha Fierce. Knowles announced in February 2010 that she "killed" Fierce "because I've grown and now I'm able to merge the two [personalities]". She explained that she was using live instruments in the songs she was recording to create her own music genre
. She later clarified the statement, "Well, I wouldn't say I'm inventing a new genre. I'm mixing every type of genre that I love and I'm inspired by every type of genre...I'm not putting myself in a box. It's not R&B, it's not typically pop, it's not rock – it's just everything I love mixed together". Knowles said that the album was inspired by several musicians, including Fela Kuti
, The Stylistics
, Lauryn Hill
, Stevie Wonder
, and Michael Jackson
.
have parted ways "on a business level." Knowles took this decision during her break from her music career. The elder Knowles has managed his daughter since she debuted in the late 1990s as the lead vocalist of the Destiny's Child
. Knowles' father went on to manage the careers of her groupmates Kelly Rowland
and Michelle Williams
both as a trio and on their respective solo projects. However, in the past few years, Rowland and Williams severed professional ties with Mathew. Knowles said via her publicist that she is grateful for the role her father has had in her career. In this way, 4 became the first album by Knowles that was made without the guidance of Matthew Knowles. Elaborating more on the subject with Ray Rogers of Billboard
magazine, Knowles said:
Knowles later told Vena of MTV News that she thought that a real change meant separating from her father as her manager. She further added that: "My focus is not bigger; it's quality, and I want to make sure it's something I'm proud of years from now," she says later on. "It's very difficult managing myself. Every night when I go to sleep, I ask hundreds of questions. I'm making mistakes, and I'm learning from them. I've never been afraid to fall — and I say all these things, but now I'm being tested."
During a private listening party, Knowles spoke to a select group of fans about the conception of her album: "I wanted to do something refreshing and different. So I mixed genres and drew inspiration from touring, traveling, watching rock bands, and attending festivals… I was like a mad scientist, putting lots of different songs together." Knowles spoke more about the album in an interview with Billboard
magazine, stating "Having time to grow as a human being really inspired me and gave me a lot of things to pull from for this new album...I feel like I know who I am and don't feel like I have to put myself in a box. No one can define me. I can just have fun, and have the artistic freedom to do whatever I want." As stated by Knowles during an interview with Gabriel Alvarez of Complex magazine in July 2011, the inspiration for 4 came from a variety of sources during her break from her music career when she traveled, read, and watched films. Dissatisfied with the state of contemporary radio
, she set about brewing a concoction entirely of her own design, based on familiar influences as well as ones that might surprise. She explained. "Figuring out a way to get R&B back on the radio is challenging. Everything sounds the same on the radio. With 4 I tried to mix R&B from the [19]70s and the [19]90s with rock ‘n’ roll and a lot of horns to create something new and exciting. I wanted musical changes, bridges, vibrata, live instrumentation, and classic songwriting." With that being said, Knowles added that 4 was more of "a labor of love" rather than just singles and radio songs. Feeling that she has "earned the right to make artistic music", Knowles' main objective was to bring back "the emotion and live instruments and just soul missing out of the music industry."
She remained inspired by Fela Kuti
. When speaking about her inspiration by Kuti, Knowles stated that she appreciated his "feel for the soul and heart of his music; it's so sexy, and has a great groove you get lost in," stating that is takes a major inspiration on 4 with drums and horns and "how everything was on the one". The album was also inspired by '90s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire
, DeBarge
, Lionel Richie
, Teena Marie
with additional influences by The Jackson 5
, New Edition
, Adele
, Florence and the Machine
, and Prince
. Knowles also acknowledged the direct influence of Jay-Z
's own work as well. Knowles added that with certain influences she added her character of hip-hop
for a more broad sound. Knowles stated that she allowed herself more freedom to really belt out some songs, and bring soul
singing back stating, "I used a lot of the brassiness and grittiness in my voice that people hear in my live performances, but not necessarily on my records." Speaking more on the type of songs she wanted on the album, Knowles elaborated: "I have found that with hit records the melody and lyrics come together [naturally]. I usually know from the hook if the song is something that transcends language, race, and genre, and if it is something that affects pop culture. It is something I can visualize people singing in stadiums all over the world. But my favorite songs on my albums are usually not my singles." Before ending her interview with Gabriel Alvarez, Knowles made it clear that she is not claiming perfection and that what she wants is just to be afforded the freedom that goes with being what she rightfully is:
She started the process by playing music with the band from Fela!
, the Broadway musical based on the life of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, and recorded songs everywhere from New York to Australia to Peter Gabriel
's studio in the English countryside city of Bath. She worked with multiple collaborators; both old and new. Producers Jim Jonsin
and Ne-Yo
were known to have collaborated with Knowles on the album. Ne-Yo stated, "It’s coming along nicely. I can’t speak too much on it, but it’s another direction for her, and she’s carving out her own niche. In a minute nobody will be in Beyoncé’s lane. They really can’t get in her lane now, but they really can’t get in her lane after this album." Jonsin spoke of his intention to create 1980s
-influenced electro music using hard drum
s. In January 2011 producer S1 confirmed via Twitter
that he had contributed to the album. Sean Garrett
mentioned his contribution, stating that he had "been working with [Knowles] extremely hard ... she's my favorite". He described the style of music that had been produced, "I think we are doing a lot of up-tempo records for this one. She’s in such a good place right now in life that she is interested in making party music". On January 24, Diplo announced that he had been recording music with Knowles, Switch
and Derek Miller of Sleigh Bells
. Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, The-Dream
Bangladesh
, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins
, Frank Ocean
, Kanye West
, Q-Tip
and Alja Jackson are also working with Knowles on the album. Sia and Talay Riley have written songs which they pitched for the album. On May 31, 2011, the American rock
group, OneRepublic
consisting of Ryan Tedder
and Zach Filkins
, confirmed via Twitter that they worked on the last song for the album.
Diane Warren
revealed in an interview with PopWrap on June 1, 2011, that she also contributed to the album. She stated, "I just wrote something a week and a half ago that Beyoncé recorded and I think it's the best thing I've ever written. She sang it amazingly. I think it's a career song and probably my favorite thing I've ever written... right now." Knowles explained to Gabriel Alvarez of Complex magazine how she discovered Odd Future member, Frank Ocean: "Jay[-Z] had a CD playing in the car one Sunday when we were driving to Brooklyn. I noticed his tone, his arrangements, and his storytelling. I immediately reached out to him—literally the next morning. I asked him to fly to New York and work on my record." She also said that she was very happy and keen with Kanye West who handled the production of "Party" on which André 3000
is the featuring artist. This is because West's single "Runaway
(2010) drove her to the edge of tears the first time she heard. She further said: "The fact that he’s belting out his pain, his confusion, and his anger, with no pre-written lyrics, was so moving. He’s singing his heart out for five minutes. He is so vulnerable. I love when an artist can be so honest." Speaking more abut her experiences which had a direct influence the production and recording of the album, Knowles posted on her official website: "When I played Etta James
it was the most I'd learned about myself until the recording of this album. When I went into the studio I used the same passion, honesty, and approach with my vocals I channeled as Etta James. It does not sound like the vocals on my past albums. It's a lot rawer. It comes from a deep place."
; other New York City recording studios used were Jungle City Studios, Germano Studios, Roc the Mic and KMA Music
. Recording also took place at Conway Recording Studios
, Enormous Studios and Record Plant in Los Angeles
, The Studio in Las Vegas, Patriot Studios in Denver, Boston Harbor Hotel
in Boston
, Conway Recording Studios
in Hollywood, Triangle Sound Studios in Atlanta
and Lear 60/G2 Studios. Outside of the United States, Real World Studios
in Box
, Metropolis Group
in London
, Avex Honolulu Studios, Honolulu, and a studio in a Sydney
mansion built specifically for the album. Knowles' husband, Jay-Z
, was working with Kanye West
on Watch the Throne
in the Sydney studio at the same time; it was created in the mansion's attic without a recording booth, but only a microphone and Pro Tools
software platform. Knowles' vocals for 4 were recorded through an Avalon Design 737 preamp, and compressed in an 1176 Peak Limiter
with a 4:1 data compression ratio
.
In May 2010, Jordan Young
aka DJ Swivel started working with Knowles at Rock The Mic, initially recording "Party" to see what kind of a working relationship might form. Young said: "I pride myself on being a fast engineer, and I was able to execute all she wanted me to do in that first session; thankfully, she liked the job, and the speed that I worked at, and we then started discussing the beginning of the record." Six weeks later, he got another call. After just a few days at Rock The Mic, they considered that it was necessary to move to a bigger room, so they decamped to KMA Studios for a week and a half. The project then moved to MSR Studios, where most of the work was accomplished, although a total of over 10 studios were used over the course of the album. Young further elaborated:
Young also recalled: "Beyoncé really co-produced this whole album herself as well. For the rest of us, it was executing her ideas. It was: bring a horn section in, a live bass player¸ being able to meld all those live instruments along with the programmed element of it to bring in a new sound." In February 2011, it was made known that the project was near completion. Nearly three months later, Knowles submitted 72 songs to her label in preparation for the album’s release. A source of The Sun stated that Columbia Records staff, who were overwhelmed, "weren't prepared for the sheer volume of material she presented to them. She's clearly been very productive. Now they have the hard job of going through all the music and deciding what will make it."
reviewer, Alexis Petridis, notes a predominant 1980s-R&B influence throughout 4, and commented how "More often, 4 retreats into R&B's past." Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
views the album's sound as a musical departure from the contemporary influences of Knowles' previous work, writing that "It has far more in common with soul albums of the late 1970s and early ’80s — the poppier side of Jennifer Holliday
, say — than anything by her so-called peers; it’s a position statement in the age of Rihanna
." Chicago Sun-Times
s Thomas Conner compares its "subtle and surprising" music to that of Adele
's 2011 album 21
, noting 4s "mostly mid-tempo treats, many of which try a little sonic experimentation thanks to a varied bunch of forward-thinking writers and producers."
James Reed of The Boston Globe
described its sound as "plush" and "mellower" than that of her previous albums, and noted its principal theme as "the ups and downs of a serious relationship." According to Pitchfork Media
's Ryan Dombal, the album's themes mostly concern monogamy
, and writes that the album's music "side-steps Top 40 radio's current Eurobeat
fixation for a refreshingly eclectic mix of early-90s R&B, 80s lite soul, and brass'n'percussion-heavy marching music." Nitsuh Abebe of New York
writes of Knowles' themes of vulnerability on the album: "the way she sings about love here—which is to say, love as a grave and weighty life choice that demands hushed music, spotlights, and occasional anguish—means singing about things that can sound more like weakness and dependency." Mikael Wood of Spin
noted "slow-to-bloom songs that are as preoccupied by love's pleasure ('1+1,' 'Rather Die Young') as by its pain ('I Care,' 'Best Thing I Never Had')."
" is a downtempo
power ballad derived from the genres of R&B
and soul music
. The song features "a soft, almost non-existent" backing beat
, and makes use of a guitar
and a piano
as its foundation, while wind chime
s and funk-influenced bass
instrumentation is also present. Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone
felt that "1+1" calls back to both Sam Cooke
's "Wonderful World" (1960) and Prince
's "Purple Rain
" (1984). Using simple arithmetic
to describe her undying love for her partner, Knowles sings to the former, and "explains that the only thing she's sure about is her feelings for this man". Slowly spreading synthesizers notes and a drum
-machined as well as a hand-clapped
rhythm, "I Care" writhes through the ache and the obsession that come from being the one left in love, as described by Holly Gleason of Paste
magazine. "I Miss You
" is a midtempo
ballad, which draws form the genres of R&B and contains elements of pop music
. Built on a simple puttering metronomic beat "I Miss You"s instrumentation consists of "layers of atmospheric keyboards
", ambient synthesizers, and tinny 808 drums
Described by Matthew Horton as a song that "tug[s] heartstrings", "I Miss You" finds Knowles, as the female protagonist, ruminating over her relationship with her ex-love interest without firm verdicts. "Best Thing I Never Had
" is a midtempo pop and R&B ballad with influences of gospel music
. Its instrumentation consists mostly of a piano melody
intro and outro as well as strings
with some layered female vocals providing background support to Knowles' singing. Lyrically, "Best Thing I Never Had" is about the breakup between Knowles as the protagonist and her lover, the break-up suiting both parties.
"Party
" is a mid paced song that draws from the genre of R&B. It also exhibits elements of funk music, as well as soul music, and is built on "scooping, gliding multi-tracked" 1990 girl-ground harmonies, as stated by Thomas Conner from the Chicago Sun-Times, and Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork Media
. According to David Amidon of PopMatters
, the song's music "is largely reminiscent of late 1980s diva histrionics"; it has a 808-retro beat and a 1980s style smooth groove. This is further illustrated by the song's instrumentation, which consists of 1980s slow-bouncing
synthesizers and bubbly 1980s keyboard tones. Lyrically, "Party" finds Knowles as the female protagonist in the mood for some loving as well as referencing to a get-together for two persons. In the chorus lines
, Knowles she harmonizes over the sample of the 1985 song, "La Di Da Di
". André 3000
surfaces around the 2:15 mark with some very naughty references to milk before switching gears altogether and getting philosophical about his own career. Conrad Tao of Sputnikmusic
stated that in "Rather Die Young", Knowles plays the female protagonist who is in love with a "bad boy" who "drive too fast" and "smoke too much", nevertheless, she considers him to be her James Dean
and futher adds that he makes her feel like she is seventeen." Knowles declares that she prefers to die young rather than to live her life without her lover and that she will never stop caring for him even though he does not care for her. "Start Over", which is a love song, begins with "warbly as well as lighthearted drum beats", and finds Knowles affirming her individuality and expressing her love for a man with whom she attempts to start a relationship all over again.
"Love on Top
" is an up-tempo R&B song viewed as a modern take on old school
music. It also exhibits elements of retro
-soul music and the 1980s pop music. According to Slant Magazine
Eric Henderson, "Love on Top" is a "bright, breezy tribute to the freshness of mid-[19]80s, pre-new-jack-FM R&B reminiscent of a pre-crack Whitney Houston
and pre-wack Anita Baker
". "Love on Top"s retro elements are further illustrated by its use of finger snaps and a melding of horns
as well as sweet backing harmonies, especially in the bridge
and the chorus
of the song. It is instrumentally complete with a thumping bass line, synthesizers, tribal drums and an arena-rock music
piano, a guitar and some backing vocals. Rich Juzwiak of The Village Voice
, who compared "Love on Top" to Raydio
's "You Can't Change That
" (1979) and New Edition
's "Mr. Telephone Man
" (1984), noted that Knowles "ecstatically and hyperactively" changes keys
six times during the entire song. As stated by Scott Shetler of PopCrush, Knowles constantly sings praises of her love interest in the first verse
where she also seemingly sends him subtle digs as he did not give her his full attention in the past.
"Countdown
", which samples "Uhh Ahh
" performed by American group Boyz II Men
, was considered to be "everywhere on the genre map" by Consequence of Sound
's Chris Coplan. "Countdown" makes heavy use of staccato
horns
, and rides a "disjointed military rhythm", containing "an agitated" Afrobeat
heavy brass riff. Additional instrumentation on the song includes a "squelchy keyboard", synthesizers, and 180 BPM
steel drums. Throughout the song, Knowles sings with "a sassy attitude", setting a "futuristic tone", as stated by Jocelyn Vena. According to Dombal, "Countdown" finds Knowles as the female protagonist delivering her "message of ten years of loyalty seeming just as thrilling as the first time" to her love interest. "End of Time" is an uptempo R&B-dance
song. The song also contains elements of funk, Afrobeat and Latin jazz
. Its instrumentation consists of marching band
percussion
, heavy drums, and staccato horns reminiscent of the B'Day
era. Thanks to these musical instruments, a high energy level is maintained throughout the song. Charley Rogulewski of AOL Music commented that the song channels Quincy Jones
and Michael Jackson
's "Off the Wall
" (1980) production with horns kicking in midway through the song. Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly
added that "End of Time" also has some vibes of Michael Jackson's 1983 single, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
". Lyrically, "End of Time" is about Knowles, as the female protagonist, professing her everlasting love with both ferocity and passion.
According to Georgette Cline of AOL Music's The Boombox and David Amidon of PopMatters, "I Was Here
" is a downtempo R&B ballad, which lyrically features Knowles, as the female protagonist, who wants to make her mark on this Earth before her time is up as she desires that the world remember her impact." "I Was Here" finds Knowles' vocals coming along over piano keys and big drums provided by OneRepublic
frontman Ryan Tedder and his fellow bandmate Brent Kutzle
, and indie-rock guitars. "Run the World (Girls)
" is an R&B and pop song. Jocelyn Vena of MTV News described the song as a "female empowerment/girl power type of song", like several of Knowles' previous singles, including "Independent Women" (2000)—with Destiny's Child—and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
" (2008). Shea Taylor said that the track is reminiscent of Michael Jackson's "prime" work. "Run the World (Girls)" also generates dancehall
influences in the tradition of "Get Me Bodied
". The "high energy" song contains elements of go-go, and is set to a marching beat which samples popular club song, "Pon de Floor
" by Major Lazer
and Vybz Kartel
. It consists of heavy synth pangs and a militaristic drumbeat beneath Knowles shout vocals. Sharp Africa
n percussion is represented in the song by intense band-style drums. As stated by Rap-Up
, Knowles is dominant over men in "Run the World".
As stated by Ian Walker of AbsolutePunk, "Schoolin' Life" consists of old-school horns, crashes as well as a 1980s-inspired beat and "literally oozes confidence". Channeling Prince, Knowles detailing her experiences growing up. In other words, she gives listeners a flashback to her friskier days: "I'm not a teacher, but baby I can teach you somethin' / Not a preacher but we can pray if you wanna / Ain't a doctor, but I can make you feel better / But I'm great in writing physical love letters/ I'm a freak all day, all night [...]." On "Lay Up Under Me", Knowles tells her love interest: "You ain't gotta worry [a]bout a club, just come on lay up under me tonight." Ryan Domabal of Pitchfork Media found the song to be largely reminiscent of the Off the Wall
era. "Dance for You" bears resemblance to Prince's work as well as Janet Jackson
's work.
s. "I had a whole other name and concept, but I keep seeing that the fans love the name '4,' and I think it would be a really nice thing to let them name the record". She also stated that the number four was "special" for her as her birthday and wedding anniversary are on the fourth day of the month. Knowles added, "My mother's birthday, and a lot of my friends' birthdays, are on the fourth." The album's official cover (standard version) was revealed on Knowles' official website on May 18, 2011, the same day the album's official release date was revealed and the album's lead single "Run the World (Girls)" music video premiered. On the album cover, Knowles is shown striking a pose as she gazes out into the distance with smokey eye makeup and has her arms raised over her head with thick gold cuffs, covered only with a fur vest accessorized in gold. The cover art for the deluxe edition was shown on June 16, 2011 and has Knowles wearing a tight-fitting blue-purple dress holding her hands in her hair.
Fashion has always played a big role in Knowles' artistic persona. The difference, this time, was in her choice of designers. Instead of sticking to major fashion houses, Knowles threw the spotlight on a number of up-and-coming designers whose names were likely to be unfamiliar at that time. Knowles’s creative director, Jenke-Ahmed Tailly, along with her stylist Ty Hunter, pointed her in the direction of those designers. In an interview by telephone with Jessica Michault of The New York Times
, Tailly said: "The album is a musical gumbo of everything Beyoncé likes. Each song really has a different personality so we decided to do the cover like an editorial for a magazine, with each song having its own style. [...] It was important to Beyoncé that the choice of clothing not be about the brand but about the quality of the work."
On the cover art of the standard version of the album, Knowles is wearing a fox-fur stole by the cult French designer Alexandre Vauthier embellished with Swarovski crystals by the Lesage embroidery house. Vauthier’s work also shows up inside the fold-out cover, as does a pair of "Daisy Duke" shorts by the young French designer Julien Fournié, who founded his brand only three years ago. Even student designers got a look-in: Lleah Rae, who was a recent graduate of Parsons the New School for Design, in New York, created a form-fitting bodysuit for the album spread. For the deluxe version of the album, which features extra songs and remixes, a photograph of Knowles in a purple-and-black beaded dress by the French designer Maxime Simoens, who described Knowles as "style innovator and an avant-gardist", replaced the fur stole as the cover image.
On the back of both versions of the album, Knowles is photographed in a vintage Azzedine Alaïa
jacket and a pair of high heels by the Dutch designer Jan Taminiau. Alongside renowned photographers like Ellen von Unwerth
and Tony Duran, Knowles also tapped the young French photographer Greg Gex to shoot the cover art. Gex was introduced to Knowles by Tailly. Robbie Daw of Idolator
stated that Knowles is in "full-on promo mode" and compared Knowles' pose to that of Raquel Welch
. Jocelyn Vena of MTV News
described Knowles as looking "sexy and empowered" on the cover art.
in full. Knowles' legal representatives issued warnings to infringing websites, and leaked tracks were soon removed from such sites. However, some people used Twitter
to link to the music, making it harder for the label to track down the music. On June 9, 2011, Knowles took to her Facebook
account to respond to the leak. "My music was leaked and while this is not how I wanted to present my new songs, I appreciate the positive response from my fans. When I record music I always think about my fans singing every note and dancing to every beat. I make music to make people happy and I appreciate that everyone has been so anxious to hear my new songs." Following the album's leak, news circulated that executive members at Columbia Records
were scrambling to cover their assets ahead of a dawning realization that Knowles' fourth album might be a dud. Fox News Channel
reported that an insider told The New York Post
that "they are very nervous about Beyonce’s new record. It does not have the hit songs that her fans are used to. They asked her to make changes, but she said no." There was even rumors about a reassembling Destiny’s Child "in a desperate bid to shore up this cash cow before the end of the fiscal year." A few days later, a Columbia reply said: "All I know is that the record came in [...] Nothing was ever discussed to change it.", and Knowles' reply added: "All of this is completely untrue. All of it."
The deluxe edition of the album was released simultaneously with the standard edition in several countries's iTunes Store
s and other retail outlets. However, in the United States, the deluxe edition was available exclusively at the Target
as of June 28, 2011. Each copy of 4 contained a sample of Knowles' fragrance, Heat
, and the deluxe edition included six additional songs, including three remixes of "Run the World (Girls)" and an exclusive director's cut of its video. During the release week of the album, Rob Stringer, the Chairman of Columbia records, sat in an interview with Gary Graff of Billboard
magazine during which he firmly denied rumours which circulated before the release of the album which suggested that they were not pleased with the ballad heavy collection and had been having talks about reforming Destiny's Child as a form of damage limitation. He also said that there had even been plans to the album's release date forward even after its leak:
where she previewed four songs for a selected group of fans. She also offered them a preview of the official video for the lead single "Run the World (Girls)
". Beginning on June 16, 2011 to June 27, a song from 4 was available to listen to in full each day on Knowles' official website, paired with its accompanying photo spread from the album packaging and an insightful quote. Knowles performed "Run the World" live for the first time on May 17, 2011 on Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular at the United Center
in Chicago
. The show was organized to commemorate the 25th and final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show
. Knowles was dressed in a tuxedo leotard with red heels, and was accompanied by 40 female back-up dancers. Knowles performed "Run the World" live on May 22, 2011 at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards
held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The performance showed Knowles interacting with futuristic video projections on the stage backdrop, and was accompanied by 100 back-up dancers. On May 25, 2011, "1+1
" was made available for download via the iTunes Store
as a promotional single exclusively in the United States. The same day, Knowles performed "1+1" on the American Idol
finale. She introduced "1+1" as her "favorite" song, and sang it in a purple dress with red lights and smoke surrounding her.
Knowles appeared on Entertainment Tonight
on June 16, 2011 to promote the exclusive-to-Target
deluxe edition of 4, and gave fans a sneak preview of its television commercial. The 30-second commercial, which features "1+1" and "Countdown
" playing in the background, began airing in the United States on June 24, 2011. The commercial ends with Knowles stating: "I put so much into my new album and only Target gives you all of it." For the rest of the month, Knowles held a promotional tour in Europe, where she performed at several festivals. Beginning in France
, Knowles headlined three concerts. She first performed at the Palais Nikaia
in Nice
on June 20, 2011, followed by a concert at Zénith in Lille
on June 22, 2011, and at the Galaxie
in Amnéville
the next day. One week later, Knowles flew to the United Kingdom
to serve as the closing act at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival on June 26, 2011. Alongside with the two singles from 4, the 90-minute set-list composed of twenty-one other songs, including "Crazy in Love", "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
", "Halo
", "Sweet Dreams
", "Telephone
", "End of Time", and a Destiny's Child
medley. The set list also included cover versions of Prince
's "The Beautiful Ones
" and Kings of Leon
's "Sex on Fire
". Knowles was the first solo female artist ever to headline the Pyramid stage at the Glastonbury Festival in over twenty years.
A pre-taped performance of Knowles performing "Best Thing I Never Had
" and "End of Time" at the Glastonbury Festival was broadcast during the 2011 BET Awards
in the United States later during the same day. The following day, Knowles' exclusive hour-long interview with Piers Morgan
in London
, was broadcast on Piers Morgan Tonight
. Knowles then returned to France, where she performed "Run the World" on Le Grand Journal
on June 28, 2011. She also appeared on the finale of X Factor France
later during that same day to perform "Run the World" and "Best Thing I Never Had". A MTV
television special, Beyoncé: Year of 4, premiered on June 30, 2011, documenting Knowles' practicing choreography, jetting around the world, shooting the video for "Run the World", and also in the studio working on 4. During that same day, Knowles made a surprise appearance at the Target store in Harlem
, New York
, where kids from the local Boys and Girls Club danced onstage to "Countdown." In the middle of their performance, Knowles took the stage and gave them a big group hug before letting them continue their routine. Knowles told the crowd, "I'd like to thank the Boys and Girls Club for coming out. I hope y'all had fun learning the choreography to 'Countdown' today."
In July 2011, Knowles promoted 4 by projecting images from the album on a number of London's landmarks, including Madame Tussauds
and Battersea Power Station
. On July 1, 2011, Knowles appeared on Good Morning America
as part of the "Summer Concert Series", which took place at Central Park
in New York City
. Knowles performed "Single Ladies", "1+1", "Best Thing I Never Had", "Run the World", and "End of Time". She first appeared in a bright yellow crochet mini-dress with gold stilettos, and later changed her dress into an identical black one. A few days later, Knowles performed the song on Macy’s 35th Annual 4 July Fireworks Spectacular. She took the stage, dressed black gown to perform "Best Thing I Never Had" in front of an audience that included men and women of the armed forces. Knowles then traveled to Scotland
to perform at the T in the Park
Festival on July 10, 2011. Wearing a sparkly black dress with a pair of tiny black hotpants, Knowles performed several songs from the album, as well as her most well-known hits, "Crazy in Love" and "Single Ladies". The next day, Knowles performed at the Oxegen Festival
in Ireland
.
On July 28, 2011, Knowles made an appearance on The View, where she performed a stripped down version of "Best Thing I Never Had". She then sat down for an interview with the hosts of the show, where she talked about her time off, the album, and her upcoming film A Star Is Born. Knowles later returned to the stage where she performed "1+1". Later that same day, Knowles appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
and performed "Best Thing I Never Had" with The Roots
. Knowles took the stage at New York's Roseland Ballroom for four nights of special performances. The set on each night of the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé
concerts was the entire collection of 4. For these four special nights, August 14, 16, 18 and 19, she performed her new songs to a standing room only audience. Knowles performed "Love on Top
" at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards
on Sunday, August 28, 2011. A performance of Knowles singing "Countdown" live on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
was taped in July 2011. The performance aired on November 11, 2011. A DVD, Live at Roseland: Elements of 4
, directed by Knowles, Ed Burke and Anthony Green, and executively produced by Knowles, was released worldwide in late November 2011. It features performances from Knowles' 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concert, bonus offstage footage, a 20-page booklet and a video anthology featuring seven music video
s from 4.
" was released as the album's lead single on April 21, 2011. After snippets of "Run the World (Girls)" were leaked on April 14, 2011, the entire song was leaked four days later; forcing the single release of "Run the World (Girls)" to be rushed. Its accompanying music video was shot over the span of three days by director Francis Lawrence
, starting on April 11, 2011 and ending on April 13, 2011. The video premiered on May 18, 2011 on American Idol
. The single peaked only at number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100
. Its commercial reception was better in Oceania
and some European territories. It peaked inside the top ten positions in Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia), and Norway. Further more, it reached the Top 20 in Ireland, the UK, France, Canada, and Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders). "Best Thing I Never Had
" was released as the album's second single. It premiered on US radios on June 1, 2011, and was made available for download the same day. "Best Thing I Never Had" peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It performed well on the charts in Ireland and the United Kingdom where it achieved peaks of number two and three respectively. It also reached number 5 in New Zealand and number 17 in Australia. The third official single, "Countdown
", will impact both
CHR/Top 40
and Rhythmic radios on October 4, 2011 in the United States. It was digitally released
in Belgium on October 21, 2011. It was released in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on November 25, 2011. It will be released in the UK on December 6, 2011.. "Party
" was released as the album's fourth overall and third urban single in the US on October 24, 2011.
s. At Metacritic
, which assigns a weighted mean
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 73, based on 36 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Slant Magazine
's Eric Henderson described the album as "predominately intimate, ballad-heavy" and "dominated by mid- to no-tempo tracks, which, vocally speaking, gives her enough rope to hang either her doubters or herself". Los Angeles Times
writer Randall Roberts called 4 "a surprising, confident turn, even if the surprises are of a subtler variety." James Reed of The Boston Globe
called the album "low-key and effortless" and commended its production as "tasteful, sometimes even a bit tense." Nitsuh Abebe of New York
complimented Knowles' "newly settled mood" and "charming" ballads, adding that "She does a wonderfully convincing job of making [vulnerability] seem like a form of bravery." Consequence of Sound
writer Chris Coplan dubbed it "pure pop excellence" and stated, "the truly dazzling aspect of the record is what it does with minimal production and simplistic lyrics." Rolling Stone
writer Jody Rosen
commended Knowles for "leav[ing] fashionable production styles behind" and called the album "eccentric [...] unmistakably personal and quirky." Michael Cragg of The Observer
complimented "the laid-back feel of her most accomplished album yet." The A.V. Club
s Genevieve Koski stated, "Beyoncé’s artistic maturation on 4 features some growing pains, but the album’s polish and her poise go a long way toward masking those flaws."
BBC Online's Matthew Horton praised its "powerhouse balladry" and wrote that "Beyoncé slips from flirty to fragile to fabulous, and is in terrific voice throughout." Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
stated, "[Knowles] has always been a torch singer
in waiting, anticipating the day when she could just get down to business. On that count, “4” is impressive. [...] Beyoncé delivers heartbreak with purpose: to remind us just how overwhelming love can be." Despite panning "Run the World (Girls)" as its "worst song", Mikael Wood of Spin
called it an "often-gorgeous collection of ballads and mid-tempo cuts rich with echoes of late-'70s/early-'80s pop-soul." Rich Juzwiak of The Village Voice
called its uptemo songs "passé in the best way possible" and stated, "Beyoncé's art is delivery, and 4 is a gorgeous frame for her voice at its absolute best." Pitchfork Media
's Ryan Dombal complimented its "carefree retro sensibility" and stated, "the lion's share of the album [...] has one of the world's biggest stars exploring her talent in ways few could've predicted, which is always exciting." Embling of Tiny Mix Tapes
called it "one of the most consistent and enjoyable mainstream pop records in years" and stated, "4 is an unqualified success in the Hawksian sense: There are at least three great songs and no bad ones." Allmusic editor Andy Kellman stated, "the strength of most of the material, propelled by Beyoncé’s characteristically acrobatic vocal skills, eases the trouble of sifting through the disjointed assortment" and concluded that, "No one but one of the most talented and accomplished singers [...] could have made this album."
Despite calling its up-tempo songs "genre-busting", Adam Markovitz of Entertainment Weekly
found its first-half "lumbering [...] a sleepy recital of ballads" and stated, "Vocally, she's never sounded better — throaty and precise — but the songs here just aren't her equal." Alexis Petridis of The Guardian
stated, "The highpoints offer hints of what it might have been: it's hard not to feel that what it might have been sounds better than what it is." David Amidon of PopMatters
found much of its material "beneath a woman as talented as she is," but viewed the album as an improvement over I Am... Sasha Fierce and complimented its "silly ‘80s musical references" and "strong vocal turns." Kevin Ritchie of NOW
wrote that "On 4, she’s still missing a real sense of vulnerability but steps out from behind the club jams with beautifully nuanced mid-tempo production." Claire Suddath of Time
criticized its lyrical substance, writing that it offers "well-executed songs performed by a talented woman who refuses to scratch anything more than the surface." Chicago Tribune
writer Greg Kot
noted an "inexplicable inconsistency" and stated, "the album feels skimpy, half-finished." Similarly, Andy Gill of The Independent
called its songs "dollops of [...] tremulous, over-emoted melisma" and criticized their "half-hearted, puttering beats and woozy, wishy-washy synth washes." Hamish MacBain of NME
noted "boring ballads" and stated, "there’s the unmistakable sense of someone treading water, with even the OK bits here sounding uninspired." Q
gave the album three out of five stars and wrote that Knowles "plays it safe".
's 21
(2011), Lady Gaga
's Born This Way
(2011), and Adele's first studio album 19
(2008) for that day. After a complete week of sales, 4 debuted atop the UK Albums Chart
on July 4, 2011, with first-week sales of 89,211, In its second week of release, 4 remained atop the chart, selling 44,929 copies. For the week commencing July 4, 2011, 4 opened at number two on the Australian ARIA Albums chart, giving Knowles her highest ever chart debut on that chart, and started at number one on its urban chart. 4 debuted at number three on the Canadian Albums Chart
selling 8,700 copies in its first week, and at number two in France selling 12,393 copies in its first week. According to the Japanese music charting site Oricon
, the album debuted at number ten, selling 18,984 copies for the week ending July 11, 2011.
In the United States, 4 debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
, with first-week sales of 310,000 copies. This gave Knowles her fourth consecutive solo debut at the top of the chart and makes her the second female artist and third artist overall, to have her first four studio albums debut atop the Billboard 200. 4s first-week sales became Knowles' lowest sales start with a studio album to date. However, Keith Caulfield of Billboard
magazine commented that the album was not released during the festive season and that Knowles was so far lacking a hit single, which could help explain the album's softer entry. Its lead single, "Run the World (Girls)" peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 – the first time the first single from a Knowles' studio set has missed the top ten. He finally added that "4s bow is pretty big for 2011. It marks the third-largest sales week of the year, after the [number one] bows of Lady Gaga's Born This Way and Adele's 21." 4 became the ninth solely-numerical titles (including roman numerals) to have reigned since the chart launched as a weekly survey the week of March 24, 1956. In its second week, the album remained at number one on the Billboard 200, despite an 63% sales decrease, selling 115,000 copies. It hence became the first album by Knowles to top the Billboard 200 albums chart for more than one week. On August 1, 2011, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA), for shipments of one million copies to retail stores. For the week ending September 10, 2011, 4 fell to number 12 on the US Billboard 200, after having spent eight consecutive week in the top 10 positions. However, after Knowles' performance at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, 4 registered an 87% rise in sales, allowing it to re-enter the top 10 of the US Billboard 200 at number seven, selling 39,000 copies for the week ending September 17, 2011. As of November 2011, 4 has sold 921,400 copies in the United States.
, and Album of the Year at the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards
. It is also nominated for Album of the Year at the 38th People's Choice Awards
, and Best Album at the 2011 Virgin Media
Music Awards.
(^) Denotes vocal producer
Notes
Sample credits
Managerial
Performance credits
Visuals and imagery
Instruments
Technical and production
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
, released through Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
on June 24, 2011. Three weeks before its scheduled release, 4 leaked
Internet leak
An Internet leak occurs when a party's confidential information is released to the public on the Internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such...
in full. The twelve-song set (eighteen on the deluxe edition) marks the first release by Knowles since separating professionally with father and manager, Mathew
Mathew Knowles
Mathew Knowles is an American music executive and manager. He is the father and former manager of R&B singer Beyoncé , Knowles also managed Kelly Rowland as well as girl group Destiny's Child . He was also the manager of Solange Knowles.-Manager and producer:Knowles is an alumnus of Fisk...
, in March 2011. In 2010, Knowles took a break from her career to rest and gain perspective. During the hiatus, she dedicated herself to enjoying the everyday things in life, which she claims reignited her creativity and became a source of inspiration. Knowles also drew inspiration from Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
, Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
, Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
, with additional influences from The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
, New Edition
New Edition
New Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync...
, Adele
Adele (singer)
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...
, and Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
among others.
For the record, Knowles allowed herself the artistic freedom to record songs in which she wanted the melody and lyrics to come together naturally. She mixed the 1970s R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, the 1990s rock ‘n’ roll as well as her hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
character and used a lot of horns to create a new and broader sound with musical changes, bridges, vibrata, live instrumentation, and classic songwriting. Knowles' main objective was to bring back the emotion, live instruments and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, which according to her, were missing out of the music industry. Allowing herself to belt out some ballads featured on the track-listing of 4 which she described as "a labor of love" Knowles further explained that she used a lot of the brassiness and grittiness in her voice that people had heard in her live performances, however, not necessarily on her studio material.
The record is predominately a R&B and pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
album; critics noted a predominant late 1970s and early 1980s R&B and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
influences. 4 takes on matters of the heart with a mixture of ballads, mid- and up-tempos. Common themes in the album include womanhood and monogamy
Monogamy
Monogamy /Gr. μονός+γάμος - one+marriage/ a form of marriage in which an individual has only one spouse at any one time. In current usage monogamy often refers to having one sexual partner irrespective of marriage or reproduction...
. Upon its release, 4 received mostly positive reviews from critics, who viewed it as a progression from Knowles' previous albums and commended its mid-tempo musical style, understated production, and her vocal performance. However, some criticized its ballads and songwriting. In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling 310,000 copies in its first week. It also became a number-one chart hit in several other countries.
Preceding the album's release, lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
"Run the World (Girls)
Run the World (Girls)
"Run the World " is a song performed by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles. It was written by Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Knowles, Nick "Afrojack" van de Wall, Wesley "Diplo" Pentz, David "Switch" Taylor, and Adidja Palmer and produced by Switch, The-Dream, Knowles and Shea Taylor...
" was released for digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
worldwide on April 21, 2011. The single was rushed for release after an early demo leaked on April 18, 2011. "Best Thing I Never Had
Best Thing I Never Had
"Best Thing I Never Had" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé Knowles for her fourth studio album, 4 . It was released by Columbia Records on June 1, 2011, as the second single from the album. "Best Thing I Never Had" was composed by Patrick "J. Que" Smith, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds,...
" was released on June 1, 2011, as the album's second single. "Countdown
Countdown (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Countdown" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles from her fourth studio album, 4 . It was written by Terius Nash, Shea Taylor, Knowles, Ester Dean, Cainon Lamb, Julie Frost, Michael Bivins, Nathan Morris and Wanya Morris. The song's development was motivated when Knowles wanted to...
" was released as the third US mainstream/rhythmic and third international single on October 4, 2011, while "Party
Party (song)
"Party" is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles featuring American rapper André 3000, taken up form the former's fourth studio album, 4 . The song was composed by Kanye West, Jeff Bhasker, Beyoncé Knowles, André Lauren Benjamin, Dexter Mills, Douglas Davis and Ricky Walters. The...
" was released as the album's third urban single in the US on October 24, 2011. "Love on Top
Love on Top
"Love on Top" is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her fourth studio album 4 . It was written by Knowles, Terius Nash and Shea Taylor; and production was handled by Knowles and Taylor. Knowles took inspiration from her state of mind while playing Etta James...
" is set to be released as the fifth single on December 4, 2011.
Background
During an interview with Elysa Gardner of USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
on January 28, 2010, Knowles announced that she would be taking a break from her music career saying "to live life, to be inspired by things again". Knowles, who had a very hectic schedule during the I Am... Sasha Fierce era from late 2008 to early 2010, stated that she came with up with this decision after that her mother, Tina Knowles
Tina Knowles
Célestine Ann "Tina" Knowles is an American fashion designer known for her House of Deréon brand. She is perhaps best known as the mother of singers Beyoncé Knowles and Solange Knowles, and was the wife of Mathew Knowles, who managed Destiny's Child and then Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland until...
' advice to take some time off. She told Jocelyn Vena of MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
: "After I finished the last tour, I was a bit overwhelmed and overworked, and my mother was the person that preached to me [...] 'You really need to live your life and open your eyes and you don't want to wake up with no memories." During this reflective time in her life, Knowles began work on her fourth album, and was writing and producing material, following the release of I Am... Sasha Fierce in November 2008, which was inspired by her alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
, Sasha Fierce. Knowles announced in February 2010 that she "killed" Fierce "because I've grown and now I'm able to merge the two [personalities]". She explained that she was using live instruments in the songs she was recording to create her own music genre
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
. She later clarified the statement, "Well, I wouldn't say I'm inventing a new genre. I'm mixing every type of genre that I love and I'm inspired by every type of genre...I'm not putting myself in a box. It's not R&B, it's not typically pop, it's not rock – it's just everything I love mixed together". Knowles said that the album was inspired by several musicians, including Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
, The Stylistics
The Stylistics
The Stylistics are a soul music vocal group, and were one of the best-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. They formed in 1968, and were composed of lead Russell Thompkins, Jr., Herbie Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads, graced by the...
, Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
.
Self-management
In late March 2011, Knowles' publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, issued a statement that Knowles and her father as well as manager, Mathew KnowlesMathew Knowles
Mathew Knowles is an American music executive and manager. He is the father and former manager of R&B singer Beyoncé , Knowles also managed Kelly Rowland as well as girl group Destiny's Child . He was also the manager of Solange Knowles.-Manager and producer:Knowles is an alumnus of Fisk...
have parted ways "on a business level." Knowles took this decision during her break from her music career. The elder Knowles has managed his daughter since she debuted in the late 1990s as the lead vocalist of the Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
. Knowles' father went on to manage the careers of her groupmates Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
and Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams (singer)
Tenitra Michelle Williams , commonly known as Michelle Williams, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress...
both as a trio and on their respective solo projects. However, in the past few years, Rowland and Williams severed professional ties with Mathew. Knowles said via her publicist that she is grateful for the role her father has had in her career. In this way, 4 became the first album by Knowles that was made without the guidance of Matthew Knowles. Elaborating more on the subject with Ray Rogers of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine, Knowles said:
"It's not that anything bad happened between us. My family has my support always, and they support me, but when you've been working with the same people for 15 years, it's natural to eventually have your own ideas. I believe that parents prepare their kids for the moment that they're on their own: at this point, I'm taking everything my dad and my mother have taught me, and I'm able to do things my way. We were at a point where we'd learned so much from each other, and now it's exciting for me to do this on my own and hire my own team. I've started managing myself."
Knowles later told Vena of MTV News that she thought that a real change meant separating from her father as her manager. She further added that: "My focus is not bigger; it's quality, and I want to make sure it's something I'm proud of years from now," she says later on. "It's very difficult managing myself. Every night when I go to sleep, I ask hundreds of questions. I'm making mistakes, and I'm learning from them. I've never been afraid to fall — and I say all these things, but now I'm being tested."
Development
 |
The album is definitely an evolution. It’s bolder than the music on my previous albums because I’m bolder. The more mature I become and the more life experiences I have, the more I have to talk about. I really focused on songs being classics, songs that would last, songs that I could sing when I’m 40 and when I’m 60." | |
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine, stating "Having time to grow as a human being really inspired me and gave me a lot of things to pull from for this new album...I feel like I know who I am and don't feel like I have to put myself in a box. No one can define me. I can just have fun, and have the artistic freedom to do whatever I want." As stated by Knowles during an interview with Gabriel Alvarez of Complex magazine in July 2011, the inspiration for 4 came from a variety of sources during her break from her music career when she traveled, read, and watched films. Dissatisfied with the state of contemporary radio
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
, she set about brewing a concoction entirely of her own design, based on familiar influences as well as ones that might surprise. She explained. "Figuring out a way to get R&B back on the radio is challenging. Everything sounds the same on the radio. With 4 I tried to mix R&B from the [19]70s and the [19]90s with rock ‘n’ roll and a lot of horns to create something new and exciting. I wanted musical changes, bridges, vibrata, live instrumentation, and classic songwriting." With that being said, Knowles added that 4 was more of "a labor of love" rather than just singles and radio songs. Feeling that she has "earned the right to make artistic music", Knowles' main objective was to bring back "the emotion and live instruments and just soul missing out of the music industry."
She remained inspired by Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
. When speaking about her inspiration by Kuti, Knowles stated that she appreciated his "feel for the soul and heart of his music; it's so sexy, and has a great groove you get lost in," stating that is takes a major inspiration on 4 with drums and horns and "how everything was on the one". The album was also inspired by '90s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
, DeBarge
DeBarge
DeBarge was a sibling music group of American origin whose repertoire included R&B, soul, funk, and later gospel. Active as a professional recording group from 1979 and 1989, the group was one of the few recording acts to bring success to the Motown label during the 1980s.-Background:Hailing from...
, Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
, Teena Marie
Teena Marie
Mary Christine Brockert, better known by her stage name Teena Marie, was an American singer, songwriter and producer...
with additional influences by The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
, New Edition
New Edition
New Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync...
, Adele
Adele (singer)
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...
, Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
, and Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
. Knowles also acknowledged the direct influence of Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's own work as well. Knowles added that with certain influences she added her character of hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
for a more broad sound. Knowles stated that she allowed herself more freedom to really belt out some songs, and bring soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singing back stating, "I used a lot of the brassiness and grittiness in my voice that people hear in my live performances, but not necessarily on my records." Speaking more on the type of songs she wanted on the album, Knowles elaborated: "I have found that with hit records the melody and lyrics come together [naturally]. I usually know from the hook if the song is something that transcends language, race, and genre, and if it is something that affects pop culture. It is something I can visualize people singing in stadiums all over the world. But my favorite songs on my albums are usually not my singles." Before ending her interview with Gabriel Alvarez, Knowles made it clear that she is not claiming perfection and that what she wants is just to be afforded the freedom that goes with being what she rightfully is:
"There is room on this earth for many queens. I have an authentic, God-given talent, drive, and longevity that will always separate me from everyone else. I have been fortunate to accomplish things that the younger generation of queens dream of accomplishing. I have no desire for anyone else’s throne. I am very comfortable in the throne I have been building for the past 15 years. It is important to have no boundaries in my music. The beautiful thing about art is that you can create a fantasy in your mind about what you think a song is about. Only the writer truly knows what or whom the song is about. I just want my legacy to be great music. Someone who was a risk taker and someone who had songs that struck conversation and emotion."
Collaborations
Fela!
Fela! is a musical with a book by Bill T. Jones and Jim Lewis, based on music and lyrics by the late Nigerian singer Fela Kuti, with additional music by Aaron Johnson and Jordan Mclean and additional lyrics by Jim Lewis. It is based on events in the life of groundbreaking Nigerian composer and...
, the Broadway musical based on the life of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, and recorded songs everywhere from New York to Australia to Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
's studio in the English countryside city of Bath. She worked with multiple collaborators; both old and new. Producers Jim Jonsin
Jim Jonsin
James Scheffer, better known by his professional name, Jim Jonsin, is an American Grammy award winning record producer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur...
and Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
were known to have collaborated with Knowles on the album. Ne-Yo stated, "It’s coming along nicely. I can’t speak too much on it, but it’s another direction for her, and she’s carving out her own niche. In a minute nobody will be in Beyoncé’s lane. They really can’t get in her lane now, but they really can’t get in her lane after this album." Jonsin spoke of his intention to create 1980s
1980s in music
For music from a year in the 1980s, go to 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89For a history of music in all times, see Timeline of musical events....
-influenced electro music using hard drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s. In January 2011 producer S1 confirmed via Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
that he had contributed to the album. Sean Garrett
Sean Garrett
Garrett Hamler, better known by his stage name Sean Garrett is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He has produced fifteen number one singles in only seven years of producing music. That number puts him in fifth place on the Billboard list of producers with the most number...
mentioned his contribution, stating that he had "been working with [Knowles] extremely hard ... she's my favorite". He described the style of music that had been produced, "I think we are doing a lot of up-tempo records for this one. She’s in such a good place right now in life that she is interested in making party music". On January 24, Diplo announced that he had been recording music with Knowles, Switch
Switch (DJ)
Switch is a UK-based DJ, songwriter, sound engineer and record producer. He is best known for his work with M.I.A. and Santigold.In the fidget house genre, Switch runs his own music label "Dubsided", as well as the label Counterfeet, established in 2006 with fellow producer Sinden...
and Derek Miller of Sleigh Bells
Sleigh Bells
Sleigh Bells is an American noise pop music duo. The group released their debut album, Treats, on May 11, 2010.-History:Based in Brooklyn, New York, Sleigh Bells is composed of Derek E. Miller and Alexis Krauss...
. Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, The-Dream
The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (producer)
Shondrae Crawford, better known as Bangladesh or Mr. Bangladesh, is a Grammy Award winning American record producer and disc jockey and rapper, who was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.- Life and career :...
, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
, Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean
Christopher Francis Ocean , better known by his stage name Frank Ocean, is an American singer-songwriter and rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is a member of OFWGKTA.-2005-2010: Career beginnings:...
, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, Q-Tip
Q-Tip (rapper)
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
and Alja Jackson are also working with Knowles on the album. Sia and Talay Riley have written songs which they pitched for the album. On May 31, 2011, the American rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
group, OneRepublic
OneRepublic
OneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, the band achieved massive success on MySpace, becoming the most prominent unsigned act on the website then...
consisting of Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
and Zach Filkins
Zach Filkins
Zachary Douglas "Zach" Filkins is an American musician and model, but as of 2007 he is best known as the lead guitarist of the pop rock band OneRepublic.-Early life:...
, confirmed via Twitter that they worked on the last song for the album.
Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
revealed in an interview with PopWrap on June 1, 2011, that she also contributed to the album. She stated, "I just wrote something a week and a half ago that Beyoncé recorded and I think it's the best thing I've ever written. She sang it amazingly. I think it's a career song and probably my favorite thing I've ever written... right now." Knowles explained to Gabriel Alvarez of Complex magazine how she discovered Odd Future member, Frank Ocean: "Jay[-Z] had a CD playing in the car one Sunday when we were driving to Brooklyn. I noticed his tone, his arrangements, and his storytelling. I immediately reached out to him—literally the next morning. I asked him to fly to New York and work on my record." She also said that she was very happy and keen with Kanye West who handled the production of "Party" on which André 3000
André 3000
André Lauren Benjamin , better known by his stage name André 3000 is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor, best known for being part of American hip-hop duo OutKast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi...
is the featuring artist. This is because West's single "Runaway
Runaway (Kanye West song)
"Runaway" is a single by American recording artist Kanye West, released as the second single from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. It features a guest verse from rapper Pusha T of Clipse. The single debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100.A 35-minute short film...
(2010) drove her to the edge of tears the first time she heard. She further said: "The fact that he’s belting out his pain, his confusion, and his anger, with no pre-written lyrics, was so moving. He’s singing his heart out for five minutes. He is so vulnerable. I love when an artist can be so honest." Speaking more abut her experiences which had a direct influence the production and recording of the album, Knowles posted on her official website: "When I played Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
it was the most I'd learned about myself until the recording of this album. When I went into the studio I used the same passion, honesty, and approach with my vocals I channeled as Etta James. It does not sound like the vocals on my past albums. It's a lot rawer. It comes from a deep place."
Recording
Most of 4 was recorded at MSR Studios, New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; other New York City recording studios used were Jungle City Studios, Germano Studios, Roc the Mic and KMA Music
KMA Music
KMA Music is a recording studio located in Midtown Manhattan, just north of Times Square, in the Theatre District of New York City. It was opened in 1988 by Michael Case Kissel. Up until 2007, the studio's original location was 1650 Broadway at 51st street. KMA has since moved to 1619 Broadway at...
. Recording also took place at Conway Recording Studios
Conway Recording Studios
Conway Recording Studios is a recording and post production facility in Hollywood, California.Conway has hosted a variety of producers, mixers and artists, such as Alicia Keys, Barbra Streisand, The Black Eyed Peas, Blink-182, Britney Spears, Carlos Santana, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews Band,...
, Enormous Studios and Record Plant in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, The Studio in Las Vegas, Patriot Studios in Denver, Boston Harbor Hotel
Boston Harbor Hotel
The Boston Harbor Hotel is a Mobil Travel Guide Five Star hotel overlooking historic Boston Harbor and the Rose Kennedy Greenway. The hotel is also a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and has been honored as one of the “World's Best Places to Stay” on the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Conway Recording Studios
Conway Recording Studios
Conway Recording Studios is a recording and post production facility in Hollywood, California.Conway has hosted a variety of producers, mixers and artists, such as Alicia Keys, Barbra Streisand, The Black Eyed Peas, Blink-182, Britney Spears, Carlos Santana, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews Band,...
in Hollywood, Triangle Sound Studios in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
and Lear 60/G2 Studios. Outside of the United States, Real World Studios
Real World Studios
Real World Studios is a residential recording studio in Box, Wiltshire, England associated with the Real World Records Ltd. record label founded by rock musician Peter Gabriel...
in Box
Box, Wiltshire
Box is a village located in Wiltshire, England, about east of Bath and west of Chippenham. It is quite a large parish with several settlements, apart from the village of Box, within its boundaries....
, Metropolis Group
Metropolis Group
Metropolis Group is a music production and entertainment industry company established in 1989 by Gary Langan, Carey Taylor and Karin Clayton. It is located in The Power House, a Grade II listed building, at 70 Chiswick High Road in Chiswick, London, England. Metropolis Group is considered one of...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Avex Honolulu Studios, Honolulu, and a studio in a Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
mansion built specifically for the album. Knowles' husband, Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, was working with Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
on Watch the Throne
Watch the Throne
Watch the Throne is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West, released on August 8, 2011, by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place at various recording locations and began in November 2010. It was...
in the Sydney studio at the same time; it was created in the mansion's attic without a recording booth, but only a microphone and Pro Tools
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
software platform. Knowles' vocals for 4 were recorded through an Avalon Design 737 preamp, and compressed in an 1176 Peak Limiter
1176 Peak Limiter
The 1176LN Peak Limiter is a compressor introduced by UREI in 1968. The 1176LN was inducted into the TECnology Hall of Fame in 2008. At the time of its introduction, it was the first true peak limiter with all solid-state circuitry.-Uses:...
with a 4:1 data compression ratio
Data compression ratio
Data compression ratio, also known as compression power, is a computer-science term used to quantify the reduction in data-representation size produced by a data compression algorithm...
.
In May 2010, Jordan Young
Jordan Young
Jordan Young is a drummer, and currently plays for Maryland rockers Cinder Road. Jordan started playing just like the rest of them, every sunday with the church band, it wasn't until he joined jam band Injoy in 2005 that he started playing in the club scene. In 2007, he joined the nationally...
aka DJ Swivel started working with Knowles at Rock The Mic, initially recording "Party" to see what kind of a working relationship might form. Young said: "I pride myself on being a fast engineer, and I was able to execute all she wanted me to do in that first session; thankfully, she liked the job, and the speed that I worked at, and we then started discussing the beginning of the record." Six weeks later, he got another call. After just a few days at Rock The Mic, they considered that it was necessary to move to a bigger room, so they decamped to KMA Studios for a week and a half. The project then moved to MSR Studios, where most of the work was accomplished, although a total of over 10 studios were used over the course of the album. Young further elaborated:
Near the beginning we did a couple of days with the Fela Kuti band [from the Broadway musical] over at MSR, which involved experimenting with horns, percussion, drums, guitars and keys. We'd be taking loops, like a section of percussion — congaCongaThe conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
s for example — and then using them on a completely different record; and that record might be a completely different tempoTempoIn musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
or in a different key, so we'd literally be pitching it as we went. I used Elastic Audio [in Pro Tools] to fit and stretch it. Having fun is the best way I can put it; there were no rules. OK, it's not the most orthodox way of doing things, but it was very freeing, and having the ability to do whatever you want and whatever she wants was a very cool way to start.
Young also recalled: "Beyoncé really co-produced this whole album herself as well. For the rest of us, it was executing her ideas. It was: bring a horn section in, a live bass player¸ being able to meld all those live instruments along with the programmed element of it to bring in a new sound." In February 2011, it was made known that the project was near completion. Nearly three months later, Knowles submitted 72 songs to her label in preparation for the album’s release. A source of The Sun stated that Columbia Records staff, who were overwhelmed, "weren't prepared for the sheer volume of material she presented to them. She's clearly been very productive. Now they have the hard job of going through all the music and deciding what will make it."
Music and themes
As stated by Knowles, 4 takes on matters of the heart with a mixture of ballads, mid- and up-tempos, all built around "classic songwriting." The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
reviewer, Alexis Petridis, notes a predominant 1980s-R&B influence throughout 4, and commented how "More often, 4 retreats into R&B's past." Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
views the album's sound as a musical departure from the contemporary influences of Knowles' previous work, writing that "It has far more in common with soul albums of the late 1970s and early ’80s — the poppier side of Jennifer Holliday
Jennifer Holliday
Jennifer-Yvette Holliday is an African-American singer and Tony Award-winning actress. She started her career on Broadway in musicals such as Dreamgirls, and later became a successful recording artist...
, say — than anything by her so-called peers; it’s a position statement in the age of Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
." Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
s Thomas Conner compares its "subtle and surprising" music to that of Adele
Adele (singer)
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...
's 2011 album 21
21 (Adele album)
21 is the second studio album by English recording artist Adele. Released on 24 January 2011 in the United Kingdom and most of Europe, and on 22 February 2011 in North America, the album was named after the age of the singer at the time of its production...
, noting 4s "mostly mid-tempo treats, many of which try a little sonic experimentation thanks to a varied bunch of forward-thinking writers and producers."
James Reed of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
described its sound as "plush" and "mellower" than that of her previous albums, and noted its principal theme as "the ups and downs of a serious relationship." According to Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's Ryan Dombal, the album's themes mostly concern monogamy
Monogamy
Monogamy /Gr. μονός+γάμος - one+marriage/ a form of marriage in which an individual has only one spouse at any one time. In current usage monogamy often refers to having one sexual partner irrespective of marriage or reproduction...
, and writes that the album's music "side-steps Top 40 radio's current Eurobeat
Eurobeat
Eurobeat is a form of italo-disco/hi-NRG music that developed in the late 1980s.In the United States, Eurobeat was sometimes marketed as Hi-NRG and for a short while shared this term with the very early freestyle music hits....
fixation for a refreshingly eclectic mix of early-90s R&B, 80s lite soul, and brass'n'percussion-heavy marching music." Nitsuh Abebe of New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
writes of Knowles' themes of vulnerability on the album: "the way she sings about love here—which is to say, love as a grave and weighty life choice that demands hushed music, spotlights, and occasional anguish—means singing about things that can sound more like weakness and dependency." Mikael Wood of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
noted "slow-to-bloom songs that are as preoccupied by love's pleasure ('1+1,' 'Rather Die Young') as by its pain ('I Care,' 'Best Thing I Never Had')."
Song structure and lyrical content
"1+11+1 (song)
"1+1" is a song recorded by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles for her fourth studio album, 4 . Knowles debuted the song on May 25, 2011, on American Idol, and digitally released it as a promotional single in the United States through Columbia Records...
" is a downtempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
power ballad derived from the genres of R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. The song features "a soft, almost non-existent" backing beat
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
, and makes use of a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
as its foundation, while wind chime
Wind chime
Wind chimes are chimes constructed from suspended tubes, rods, bells or other objects and are often made of metal or wood. Wind chimes are usually hung outside of a building or residence, as a visual and aural garden ornament, and are to be played by the wind....
s and funk-influenced bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
instrumentation is also present. Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
felt that "1+1" calls back to both Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
's "Wonderful World" (1960) and Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
's "Purple Rain
Purple Rain (song)
"Purple Rain" is a power ballad by Prince and The Revolution. It is the title track from the 1984 album of the same name, which in turn is the soundtrack album for the 1984 film of the same name, and was released as the third single from that album. The song is a combination of rock, pop, gospel,...
" (1984). Using simple arithmetic
Arithmetic
Arithmetic or arithmetics is the oldest and most elementary branch of mathematics, used by almost everyone, for tasks ranging from simple day-to-day counting to advanced science and business calculations. It involves the study of quantity, especially as the result of combining numbers...
to describe her undying love for her partner, Knowles sings to the former, and "explains that the only thing she's sure about is her feelings for this man". Slowly spreading synthesizers notes and a drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
-machined as well as a hand-clapped
Clapping
A clap is the sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often in a constant drone to express appreciation or approval , but also in rhythm to match sounds in music and dance...
rhythm, "I Care" writhes through the ache and the obsession that come from being the one left in love, as described by Holly Gleason of Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
magazine. "I Miss You
I Miss You (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"I Miss You" is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, taken from her fourth studio album, 4 . It was written by Knowles, Frank Ocean and Shea Taylor while production was handled by Knowles and Taylor...
" is a midtempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
ballad, which draws form the genres of R&B and contains elements of pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. Built on a simple puttering metronomic beat "I Miss You"s instrumentation consists of "layers of atmospheric keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
", ambient synthesizers, and tinny 808 drums
Roland TR-808
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines . Introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos. Like earlier Roland drum machines, it does not sound very much like a real...
Described by Matthew Horton as a song that "tug[s] heartstrings", "I Miss You" finds Knowles, as the female protagonist, ruminating over her relationship with her ex-love interest without firm verdicts. "Best Thing I Never Had
Best Thing I Never Had
"Best Thing I Never Had" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé Knowles for her fourth studio album, 4 . It was released by Columbia Records on June 1, 2011, as the second single from the album. "Best Thing I Never Had" was composed by Patrick "J. Que" Smith, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds,...
" is a midtempo pop and R&B ballad with influences of gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
. Its instrumentation consists mostly of a piano melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
intro and outro as well as strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
with some layered female vocals providing background support to Knowles' singing. Lyrically, "Best Thing I Never Had" is about the breakup between Knowles as the protagonist and her lover, the break-up suiting both parties.
"Party
Party (song)
"Party" is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles featuring American rapper André 3000, taken up form the former's fourth studio album, 4 . The song was composed by Kanye West, Jeff Bhasker, Beyoncé Knowles, André Lauren Benjamin, Dexter Mills, Douglas Davis and Ricky Walters. The...
" is a mid paced song that draws from the genre of R&B. It also exhibits elements of funk music, as well as soul music, and is built on "scooping, gliding multi-tracked" 1990 girl-ground harmonies, as stated by Thomas Conner from the Chicago Sun-Times, and Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
. According to David Amidon of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
, the song's music "is largely reminiscent of late 1980s diva histrionics"; it has a 808-retro beat and a 1980s style smooth groove. This is further illustrated by the song's instrumentation, which consists of 1980s slow-bouncing
Bounce music
Bounce music is an energetic style of New Orleans hip hop music which is said to have originated as early as the late 1980s, but is typically believed to have begun with the 1991 single "Where Dey At" by MC T.Tucker and DJ Irv...
synthesizers and bubbly 1980s keyboard tones. Lyrically, "Party" finds Knowles as the female protagonist in the mood for some loving as well as referencing to a get-together for two persons. In the chorus lines
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
, Knowles she harmonizes over the sample of the 1985 song, "La Di Da Di
La Di Da Di
"La Di Da Di" is a rap song performed by Doug E. Fresh the beatboxer, and MC Ricky D as the rapper. It was originally released in 1985 as the B-side to "The Show". The song has since gained a reputation as an early hip hop classic, having been referenced in other hip hop songs.There are two...
". André 3000
André 3000
André Lauren Benjamin , better known by his stage name André 3000 is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor, best known for being part of American hip-hop duo OutKast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi...
surfaces around the 2:15 mark with some very naughty references to milk before switching gears altogether and getting philosophical about his own career. Conrad Tao of Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
stated that in "Rather Die Young", Knowles plays the female protagonist who is in love with a "bad boy" who "drive too fast" and "smoke too much", nevertheless, she considers him to be her James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
and futher adds that he makes her feel like she is seventeen." Knowles declares that she prefers to die young rather than to live her life without her lover and that she will never stop caring for him even though he does not care for her. "Start Over", which is a love song, begins with "warbly as well as lighthearted drum beats", and finds Knowles affirming her individuality and expressing her love for a man with whom she attempts to start a relationship all over again.
"Love on Top
Love on Top
"Love on Top" is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her fourth studio album 4 . It was written by Knowles, Terius Nash and Shea Taylor; and production was handled by Knowles and Taylor. Knowles took inspiration from her state of mind while playing Etta James...
" is an up-tempo R&B song viewed as a modern take on old school
Old school
In slang, old school can refer to anything that is from an earlier era. Old school refers to something that is fairly old and not very recent. Depending on the context and intent, the term can imply a high regard or respect, or be a pejorative...
music. It also exhibits elements of retro
Retro
Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, that has since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again. The use of "retro" style iconography and imagery interjected into post-modern art, advertising, mass media, etc...
-soul music and the 1980s pop music. According to Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
Eric Henderson, "Love on Top" is a "bright, breezy tribute to the freshness of mid-[19]80s, pre-new-jack-FM R&B reminiscent of a pre-crack Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
and pre-wack Anita Baker
Anita Baker
Anita Baker is an American R&B/soul jazz singer-songwriter. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards, and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit....
". "Love on Top"s retro elements are further illustrated by its use of finger snaps and a melding of horns
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
as well as sweet backing harmonies, especially in the bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
and the chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
of the song. It is instrumentally complete with a thumping bass line, synthesizers, tribal drums and an arena-rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
piano, a guitar and some backing vocals. Rich Juzwiak of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
, who compared "Love on Top" to Raydio
Raydio
Raydio was an American funk and R&B vocal group formed in 1977, by Ray Parker Jr., with Vincent Bohnam, Jerry Knight, and Arnell Carmichael.-Career:...
's "You Can't Change That
You Can't Change That
"You Can't Change That" is a song by Raydio from their album Rock On. Released as a single in 1979, it reach number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and number three on the R&B chart....
" (1979) and New Edition
New Edition
New Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync...
's "Mr. Telephone Man
Mr. Telephone Man
"Mr. Telephone Man" is a 1984 song by R&B/pop group, New Edition, and the second single from their eponymous second album, New Edition.-Overview:"Mr...
" (1984), noted that Knowles "ecstatically and hyperactively" changes keys
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
six times during the entire song. As stated by Scott Shetler of PopCrush, Knowles constantly sings praises of her love interest in the first verse
Song structure (popular music)
The structures or musical forms of songs in popular music are typically sectional, repeating forms, such as strophic form. Other common forms include thirty-two-bar form, verse-chorus form, and the twelve bar blues...
where she also seemingly sends him subtle digs as he did not give her his full attention in the past.
"Countdown
Countdown (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Countdown" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles from her fourth studio album, 4 . It was written by Terius Nash, Shea Taylor, Knowles, Ester Dean, Cainon Lamb, Julie Frost, Michael Bivins, Nathan Morris and Wanya Morris. The song's development was motivated when Knowles wanted to...
", which samples "Uhh Ahh
Uhh Ahh
"Uhh Ahh" is the title of a number-one R&B single by group Boyz II Men. The song was written by Michael Bivins, Nathan Morris and Wanya Morris....
" performed by American group Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
, was considered to be "everywhere on the genre map" by Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound, also known often as CoS, is a Chicago-based music website featuring news, album and concert reviews, and editorials. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook micro-site, which serves as an on-line database for music festival news and rumors...
's Chris Coplan. "Countdown" makes heavy use of staccato
Staccato
Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...
horns
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
, and rides a "disjointed military rhythm", containing "an agitated" Afrobeat
Afrobeat
Afrobeat is a combination of traditional Yoruba music, jazz, highlife, funk and chanted vocals, fused with percussion and vocal styles, popularised in Africa in the 1970s. Its main creator was the Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who gave it its name, who used it to...
heavy brass riff. Additional instrumentation on the song includes a "squelchy keyboard", synthesizers, and 180 BPM
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
steel drums. Throughout the song, Knowles sings with "a sassy attitude", setting a "futuristic tone", as stated by Jocelyn Vena. According to Dombal, "Countdown" finds Knowles as the female protagonist delivering her "message of ten years of loyalty seeming just as thrilling as the first time" to her love interest. "End of Time" is an uptempo R&B-dance
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
song. The song also contains elements of funk, Afrobeat and Latin jazz
Latin jazz
Latin jazz is the general term given to jazz with Latin American rhythms.The three main categories of Latin Jazz are Brazilian, Cuban and Puerto Rican:# Brazilian Latin Jazz includes bossa nova...
. Its instrumentation consists of marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, heavy drums, and staccato horns reminiscent of the B'Day
B'Day
B'Day is the second studio album by American R&B recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, released on September 4, 2006 by Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Music and Sony Urban Music. It was released to coincide with Knowles' twenty-fifth birthday. The album was originally planned for a...
era. Thanks to these musical instruments, a high energy level is maintained throughout the song. Charley Rogulewski of AOL Music commented that the song channels Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "Off the Wall
Off the Wall (song)
"Off the Wall" is the third single released from singer Michael Jackson's album Off the Wall.Released on February 2, 1980, the Rod Temperton-composed number became Jackson's third top 10 single from Off the Wall, which eventually spawned four top 10 singles; Jackson was the first person to...
" (1980) production with horns kicking in midway through the song. Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
added that "End of Time" also has some vibes of Michael Jackson's 1983 single, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" is a song by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was released on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records as the fourth single from Jackson's sixth studio album Thriller in 1982. It is the first song on Thriller...
". Lyrically, "End of Time" is about Knowles, as the female protagonist, professing her everlasting love with both ferocity and passion.
According to Georgette Cline of AOL Music's The Boombox and David Amidon of PopMatters, "I Was Here
I Was Here (song)
"I Was Here" is a song by American singer Beyoncé Knowles, taken from her fourth studio album, 4 . It was written by Diane Warren, while production was handled by Ryan Tedder, Brent Kutzle, and Kuk Harrell; Knowles is credited on the vocal production...
" is a downtempo R&B ballad, which lyrically features Knowles, as the female protagonist, who wants to make her mark on this Earth before her time is up as she desires that the world remember her impact." "I Was Here" finds Knowles' vocals coming along over piano keys and big drums provided by OneRepublic
OneRepublic
OneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, the band achieved massive success on MySpace, becoming the most prominent unsigned act on the website then...
frontman Ryan Tedder and his fellow bandmate Brent Kutzle
Brent Kutzle
Brent Michael Kutzle is an American musician, born in Newport Beach, California. Brent is best known for playing the bass guitar and cello for OneRepublic, who are signed to Interscope Records...
, and indie-rock guitars. "Run the World (Girls)
Run the World (Girls)
"Run the World " is a song performed by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles. It was written by Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Knowles, Nick "Afrojack" van de Wall, Wesley "Diplo" Pentz, David "Switch" Taylor, and Adidja Palmer and produced by Switch, The-Dream, Knowles and Shea Taylor...
" is an R&B and pop song. Jocelyn Vena of MTV News described the song as a "female empowerment/girl power type of song", like several of Knowles' previous singles, including "Independent Women" (2000)—with Destiny's Child—and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
"Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...
" (2008). Shea Taylor said that the track is reminiscent of Michael Jackson's "prime" work. "Run the World (Girls)" also generates dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
influences in the tradition of "Get Me Bodied
Get Me Bodied
"Get Me Bodied" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. The song was written by Beyoncé Knowles, Sean Garrett, Solange Knowles, Angela Beyince, Makeba Riddick, and Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, and produced by Swizz Beatz, Beyoncé and Sean Garrett, for Knowles' second solo studio...
". The "high energy" song contains elements of go-go, and is set to a marching beat which samples popular club song, "Pon de Floor
Pon de Floor
"Pon de Floor" is a song by Major Lazer, which is made up of Diplo and Switch. It was released in 2009 by Mad Decent and Downtown Records as the second single from Major Lazer's first studio album, Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do . The duo wrote the song and produced it with Afrojack, while...
" by Major Lazer
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is a collaborative musical project from DJ/Producers Diplo and Switch.-Background:Made up of DJs Diplo and Switch, the two were introduced after working with M.I.A.. The duo's first album Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do was released on June 16, 2009, on Downtown Records. It was...
and Vybz Kartel
Vybz Kartel
Adidja Palmer , better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist, songwriter and businessman. He has many nicknames, including Addi Teacher and Gaza Emperor.-Biography:...
. It consists of heavy synth pangs and a militaristic drumbeat beneath Knowles shout vocals. Sharp Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n percussion is represented in the song by intense band-style drums. As stated by Rap-Up
Rap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
, Knowles is dominant over men in "Run the World".
As stated by Ian Walker of AbsolutePunk, "Schoolin' Life" consists of old-school horns, crashes as well as a 1980s-inspired beat and "literally oozes confidence". Channeling Prince, Knowles detailing her experiences growing up. In other words, she gives listeners a flashback to her friskier days: "I'm not a teacher, but baby I can teach you somethin' / Not a preacher but we can pray if you wanna / Ain't a doctor, but I can make you feel better / But I'm great in writing physical love letters/ I'm a freak all day, all night [...]." On "Lay Up Under Me", Knowles tells her love interest: "You ain't gotta worry [a]bout a club, just come on lay up under me tonight." Ryan Domabal of Pitchfork Media found the song to be largely reminiscent of the Off the Wall
Off the Wall (album)
Off the Wall is the fifth studio album by the American recording artist Michael Jackson, released August 10, 1979 on Epic Records, after Jackson's critically well received film performance in The Wiz. While working on that project, Jackson and Quincy Jones had become friends, and Jones agreed to...
era. "Dance for You" bears resemblance to Prince's work as well as Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
's work.
Titling and artwork
Knowles stated in an interview with Billboard magazines Ray Rogers that the title 4 was influenced by her fanFan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
s. "I had a whole other name and concept, but I keep seeing that the fans love the name '4,' and I think it would be a really nice thing to let them name the record". She also stated that the number four was "special" for her as her birthday and wedding anniversary are on the fourth day of the month. Knowles added, "My mother's birthday, and a lot of my friends' birthdays, are on the fourth." The album's official cover (standard version) was revealed on Knowles' official website on May 18, 2011, the same day the album's official release date was revealed and the album's lead single "Run the World (Girls)" music video premiered. On the album cover, Knowles is shown striking a pose as she gazes out into the distance with smokey eye makeup and has her arms raised over her head with thick gold cuffs, covered only with a fur vest accessorized in gold. The cover art for the deluxe edition was shown on June 16, 2011 and has Knowles wearing a tight-fitting blue-purple dress holding her hands in her hair.
Fashion has always played a big role in Knowles' artistic persona. The difference, this time, was in her choice of designers. Instead of sticking to major fashion houses, Knowles threw the spotlight on a number of up-and-coming designers whose names were likely to be unfamiliar at that time. Knowles’s creative director, Jenke-Ahmed Tailly, along with her stylist Ty Hunter, pointed her in the direction of those designers. In an interview by telephone with Jessica Michault of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Tailly said: "The album is a musical gumbo of everything Beyoncé likes. Each song really has a different personality so we decided to do the cover like an editorial for a magazine, with each song having its own style. [...] It was important to Beyoncé that the choice of clothing not be about the brand but about the quality of the work."
On the cover art of the standard version of the album, Knowles is wearing a fox-fur stole by the cult French designer Alexandre Vauthier embellished with Swarovski crystals by the Lesage embroidery house. Vauthier’s work also shows up inside the fold-out cover, as does a pair of "Daisy Duke" shorts by the young French designer Julien Fournié, who founded his brand only three years ago. Even student designers got a look-in: Lleah Rae, who was a recent graduate of Parsons the New School for Design, in New York, created a form-fitting bodysuit for the album spread. For the deluxe version of the album, which features extra songs and remixes, a photograph of Knowles in a purple-and-black beaded dress by the French designer Maxime Simoens, who described Knowles as "style innovator and an avant-gardist", replaced the fur stole as the cover image.
On the back of both versions of the album, Knowles is photographed in a vintage Azzedine Alaïa
Azzedine Alaia
Azzedine Alaïa is a Tunisian-born couturier and shoe designer, particularly successful since the 1980s.-Biography:Alaïa was born in Siliana, Tunisia on 7 June 1940. His parents were wheat farmers but his glamorous twin sister inspired his love for couture. A French friend of his mother fed Alaïa's...
jacket and a pair of high heels by the Dutch designer Jan Taminiau. Alongside renowned photographers like Ellen von Unwerth
Ellen von Unwerth
Ellen von Unwerth is a photographer and director, specializing in erotic femininity. She worked as a fashion model for ten years herself before moving behind the camera, and now makes fashion, editorial, and advertising photographs.Ellen von Unwerth found fame when she first photographed Claudia...
and Tony Duran, Knowles also tapped the young French photographer Greg Gex to shoot the cover art. Gex was introduced to Knowles by Tailly. Robbie Daw of Idolator
Idolator (website)
Idolator is a music blog. Created by the blog network Gawker Media in August 2006, Idolator was later sold to rival blog network Buzz Media, which also owns music blog Stereogum. From the 2007 departure of original head writer Brian Raftery until November 2009, the blog's head writer was Maura...
stated that Knowles is in "full-on promo mode" and compared Knowles' pose to that of Raquel Welch
Raquel Welch
Jo Raquel Tejada , better known as Raquel Welch, is an American actress, author and sex symbol. Welch came to attention as a "new-star" on the 20th Century-Fox lot in the mid-1960s. She posed iconically in a animal skin bikini for the British-release One Million Years B.C. , for which she may be...
. Jocelyn Vena of MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
described Knowles as looking "sexy and empowered" on the cover art.
Release and promotion
The album's US release date was revealed the same day as the music video for "Run the World (Girls)" premiered, that is, on May 18, 2011. On June 7, 2011, three weeks before its scheduled release, 4 leakedInternet leak
An Internet leak occurs when a party's confidential information is released to the public on the Internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such...
in full. Knowles' legal representatives issued warnings to infringing websites, and leaked tracks were soon removed from such sites. However, some people used Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
to link to the music, making it harder for the label to track down the music. On June 9, 2011, Knowles took to her Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
account to respond to the leak. "My music was leaked and while this is not how I wanted to present my new songs, I appreciate the positive response from my fans. When I record music I always think about my fans singing every note and dancing to every beat. I make music to make people happy and I appreciate that everyone has been so anxious to hear my new songs." Following the album's leak, news circulated that executive members at Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
were scrambling to cover their assets ahead of a dawning realization that Knowles' fourth album might be a dud. Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
reported that an insider told The New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
that "they are very nervous about Beyonce’s new record. It does not have the hit songs that her fans are used to. They asked her to make changes, but she said no." There was even rumors about a reassembling Destiny’s Child "in a desperate bid to shore up this cash cow before the end of the fiscal year." A few days later, a Columbia reply said: "All I know is that the record came in [...] Nothing was ever discussed to change it.", and Knowles' reply added: "All of this is completely untrue. All of it."
The deluxe edition of the album was released simultaneously with the standard edition in several countries's iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
s and other retail outlets. However, in the United States, the deluxe edition was available exclusively at the Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
as of June 28, 2011. Each copy of 4 contained a sample of Knowles' fragrance, Heat
Heat (fragrance)
Heat is a fragrance endorsed by American singer Beyoncé Knowles, which she created alongside Givaudan Claude Dir and Olivier Gillotin. The product, which was released on February 3, 2010, uses the tagline "Catch the fever." The release was followed with a revised version of Knowles' original cover...
, and the deluxe edition included six additional songs, including three remixes of "Run the World (Girls)" and an exclusive director's cut of its video. During the release week of the album, Rob Stringer, the Chairman of Columbia records, sat in an interview with Gary Graff of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine during which he firmly denied rumours which circulated before the release of the album which suggested that they were not pleased with the ballad heavy collection and had been having talks about reforming Destiny's Child as a form of damage limitation. He also said that there had even been plans to the album's release date forward even after its leak:
"The story about us being unhappy with the record and stuff is just not true. There's never been any doubt or conversations about moving the record or changing it [..] Those conversations never existed. The numbers are very good everywhere. We thought the record is great from the beginning, and some of the stuff that is happening now is vindication of it. We're really, really happy with it. We didn't want the leaks to happen. But there was never any discussion of this album moving. It has always been that date (June 28). It's been that date for four months now. There was never a conversation about pushing it back, bringing it forward, changing the songs – none of it."
Marketing
On May 11, 2011, Knowles held an album listening party in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where she previewed four songs for a selected group of fans. She also offered them a preview of the official video for the lead single "Run the World (Girls)
Run the World (Girls)
"Run the World " is a song performed by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles. It was written by Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Knowles, Nick "Afrojack" van de Wall, Wesley "Diplo" Pentz, David "Switch" Taylor, and Adidja Palmer and produced by Switch, The-Dream, Knowles and Shea Taylor...
". Beginning on June 16, 2011 to June 27, a song from 4 was available to listen to in full each day on Knowles' official website, paired with its accompanying photo spread from the album packaging and an insightful quote. Knowles performed "Run the World" live for the first time on May 17, 2011 on Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular at the United Center
United Center
The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The show was organized to commemorate the 25th and final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
. Knowles was dressed in a tuxedo leotard with red heels, and was accompanied by 40 female back-up dancers. Knowles performed "Run the World" live on May 22, 2011 at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards
2011 Billboard Music Awards
The 2011 Billboard Music Awards were held May 22, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and hosted by Ken Jeong. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from 2010....
held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The performance showed Knowles interacting with futuristic video projections on the stage backdrop, and was accompanied by 100 back-up dancers. On May 25, 2011, "1+1
1+1 (song)
"1+1" is a song recorded by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles for her fourth studio album, 4 . Knowles debuted the song on May 25, 2011, on American Idol, and digitally released it as a promotional single in the United States through Columbia Records...
" was made available for download via the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
as a promotional single exclusively in the United States. The same day, Knowles performed "1+1" on the American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
finale. She introduced "1+1" as her "favorite" song, and sang it in a purple dress with red lights and smoke surrounding her.
Knowles appeared on Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
on June 16, 2011 to promote the exclusive-to-Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
deluxe edition of 4, and gave fans a sneak preview of its television commercial. The 30-second commercial, which features "1+1" and "Countdown
Countdown (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Countdown" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles from her fourth studio album, 4 . It was written by Terius Nash, Shea Taylor, Knowles, Ester Dean, Cainon Lamb, Julie Frost, Michael Bivins, Nathan Morris and Wanya Morris. The song's development was motivated when Knowles wanted to...
" playing in the background, began airing in the United States on June 24, 2011. The commercial ends with Knowles stating: "I put so much into my new album and only Target gives you all of it." For the rest of the month, Knowles held a promotional tour in Europe, where she performed at several festivals. Beginning in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Knowles headlined three concerts. She first performed at the Palais Nikaia
Palais Nikaia
Palais Nikaia is an indoor concert hall and multi-purpose facility located in Nice, France. It opened on 4 April 2001, and is located five minutes' drive from Côte d'Azur International Airport....
in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
on June 20, 2011, followed by a concert at Zénith in Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
on June 22, 2011, and at the Galaxie
Galaxie Amneville
Galaxie Amneville is an entertainment venue, located in Amnéville, a suburb of Metz, in France. It opened in January 1991, with a performance of French singer Patricia Kaas, a Metz area local....
in Amnéville
Amnéville
Amnéville is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. The town is an important tourist and thermal center in France.-Main sights:*Traces of Roman road*Remains of a Roman bridge*14th century castle and church*Zoo d'Amnéville...
the next day. One week later, Knowles flew to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to serve as the closing act at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival on June 26, 2011. Alongside with the two singles from 4, the 90-minute set-list composed of twenty-one other songs, including "Crazy in Love", "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
"Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...
", "Halo
Halo (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Halo" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce . Columbia Records released the song as the fourth single of the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 20, 2009. It was composed by Ryan Tedder, Evan Bogart, and...
", "Sweet Dreams
Sweet Dreams (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Sweet Dreams" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce . Originally titled "Beautiful Nightmare", the song leaked in March 2008, eight months prior to the album's release. Written and produced by Knowles, James Scheffer, Wayne Wilkins, and...
", "Telephone
Telephone (song)
"Telephone" is a song written and performed by Lady Gaga. It was released from her third extended play and second major release The Fame Monster . The song, featuring American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles, was written by Gaga and Rodney Jerkins...
", "End of Time", and a Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
medley. The set list also included cover versions of Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
's "The Beautiful Ones
The Beautiful Ones
"The Beautiful Ones" is the third track on Prince and The Revolution's soundtrack album Purple Rain. Produced, arranged, composed, and performed by Prince, the song was recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles by Peggy Mac and David Leonard in early September 1983."The Beautiful Ones" is a haunting...
" and Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
's "Sex on Fire
Sex on Fire
"Sex on Fire" is the first single to be taken from Kings of Leon's fourth studio album Only by the Night and as of September 2009, the second most-downloaded digital single ever in the United Kingdom...
". Knowles was the first solo female artist ever to headline the Pyramid stage at the Glastonbury Festival in over twenty years.
| |
I am a workaholic and I don’t believe in 'no'. I don’t believe in 'I need to sleep'. If I’m not sleeping, nobody’s sleeping. I’m one human being. It’s a lot. If I want to be a businesswoman, I’m a businesswoman. Independence is not easy." | |
Best Thing I Never Had
"Best Thing I Never Had" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé Knowles for her fourth studio album, 4 . It was released by Columbia Records on June 1, 2011, as the second single from the album. "Best Thing I Never Had" was composed by Patrick "J. Que" Smith, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds,...
" and "End of Time" at the Glastonbury Festival was broadcast during the 2011 BET Awards
BET Awards of 2011
The 2011 BET Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on June 26, 2011. The awards recognized African-Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. Actor Kevin Hart hosted the event for the first time. ...
in the United States later during the same day. The following day, Knowles' exclusive hour-long interview with Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , known professionally as Piers Morgan, is a British journalist and television presenter. He is editorial director of First News, a national newspaper for children....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, was broadcast on Piers Morgan Tonight
Piers Morgan Tonight
Piers Morgan Tonight is a talk show on CNN, hosted by Piers Morgan. The show premiered on January 17, 2011 and filled the former Larry King Live timeslot. The theme music is written by Anthony James, composer and CEO of British company Music Candy, and his writing partner Yiorgos Bellapaisiotis,...
. Knowles then returned to France, where she performed "Run the World" on Le Grand Journal
Le Grand Journal (Canal+)
Le Grand Journal is a French nightly news and talk show airing every weekday evening on Canal+. Debuting on August 30, 2004, it was created and hosted by Michel Denisot. Originally a one-hour program, it expanded to two hours in 2005. Even though the show is broadcast on the premium channel Canal+,...
on June 28, 2011. She also appeared on the finale of X Factor France
X Factor (France)
X Factor is a French television music talent show to find new singing talent after public auditions, intermediate tests, and live shows.The first series was broadcast on Mondays, from September to December 2009, on W9 and RTL-TVI ....
later during that same day to perform "Run the World" and "Best Thing I Never Had". A MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
television special, Beyoncé: Year of 4, premiered on June 30, 2011, documenting Knowles' practicing choreography, jetting around the world, shooting the video for "Run the World", and also in the studio working on 4. During that same day, Knowles made a surprise appearance at the Target store in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where kids from the local Boys and Girls Club danced onstage to "Countdown." In the middle of their performance, Knowles took the stage and gave them a big group hug before letting them continue their routine. Knowles told the crowd, "I'd like to thank the Boys and Girls Club for coming out. I hope y'all had fun learning the choreography to 'Countdown' today."
In July 2011, Knowles promoted 4 by projecting images from the album on a number of London's landmarks, including Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds London
Madame Tussauds London is a major tourist attraction located in Central London. It is famous for recreating famous people, or celebrities, in wax. It is the original Madame Tussauds attraction, having been situated on Marylebone Road since 1884. It was set up by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud...
and Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station is a decommissioned coal-fired power station located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Battersea, South London. The station comprises two individual power stations, built in two stages in the form of a single building. Battersea A Power Station was built first in the...
. On July 1, 2011, Knowles appeared on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
as part of the "Summer Concert Series", which took place at Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Knowles performed "Single Ladies", "1+1", "Best Thing I Never Had", "Run the World", and "End of Time". She first appeared in a bright yellow crochet mini-dress with gold stilettos, and later changed her dress into an identical black one. A few days later, Knowles performed the song on Macy’s 35th Annual 4 July Fireworks Spectacular. She took the stage, dressed black gown to perform "Best Thing I Never Had" in front of an audience that included men and women of the armed forces. Knowles then traveled to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to perform at the T in the Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
Festival on July 10, 2011. Wearing a sparkly black dress with a pair of tiny black hotpants, Knowles performed several songs from the album, as well as her most well-known hits, "Crazy in Love" and "Single Ladies". The next day, Knowles performed at the Oxegen Festival
Oxegen
Oxegen is an annual music festival in Ireland held since 2004, sponsored by Heineken. As of 2007, 2008, 2009, the festival has been cited as Ireland's biggest music festival. And by 2009, the festival is cited as the greenest festival, being a 100% carbon neutral event in Ireland. It was previously...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
On July 28, 2011, Knowles made an appearance on The View, where she performed a stripped down version of "Best Thing I Never Had". She then sat down for an interview with the hosts of the show, where she talked about her time off, the album, and her upcoming film A Star Is Born. Knowles later returned to the stage where she performed "1+1". Later that same day, Knowles appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
and performed "Best Thing I Never Had" with The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
. Knowles took the stage at New York's Roseland Ballroom for four nights of special performances. The set on each night of the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé
4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé
4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé was a revue by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles. Held in four non-consecutive nights in August 2011, the concerts were part of Knowles' campaign in support of her fourth studio album 4 . Knowles performed to a standing room-only audience at the Roseland...
concerts was the entire collection of 4. For these four special nights, August 14, 16, 18 and 19, she performed her new songs to a standing room only audience. Knowles performed "Love on Top
Love on Top
"Love on Top" is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her fourth studio album 4 . It was written by Knowles, Terius Nash and Shea Taylor; and production was handled by Knowles and Taylor. Knowles took inspiration from her state of mind while playing Etta James...
" at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards
2011 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2011 MTV Video Music Awards took place on August 28, at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. On July 20, the nominees were announced...
on Sunday, August 28, 2011. A performance of Knowles singing "Countdown" live on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
was taped in July 2011. The performance aired on November 11, 2011. A DVD, Live at Roseland: Elements of 4
Live at Roseland: Elements of 4
Live at Roseland: Elements of 4 is a live DVD concert film by American R&B recording artist, Beyoncé Knowles. It was directed by Knowles, Ed Burke and Anthony Green, and was executively produced by Knowles. The DVD was filmed during her 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concert, which was held at the...
, directed by Knowles, Ed Burke and Anthony Green, and executively produced by Knowles, was released worldwide in late November 2011. It features performances from Knowles' 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concert, bonus offstage footage, a 20-page booklet and a video anthology featuring seven music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s from 4.
Singles
"Run the World (Girls)Run the World (Girls)
"Run the World " is a song performed by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles. It was written by Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Knowles, Nick "Afrojack" van de Wall, Wesley "Diplo" Pentz, David "Switch" Taylor, and Adidja Palmer and produced by Switch, The-Dream, Knowles and Shea Taylor...
" was released as the album's lead single on April 21, 2011. After snippets of "Run the World (Girls)" were leaked on April 14, 2011, the entire song was leaked four days later; forcing the single release of "Run the World (Girls)" to be rushed. Its accompanying music video was shot over the span of three days by director Francis Lawrence
Francis Lawrence
Francis Lawrence is an American music video and film director.-Life and career:Lawrence was born in Vienna, Austria. His father is a physicist who taught at California State University, Northridge and his mother is V.P. Technology at a PR agency. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of three...
, starting on April 11, 2011 and ending on April 13, 2011. The video premiered on May 18, 2011 on American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. The single peaked only at number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Its commercial reception was better in Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
and some European territories. It peaked inside the top ten positions in Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia), and Norway. Further more, it reached the Top 20 in Ireland, the UK, France, Canada, and Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders). "Best Thing I Never Had
Best Thing I Never Had
"Best Thing I Never Had" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé Knowles for her fourth studio album, 4 . It was released by Columbia Records on June 1, 2011, as the second single from the album. "Best Thing I Never Had" was composed by Patrick "J. Que" Smith, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds,...
" was released as the album's second single. It premiered on US radios on June 1, 2011, and was made available for download the same day. "Best Thing I Never Had" peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It performed well on the charts in Ireland and the United Kingdom where it achieved peaks of number two and three respectively. It also reached number 5 in New Zealand and number 17 in Australia. The third official single, "Countdown
Countdown (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Countdown" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles from her fourth studio album, 4 . It was written by Terius Nash, Shea Taylor, Knowles, Ester Dean, Cainon Lamb, Julie Frost, Michael Bivins, Nathan Morris and Wanya Morris. The song's development was motivated when Knowles wanted to...
", will impact both
CHR/Top 40
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
and Rhythmic radios on October 4, 2011 in the United States. It was digitally released
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
in Belgium on October 21, 2011. It was released in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on November 25, 2011. It will be released in the UK on December 6, 2011.. "Party
Party (song)
"Party" is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles featuring American rapper André 3000, taken up form the former's fourth studio album, 4 . The song was composed by Kanye West, Jeff Bhasker, Beyoncé Knowles, André Lauren Benjamin, Dexter Mills, Douglas Davis and Ricky Walters. The...
" was released as the album's fourth overall and third urban single in the US on October 24, 2011.
Tour
As reported by the Chairman of Knowles' label: "The main concentration for the next few months is to get this record working everywhere. She's well versed in being a global artist. The touring plan is extensive."Critical response
4 received generally positive reviews from music criticMusic criticism
See also Music journalism for reporting on classical and popular music in the media.The Oxford Companion to Music defines music criticism as 'the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres'. In this...
s. At Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a weighted mean
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 73, based on 36 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
's Eric Henderson described the album as "predominately intimate, ballad-heavy" and "dominated by mid- to no-tempo tracks, which, vocally speaking, gives her enough rope to hang either her doubters or herself". Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
writer Randall Roberts called 4 "a surprising, confident turn, even if the surprises are of a subtler variety." James Reed of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
called the album "low-key and effortless" and commended its production as "tasteful, sometimes even a bit tense." Nitsuh Abebe of New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
complimented Knowles' "newly settled mood" and "charming" ballads, adding that "She does a wonderfully convincing job of making [vulnerability] seem like a form of bravery." Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound, also known often as CoS, is a Chicago-based music website featuring news, album and concert reviews, and editorials. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook micro-site, which serves as an on-line database for music festival news and rumors...
writer Chris Coplan dubbed it "pure pop excellence" and stated, "the truly dazzling aspect of the record is what it does with minimal production and simplistic lyrics." Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
writer Jody Rosen
Jody Rosen
Jody Rosen is an American journalist and author. He is the music critic for the online magazine Slate, and the author of White Christmas: The Story of an American Song....
commended Knowles for "leav[ing] fashionable production styles behind" and called the album "eccentric [...] unmistakably personal and quirky." Michael Cragg of The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
complimented "the laid-back feel of her most accomplished album yet." The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
s Genevieve Koski stated, "Beyoncé’s artistic maturation on 4 features some growing pains, but the album’s polish and her poise go a long way toward masking those flaws."
BBC Online's Matthew Horton praised its "powerhouse balladry" and wrote that "Beyoncé slips from flirty to fragile to fabulous, and is in terrific voice throughout." Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
stated, "[Knowles] has always been a torch singer
Torch Singer
Torch Singer is a 1933 film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Alexander Hall and George Somnes, and starring Claudette Colbert, Ricardo Cortez and David Manners and Lyda Roberti.The screenplay was written by Lenore J...
in waiting, anticipating the day when she could just get down to business. On that count, “4” is impressive. [...] Beyoncé delivers heartbreak with purpose: to remind us just how overwhelming love can be." Despite panning "Run the World (Girls)" as its "worst song", Mikael Wood of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
called it an "often-gorgeous collection of ballads and mid-tempo cuts rich with echoes of late-'70s/early-'80s pop-soul." Rich Juzwiak of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
called its uptemo songs "passé in the best way possible" and stated, "Beyoncé's art is delivery, and 4 is a gorgeous frame for her voice at its absolute best." Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's Ryan Dombal complimented its "carefree retro sensibility" and stated, "the lion's share of the album [...] has one of the world's biggest stars exploring her talent in ways few could've predicted, which is always exciting." Embling of Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, as well as its mix tapes generator.-History:Originally called Tiny Mixtapes Gone to Heaven and...
called it "one of the most consistent and enjoyable mainstream pop records in years" and stated, "4 is an unqualified success in the Hawksian sense: There are at least three great songs and no bad ones." Allmusic editor Andy Kellman stated, "the strength of most of the material, propelled by Beyoncé’s characteristically acrobatic vocal skills, eases the trouble of sifting through the disjointed assortment" and concluded that, "No one but one of the most talented and accomplished singers [...] could have made this album."
Despite calling its up-tempo songs "genre-busting", Adam Markovitz of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
found its first-half "lumbering [...] a sleepy recital of ballads" and stated, "Vocally, she's never sounded better — throaty and precise — but the songs here just aren't her equal." Alexis Petridis of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
stated, "The highpoints offer hints of what it might have been: it's hard not to feel that what it might have been sounds better than what it is." David Amidon of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
found much of its material "beneath a woman as talented as she is," but viewed the album as an improvement over I Am... Sasha Fierce and complimented its "silly ‘80s musical references" and "strong vocal turns." Kevin Ritchie of NOW
NOW (magazine)
Now is a free weekly newspaper in Toronto, Canada. It was first printed on September 10, 1981 by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein. Now is an alternative weekly mixing arts and entertainment news with political coverage....
wrote that "On 4, she’s still missing a real sense of vulnerability but steps out from behind the club jams with beautifully nuanced mid-tempo production." Claire Suddath of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
criticized its lyrical substance, writing that it offers "well-executed songs performed by a talented woman who refuses to scratch anything more than the surface." Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
writer Greg Kot
Greg Kot
Greg Kot is an American writer and journalist. Since 1990, Kot has been the music critic at the Chicago Tribune, where he has covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and business issues...
noted an "inexplicable inconsistency" and stated, "the album feels skimpy, half-finished." Similarly, Andy Gill of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
called its songs "dollops of [...] tremulous, over-emoted melisma" and criticized their "half-hearted, puttering beats and woozy, wishy-washy synth washes." Hamish MacBain of NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
noted "boring ballads" and stated, "there’s the unmistakable sense of someone treading water, with even the OK bits here sounding uninspired." Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
gave the album three out of five stars and wrote that Knowles "plays it safe".
Commercial performance
On its first day of sales, 4 shipped more than 10,000 copies in Poland, more than 120,000 copies in Brazil, and sold around 32,000 in the United Kingdom on its first day itself. According to The Official Charts Company data, 4 opening day sales were more than the combined sales of its three nearest challengers, being AdeleAdele (singer)
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...
's 21
21 (Adele album)
21 is the second studio album by English recording artist Adele. Released on 24 January 2011 in the United Kingdom and most of Europe, and on 22 February 2011 in North America, the album was named after the age of the singer at the time of its production...
(2011), Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's Born This Way
Born This Way
Born This Way is the second studio album by American recording artist Lady Gaga that was released on May 23, 2011, by Interscope Records. The album is a follow-up to her internationally-successful albums The Fame and The Fame Monster...
(2011), and Adele's first studio album 19
19 (Adele album)
19 received generally positive reviews from critics. The album holds a 68 out of 100 rating based on 19 critical reviews indicating "generally favourable reviews" from metacritic. The album was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize in the category of Best Album...
(2008) for that day. After a complete week of sales, 4 debuted atop the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
on July 4, 2011, with first-week sales of 89,211, In its second week of release, 4 remained atop the chart, selling 44,929 copies. For the week commencing July 4, 2011, 4 opened at number two on the Australian ARIA Albums chart, giving Knowles her highest ever chart debut on that chart, and started at number one on its urban chart. 4 debuted at number three on the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
selling 8,700 copies in its first week, and at number two in France selling 12,393 copies in its first week. According to the Japanese music charting site Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
, the album debuted at number ten, selling 18,984 copies for the week ending July 11, 2011.
In the United States, 4 debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, with first-week sales of 310,000 copies. This gave Knowles her fourth consecutive solo debut at the top of the chart and makes her the second female artist and third artist overall, to have her first four studio albums debut atop the Billboard 200. 4s first-week sales became Knowles' lowest sales start with a studio album to date. However, Keith Caulfield of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine commented that the album was not released during the festive season and that Knowles was so far lacking a hit single, which could help explain the album's softer entry. Its lead single, "Run the World (Girls)" peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 – the first time the first single from a Knowles' studio set has missed the top ten. He finally added that "4s bow is pretty big for 2011. It marks the third-largest sales week of the year, after the [number one] bows of Lady Gaga's Born This Way and Adele's 21." 4 became the ninth solely-numerical titles (including roman numerals) to have reigned since the chart launched as a weekly survey the week of March 24, 1956. In its second week, the album remained at number one on the Billboard 200, despite an 63% sales decrease, selling 115,000 copies. It hence became the first album by Knowles to top the Billboard 200 albums chart for more than one week. On August 1, 2011, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA), for shipments of one million copies to retail stores. For the week ending September 10, 2011, 4 fell to number 12 on the US Billboard 200, after having spent eight consecutive week in the top 10 positions. However, after Knowles' performance at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, 4 registered an 87% rise in sales, allowing it to re-enter the top 10 of the US Billboard 200 at number seven, selling 39,000 copies for the week ending September 17, 2011. As of November 2011, 4 has sold 921,400 copies in the United States.
Accolades
4 was nominated for Favorite Soul/R&B Album at the 2011 American Music AwardsAmerican Music Awards of 2011
The 39th American Music Awards was held on November 20, 2011 , at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles . The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from the year 2011. Nominees were announced on October 11, 2011. The awards ceremony was host-free...
, and Album of the Year at the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
. It is also nominated for Album of the Year at the 38th People's Choice Awards
38th People's Choice Awards
The 38th People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2011, will be held on January 11, 2012 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and were broadcast live on CBS at 9:00 pm ET.On November 8, the nominees were announced...
, and Best Album at the 2011 Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
Music Awards.
Track listing
(*) Denotes co-producer(^) Denotes vocal producer
Notes
- The deluxe edition contains an exclusive version of the music video for "Run the World (Girls)".
Sample credits
- "Party" samples "La Di Da DiLa Di Da Di"La Di Da Di" is a rap song performed by Doug E. Fresh the beatboxer, and MC Ricky D as the rapper. It was originally released in 1985 as the B-side to "The Show". The song has since gained a reputation as an early hip hop classic, having been referenced in other hip hop songs.There are two...
" as performed by Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew featuring MC Ricky D., and written by Douglas Davis and Ricky Walters. - "Countdown" samples "Uhh AhhUhh Ahh"Uhh Ahh" is the title of a number-one R&B single by group Boyz II Men. The song was written by Michael Bivins, Nathan Morris and Wanya Morris....
" as performed by Boyz II MenBoyz II MenBoyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
, and written by Michael Bivins, Nathan Morris and Wanya Morris. - "Run the World (Girls)" samples "Pon de FloorPon de Floor"Pon de Floor" is a song by Major Lazer, which is made up of Diplo and Switch. It was released in 2009 by Mad Decent and Downtown Records as the second single from Major Lazer's first studio album, Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do . The duo wrote the song and produced it with Afrojack, while...
" as performed by Major LazerMajor LazerMajor Lazer is a collaborative musical project from DJ/Producers Diplo and Switch.-Background:Made up of DJs Diplo and Switch, the two were introduced after working with M.I.A.. The duo's first album Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do was released on June 16, 2009, on Downtown Records. It was...
, and written by Afrojack, Adidja Palmer, Wesley Pentz and David Taylor. - "Dreaming" samples "We Will Rock YouWe Will Rock You"We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. Rolling Stone ranked it #330 of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and the RIAA placed it at #146 on its list of Songs of the Century...
" as performed by QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, and written by Brian MayBrian MayBrian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
.
Personnel
- Credits taken from Knowles official site.
Managerial
- Naima Cochrane – marketingMarketingMarketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
- Scott Greer – marketing
- Beyoncé Knowles – executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
- Meaghan Lyons – A&R operations
- Ty Ty Smith – A&R
- Teresa LaBarbera Whites – A&R
Performance credits
- Beyoncé Knowles – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - André 3000André 3000André Lauren Benjamin , better known by his stage name André 3000 is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor, best known for being part of American hip-hop duo OutKast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi...
– vocals, background vocals - Luke Steele – background vocals
- Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
– background vocals - ConsequenceConsequence (rapper)Dexter Mills , better known as Consequence, is an American rapper. He is the cousin of rapper Q-Tip of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and was formerly an affiliate of Kanye West's GOOD Music family. Consequence debuted in 1996 on A Tribe Called Quest's album Beats, Rhymes, and Life...
– background vocals - Ryan TedderRyan TedderRyan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
– background vocals - Billy Kraven – background vocals
Visuals and imagery
- Tony Duran – photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Neal Farinah – glam team
- Greg Gex – photography
- Ty Hunter – fashion director
- Kimberly Kimble – glam team
- Lisa Logan – glam team
- Adam Larson – art directorArt directorThe art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
- Melina MatsoukasMelina MatsoukasMelina Matsoukas is an American music video director.-Life and career:Matsoukas is of Greek, Jewish, Jamaican and Cuban descent. Both her name and surname are Greek: Μελίνα Ματσούκα. She is a graduate of the American Film Institute and New York University...
– creative consultantCreative consultantCreative consultant is a credit that has - particularly in the past - been given to screenwriters who have “doctored” a movie screenplay. It is often given by producers in lieu of official credit. Those given this credit in the television field work closely with an Executive Producer, Head... - Raquel Smith – stylistWardrobe stylistA wardrobe stylist is the job title of someone who selects the clothing for published editorial features, print or television advertising campaigns, music videos, concert performances, and any public appearances made by celebrities, models or other public figures...
- Jenke Ahmed Taily – creative directorCreative DirectorA creative director is a position often found within the graphic design, film, music, fashion, advertising, media or entertainment industries, but may be useful in other creative organizations such as web development and software development firms as well....
- Francesca Tolot – glam team
- Ellen Von Unwerth – photography
Instruments
- Pete Wolford – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Nikki Glaspie – drums
- Lee Blaske – stringsStrings (music)A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
- Drew Sayers – baritoneBaritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, tenor - Chad HugoChad HugoCharles Edward Hugo is an American musician and record producer. He is best known as one half of the music production and writing duo The Neptunes and as a member of the funk/rock band N.E.R.D. He is a saxophonist, pianist and guitarist...
– rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Jeff Bhasker – keyboardMusical keyboardA musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
, guitar solo, keyboards and drum programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock... - Rob Suchecki – guitar
- Cole Kamen-Green – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Josiah Woodson – trumpet
- Nick Videen – tenorTenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, alto saxophoneAlto saxophoneThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
- Alex Asher – tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Morgan Price – baritone saxophone, tenor
- Shea Taylor – alto saxophone, hornsHorn (instrument)The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
arrangement - Luke Steele – guitar
- Robert "R.T." Taylor – guitar
- Pat Thrall – guitar
- Johnny Butler – tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
- Jack Daley – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Ryan Tedder – drums, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, additional programming - Brent KutzleBrent KutzleBrent Michael Kutzle is an American musician, born in Newport Beach, California. Brent is best known for playing the bass guitar and cello for OneRepublic, who are signed to Interscope Records...
– celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, guitar, additional programming
Technical and production
- Terius "The-Dream" NashThe-DreamTerius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
– productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Christopher "Tricky" Stewart – production
- Beyoncé Knowles – production, vocal production
- Jeff Bhasker – production
- Shea Taylor – production
- Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds – production
- Antonio Dixon – production
- Symbolyc "Larry Griffin, Jr." OneSymbolyc One (S1)Symbolyc One is an American music producer. He works primarily with Strange Fruit Project.- Origin :...
– production - Caleb McCampbell – production
- Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
– production - Luke Steele – production
- Tom Coyne – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- David "Switch" TaylorSwitch (DJ)Switch is a UK-based DJ, songwriter, sound engineer and record producer. He is best known for his work with M.I.A. and Santigold.In the fidget house genre, Switch runs his own music label "Dubsided", as well as the label Counterfeet, established in 2006 with fellow producer Sinden...
– production - Ryan Tedder – production
- Brent Kutzle – production
- Kuk HarrellKuk HarrellThaddis "Kuk" Harrell is an American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He is managed by RedZone Entertainment, and is a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The Dream" Nash...
– vocal production, vocal recording - Wesley "Diplo" Pentz – production
- Carlos "Los Da Mystro" McKinneyCarlos McKinneyCarlos "Los Da Mystro" McKinney is a Grammy-nominated American record producer and jazz pianist.-Biography:McKinney was born into an eminent Detroit jazz family; he is a nephew to pianist Harold McKinney, bassist Ray McKinney, trombonist Bernard McKinney , and drummers Earl McKinney and Walter...
– production - KaskadeKaskadeRyan Raddon , better known by his stage name Kaskade, is an American DJ and record producer. On October 20, 2011, DJ Magazine announced the results of their annual Top 100 DJ Poll, with Ultra Records Kaskade placed at #30...
– mix, additional production - Jens Bergmark – mix production
- Julian Napolitano – mix production
- Jordan "DJ Swivel" Young – recording, vocal recording, mixing
- Mark Gray – engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
assistant - Jason Sherwood – engineering assistant
- Steven Dennis – engineering assistant
- Pete Wolford – engineering assistant
- Scott Barnett – engineering assistant
- Tony MaseratiTony MaseratiTony Maserati is an American record producer and studio audio engineer who has worked with many mainstream artists including Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Jason Mraz, James Brown, Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child, R...
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Val Brathwaite – mixing assistant
- Ryan Kelly – engineering assistant
- Serge Nudel – mixing assistant, engineering assistant
- Gloria Kaba – engineering assistant
- Serban GheneaSerban GheneaSerban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band...
– mixing - John Hanes – mixing engineer
- Phil Seaford – mixing assistant
- Gaylord Holomalia – engineering assistant
- Christian Mochizuki – engineering assistant
- Edwin Delahoz – engineering assistant
- Justin Hergett – engineering assistant
- Jon Castelli – engineering assistant
- Ramon Rivas – engineering assistant
- Chris Soper – engineering assistant
- Smith Carlson – engineering assistant
- Eric Aylands – engineering assistant
- Jon Sher – engineering assistant
Weekly charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Argentine Albums Chart Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers The Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers is an Argentine organization member of the IFPI, which represents the music industry in the country. It is a nonprofit organization integrated by multinational and independent record labels.... |
3 |
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
2 |
| Australian Urban Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
1 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 13 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
4 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Wallonia) |
4 |
| Brazilian Albums Chart Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos The Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market.- About :... |
1 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
3 |
| Croatian Albums Chart | 2 |
| Czech Albums Chart | 2 |
| Danish Albums Chart IFPI Denmark IFPI Denmark is the Danish branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Denmark.-Gold and platinum awards:... |
5 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
2 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 24 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
2 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
5 |
| Greek Albums Chart IFPI Greece International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
5 |
| Hungarian Albums Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
8 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
1 |
| Italian Albums Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
4 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
10 |
| Mexican Albums Chart Top 100 Mexico Top 100 México is a record chart which accounts for sixty percent of the albums sold in Mexico. The chart has the support of major record distributors in Mexico and is issued by the Mexican Association of Producers of Phonograms and Videograms, A.C. since 2005 on a weekly basis... |
31 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
3 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
4 |
| Polish Albums Chart Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... |
2 |
| Portuguese Albums Chart Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa The Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa is currently the only recording industry association in Portugal. Created in 1989, it succeeded GPPFV and UNEVA .... |
3 |
| Russian Albums Chart Russian Music Charts The Russian Music Charts are Russian music industry standard popularity rankings compiled weekly by 2M and Tophit . Albums and tracks rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through retail data captured electronically each week from Russian music retailers... |
5 |
| Scottish Albums Chart | 1 |
| Slovenian Albums Chart | 6 |
| South African Albums Chart Recording Industry of South Africa The Recording Industry of South Africa is a trade association that represents the collective interests of producers of music sound recordings, major and independent record labels in South Africa. Formerly known as the Association of the South African Music Industry it was established in the 1970s... |
5 |
| South Korean International Albums Chart Gaon Chart The Gaon Chart is a national record chart of South Korea. It is complied by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; with an aim to create a national chart for Korea similar to the Billboard charts and Oricon charts... |
1 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
13 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
1 |
| Taiwanese Albums Chart | 1 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 |
| UK R&B Albums Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
1 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... ) |
Gold |
| Poland (ZPAV Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry The Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry is the organization that represents the interests of the music industry in Poland, and the Polish chapter of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry... ) |
Platinum |
| United States (RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... ) |
Platinum |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Edition(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | June 24, 2011 | CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation.... |
Standard, deluxe |
| Austria | Digital download | Standard | ||
| Switzerland | ||||
| Belgium | CD, digital download | Standard, deluxe | ||
| Germany | ||||
| Ireland | Standard | |||
| Netherlands | Standard, deluxe | |||
| France | June 27, 2011 | Standard, deluxe | ||
| Hong Kong | ||||
| New Zealand | ||||
| Poland | Eco, standard, deluxe | |||
| United Kingdom | RCA Records RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label... |
Standard, deluxe | ||
| Argentina | June 28, 2011 | Digital download | Sony Music Entertainment | Standard |
| Brazil | CD, digital download | Standard, deluxe | ||
| Canada | ||||
| Spain | Digital download | Standard | ||
| United States | CD, digital download | Columbia Records Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company... |
Standard, deluxe | |
| Japan | June 29, 2011 | Sony Music Entertainment Japan Sony Music Entertainment Japan is Sony's music arm in Japan. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment due to its strength in the Japanese music industry.... |
||
| Denmark | Sony Music Entertainment | |||
| Philippines | July 1, 2011 | CD | ||
| Thailand | July 6, 2011 | Standard | ||
| China | October 20, 2011 | |||