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Song

"Flawless" (stylized as "***Flawless") is a song recorded by American recording artist Beyoncé from her self-titled fifth studio album, Beyoncé (2013). Columbia Records released it as the fifth single from the album on August 12, 2014 to rhythmic contemporary radio stations in the United States. The song was written by Beyoncé, Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Chauncey Hollis and Rey Reel Musi, with production handled by Hit-Boy, Beyoncé, Rey Reel and Boots. The track was originally released onto the Internet by Beyoncé in March 2013 as a two-part track, titled "Bow Down / I Been On". For the final version included on the album, only the former part was used.

Musically, "Flawless" consists of two parts titled "Bow Down" and "Flawless", divided by a speech titled "We should all be feminists" delivered by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at a TEDxEuston conference. It is a trap-influenced song, with a dirty groove and a clattering beat. Upon its release, the song was received positively by music critics who particularly praised the use of Adichie's sample and widely discussed and acclaimed its lyrics. After its releas as a single, the song peaked at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 in addition to charting on several of the magazine's component charts.

A music video for the song was directed by Jake Nava, and includes choreography by Les Twins and Chris Grant. It was released on the iTunes Store through Beyoncé itself on December 13, 2013. "Flawless" was performed live by Beyoncé during the last, European leg of The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour and her co-headlining On the Run Tour with Jay-Z. It was also performed at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards where the singer sang a medley of songs from her fifth studio album. A remix version featuring American rapper Nicki Minaj premiered on Beyoncé's official website on August 2, 2014 and was released to radio stations in the US two weeks later as well as in Italy in October. Upon its release, it received positive reviews from music critics who praised the pair's chemistry and vocal delivery. The lyrics in which Beyoncé sings about the infamous elevator accident between her husband Jay-Z and her sister Solange Knowles received acclaim and wide media attention.

Background and initial versions

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Beyoncé pictured with her husband Jay-Z at a concert in New York City in August 2013 during the performance of "Bow Down".

On March 17, 2013, Beyoncé released a two-part audio track titled "Bow Down / I Been On" along with a picture of herself as a child standing in a roomful of trophies on her official website.[1][2] It marked the first new music by Beyoncé since her fourth studio album 4 (2011).[2][3] Hit-Boy and Planet 6 produced the first half of the track, "Bow Down", while the second half "I Been On" was produced by Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, Polow da Don, Sonny Digital and The-Dream.[4][5] Critics noted how the song featured a new musical style for Beyoncé with its Houston rap-tinged first half and the pitched-down chopped and screwed robotic vocal effects present on the second part.[2][3][6] "Bow Down" featured aggressive and pitched vocals with the singer repeatedly commanding the lines "Bow down, bitches" over trap drum claps and synths.[4][6] "I Been On" contains orchestral music elements[4] The release "shocked" fans and fellow singers as the song caused some controversy over its lyrical content.[7] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly commented that Beyoncé seemed "to be attacking straw women a generation behind her who dismiss her as little more than Jay-Z's wife".[8] The song was criticized by Rush Limbaugh and Keyshia Cole, among others.[9][10]

A brief sample of "Bow Down" was used during her performance of "Countdown" at the Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live show in May 2012. A sample of "I Been On" was also prominently used in an advertisement for O2 and The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in February 2013.[4][2] A remix version featuring Houston-based rappers Bun B, Z-Ro, Scarface, Willie D, Slim Thug and Lil' Keke debuted on March 29 on Houston's KBXX radio station and was released on its Soundcloud profile shortly afterwards. Bun B dedicated it to rap group UGK, Pimp C and DJ Screw.[11] On July 15, 2013 Beyoncé performed "Bow Down" during a concert in Houston, her hometown. The performance started with images of Beyonce's dancers as children flashing across the screen with the words "Bow Down" and sound bites of gossip reports were heard in the background. Beyoncé addressed rumors surrounding her throughout her career including faking her pregnancy with daughter Blue Ivy Carter. She appeared on stage and begand singing the song along with a choreographed dance with her back-up dancers.[12][13] Later, during a stop of the same tour in New York City on August 5, 2013 Beyoncé performed "Bow Down" again and was immediately joined by Jay-Z who proceeded with his song "Tom Ford", singing it alone at the beginning and then being joined again by his wife for the background vocals.[14][15]

Development

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The song features a speech delivered by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (pictured).

In December 2013, "Bow Down" was included as the first part of "Flawless" on her fifth studio album Beyoncé. The final version was written by Beyoncé herself along with Terius Nash, Chauncey Hollis and Rey Reel while the production was handled by Hit-Boy, Knowles and Rey Reel along with additional production by Boots.[16] Different excerpts of the speech "We should all be feminists" by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at a TEDxEuston conference was interpolated in the song.[17] The speech was found by Beyoncé on YouTube and she wanted to include it in the song as it represented feministic views and felt "aggressive and empowering, like a call to action".[18] In "Flawless", the latter part "I Been On" of the original version was replaced wtih a new track.[18]

Beyoncé explained the idea behind "Bow Down" on iTunes Radio: "The reason I put out 'Bow Down' is because I woke up, I went into the studio, I had a chant in my head, it was aggressive, it was angry, it wasn't the Beyoncé that wakes up every morning. It was the Beyoncé that was angry. It was the Beyoncé that felt the need to defend herself. And if the song never comes out…OK! I said it! And I listened to it after I finished, and I said, This is hot! I'mma put it out. I'm not going to sell it. I'm just going to put it out. People like it, great; they don't, they don't. And I won't do it every day because that's not who I am. But I feel strong. And anyone that says, 'Oh that is disrespectful,' just imagine the person that hates you. Imagine a person that doesn't believe in you. And look in the mirror and say, 'Bow down, bitch' and I guarantee you feel gangsta! So listen to the song from that point of view again if you didn't like it before."[19][20]

Chimanda Ngozi Adichie praised the song, stating that she "likes the idea that Beyonce's song might make girls feel that they can ask to try to do these things" and further said "I have had young people in Nigeria who probably would have never heard of my TED talk without Beyonce and who are now talking about feminism."[21]

Composition

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"Flawless" is "a staccato, trap-flavored track"[22] with a dirty groove[23] and a clattering beat.[24] The song begins with a sample from a televised talent contest Star Search, with Ed McMahon announcing the performance of Knowles' girl rap group, Girl's Tyme.[25] Then, the song incorporates a portion of "Bow Down / I Been On",[26] with Knowles singing about "the pressure women feel to be perfect and to think of marriage as the main goal of their life"[25] — "I took some time to live my life/ But don’t think I’m just his little wife."[22]

A series of samples from "We should all be feminists", a speech delivered by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at a TEDxEuston conference in April 2013, starts at 1:24 and forms the second verse of the song:


The third verse features lyrics about looking beautiful in the morning[18] such as "You wake up, flawless/ Post up, flawless/ Ride round in it, flawless/ I woke up like this/ I woke up like this."[29] According to its co-writer The-Dream, the lyrics were meant to be an oxymoron about waking up "feeling good".[18] The song ends with another sample from Star Search, in which McMahon announces that Knowles' group lost the competition.[22] In a video commentary to the album, Knowles explained that in her mind [as a nine-year-old], she would have never imagined losing as a possibility, and it was the best message for her. "I feel like something about the aggression of 'Bow Down' and the attitude of 'Flawless'—the reality is, sometimes you lose. And you're never too good to lose, you're never too big to lose, you're never too smart to lose, it happens. And it happens when it needs to happen. And you have to embrace those things," she added.[30]

Critical reception

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The use of Adichie's talk in "Flawless" was praised by music critics. Los Angeles Times's Carolyn Kellogg wrote that the inclusion of the talk was an "astonishing" thing.[17] Rebecca Nicholson of The Guardian commented that by using Adichie's TED talk as a feminist spoken word interlude in the middle of "Flawless", the singer put "Bow Down" into a different context.[31] Andrew Hampp and Erika Ramirez of Billboard magazine wrote, "When we first heard the Hit-Boy produced track in March it didn't contain the content of the full-version, only to come off abrasive. 'Flawless' though, with the insightful commentary of feminism by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, carries power and highlights camaraderie amongst women."[32]

The Guardian's Mikki Kendall wrote, "In 'Flawless' (a track that leaked as 'Bow Down' over the summer), Beyonce quotes from author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TedX talk 'We should all be feminists', adroitly addressing the idea that she is somehow anti-feminist for not fitting into the boxes others project onto her. It's clear that like a lot of black American women, the mainstream middle class white feminist narratives with which we are so familiar aren't necessarily compatible with Beyonce's view of herself. This album makes it clear that her feminism isn't academic; isn't about waves, or labels. It simply is a part of her as much as anything else in her life. She's pro-woman without being anti-man, and she wants the world to know that you can be feminist on a personal level without sacrificing emotions, friendships or fun."[33]

However, Catherine A. Traywick of Foreign Policy magazine criticized the singer, commenting that "On a track called 'Flawless', Beyonce samples Adichie's April 2013 Ted Talk, which is a thoughtful, amusing examination of subtle sexism in everyday life. Beyonce bookends Adichie's words with distinctly less thoughtful lyrics of her own: She shallowly trumpets material wealth and physical beauty and, working in a few lines from her spring single, advises others to 'Bow down, bitches.'" She continued, "Beyonce gives us a heavily-edited, watered-down version of Adichie's speech that aligns with the singer's banal brand of beginner feminism: She reduces Adichie's powerful message to an overly simplistic, inoffensive pro-girl anthem that does little to challenge trenchant gender ideals."[27] In the annual Pazz & Jop mass critics poll of the year's best in music in 2013, "Flawless" was ranked at number 72.[34]

Chart performance

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Without being released as a single, "Flawless" managed to appear on several music charts. In the US, it peaked at number 13 on February 15, 2014 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart which acts as a 25-song extension of the main Billboard Hot 100.[35] The same week, on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the song peaked at number 32 in its fourth week of charting.[36] Elsewhere, it peaked at number 157 on the UK Singles Chart on March 8, 2014 and 77 on the Irish Singles Chart on March 13.[37][38] Following the performance at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, "Flawless" debuted at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 and moved to a peak position of 25 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for the issue dated September 13, 2014.[39][40] Selling 29,000 digital copies, it entered the Hot Digital Songs chart at the position of 48 with sales from the remix featuring Minaj also being counted.[41] Its sales in the US increased by 1,237% compared to the previous week.[42] In France, "Flawless" debuted at number 164 on the chart issue dated October 4, 2014. It moved to its peak position of 161 the following week.[43]

Following the release of the platinum edition reissue of Beyoncé, the song set many new peak positions in various countries. On the US Billboard Hot 100 it re-entered at the position of 41, selling 67,000 downloads. The same week it leaped from the position of 34 to 12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with the honor of Digital Gainer of the week.[44][45] It also set a new peak in the United Kingdom at number 65. And in France it re-entered at the position of 83 on December 6, 2014.[46]

Music video

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Background

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A music video for "Flawless" was directed by Jake Nava.[18] It features appearances by various multicultural models, including London Rudeboys and members of the Parisian Anti-Racist Skinhead Alliance as well as real skinheads. They are involved in a mosh pit in the video's showcased skinhead subculture. Nava praised the singer for her "choppy change-iness" during her performance in the clip and for the fact that she "wasn't being dainty".[18] Beyoncé worked on the choreography for the video with Les Twins and Chris Grant.[16]

Todd Tourso served as the clip's creative director. At first, when Beyoncé presented "Flawless" to him, the video which would include "Bow Down" was meant to be shot in Houston as a "Juvenile video... a new version of a hood video". However, as it was "obvious" to film such a visual for the song, the team opted for something "more aggressive and out-of-left-field that speaks more abstractly to the concept of 'Flawless'". After the concept was presented to to Nava, he found a connection between the energy of old-school, punk rock parties and the "idea of how you can't judge a book by its cover" and went on to propose its portrayal of skinheads at a moshing party. This concept was meant to illustrate an unusual environement for the singer, complete with contrasts and juxtapositions. Its first half was filmed at a location in Paris made to look as an underground club after the clip for "Partition".[18] Tourso explained that after doing that part of the video, the crew watched it and Beyoncé realised she wanted to interpolate a "dance moment that would be iconic, that people could pick up on".[47] The singer wanted to create an "iconic" hip hop dance and while being in Australia, shot another part of the clip at a grafittied alley there. Tourso elaborated,

"This was the first video that came together very quick, sort of consciously on-the-fly. It looked like this old-school hip-hop video. We thought once we got those FastCams and fire in there, we'd dial up this '90s hip-hop counterpart to the '80s Rudeboy skinhead party. It's definitely a testament to Beyoncé. Myself and Jake Nava, when we were doing the pickup shoot with the choreography, were thinking that it wasn't going to mesh. But she had the vision in her mind and she pushed for it, and it worked out. Once we saw it in the edit, both Jake and I were like, 'Okay. Looks great!' It's exactly what it needed."[18]

While looking for visual references, the team gravitated towards something which would feel "real" and "dirty". The visual was shot using black-and-white to illustrate "lo-fi urgency, yet fashion-y vibe" and it uses the technique as a reference Bruce Davidson's work. The Star Search clip used in the beginning was meant to connect the album's concept about awards, trophies, competitions and winning.[18] It was released on December 13, 2013 on the album Beyoncé on the iTunes Store, which contained a video for every song.[48] On November 24, 2014 it was also uploaded to the singer's Vevo account.[49]

Synopsis

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The video opens with original footage from Star Search, with young Beyoncé and other members of Girl's Tyme being announced by McMahon. As the group starts with their performance, the clip qicukly transitions to other scenes shot in black-and-white, showing Beyoncé headbanging and moshing with members of a punk subculture. She is also seen dancing with a team of street dancers in a graffiti covered alley.[50][51] Throughout the video, she is seen lyp-syncing the lyrics of the song and moving in accordance with its melody while the camera focuses only on her. Many of the scenes are also shot using the slow motion filming technique. It ends with McMahon announcing the winners of Star Search, Skeleton Crew, who receive four stars from the judges of the show, while Girl's Tyme receive three stars, losing the competition.

Reception

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Nate Jones of People magazine commented that the lyrics of the song were "best performed with the hand gestures seen in the video."[52] Whitney Phaneuf of the website HitFix wrote that the video had the best choreographed dance on the whole album, further adding that it would leave viewers wanting to learn the dance routine.[53] Brandon Soderberg of Vice noted that "black punk faces in 'Flawless' correct the rockist white boy narrative around punk rock."[50] Jenna Wortham of The New York Times wrote that the release of the album had created "a social media class of its own, generating a sort of ripple effect that is keeping the album front and center in the Web’s ephemeral consciousness," and identified shots from the "Flawless" music video as some of the most shared among fans: "A recent hashtag search for Instagram photos and videos tagged 'I woke up like this,' a reference to one of the catchier songs on the album, turns up close to 7,000 photos."[54]

Live performances

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The song was added to the set list and performed live during the second European leg of The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, with the first performance taking place in Glasgow at the SSE Hydro arena on February 20, 2014.[55] After "Run the World (Girls)", the performance of the song opened with the words from Adichie's talk being displayed on a screen on the stage with a large lit-up font.[56][57] Beyoncé appeared on stage during the beginning of the song and performed a choreography taken from the song's music video along with her background dancers.[58][59] She was also dressed in the same way as in the clip with a bedazzled plaid button-up shirt, a cat-ear baseball cap and short leather hot-pants.[60] Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Isabel Mohan noted that while performed live, the "booty-shaking" song "turns into a huge, powerful urban pop hit".[61] While describing the performance as "an exercise in sheer sass", The Independent's David Pollock described the singer's style as "retro Bronx street chic".[58] He praised her for "burning onstage" and felt that the "commanding" lines executed during the chorus was the "'I am what I am' for the 2010s."[58] Graeme Virtue of The Guardian felt that unlike the studio recording of the song, it became an "all-out sonic and visual assault" when performed live.[62] A profesionally recorded live performance of the song was broadcast in July 2014 on Beyonce: X10, an HBO series documenting renditions of the song performed during The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. Anna Silman of Vulture praised the singer's dancing and her "wild" costumes.[60] "Flawless" was also part of the set list of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's co-headlining On the Run Tour (2014).[63] Lorraine Ali of the Los Angeles Times felt that the singer's vocals managed to hit every note and praised her dance moves.[64]

"Flawless" was performed live by Beyoncé during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards on August 25, as part of a medley consisting of songs from her self-titled album. The rendition of the song came towards the end of her set list, following an interlude of "Superpower". Adichie's words began appearing on the screen on the stage with bold, pink letters and background dancers started appearing on the dark stage. At the end of the speech, the word "feminist" in capital letters was flashed on the screen and the singer was seen next to it in a silhouette.[65] As she launched into the song, Beyoncé asked the crowd "How did you wake up this morning?". Towards the end of the performance, a line from the remix version featuring Nicki Minaj was heard in the background and the singer immediately continued with a performance of "Yoncé". Throughout the entire performance, she was dressed in a jeweled bodysuit.[66][67] Nadeska Alexis, writing for MTV News praised the bold, feminist statements made during "Flawless" and felt that Beyoncé changed the soulful vibes of the other songs for "all out breaking-it-down".[67] Eliana Dockterman of Time magazine considered the performance of the song to be a peak of the singer's medley and praised its feminist theme for being presented to an audience consisting mostly of teenagers.[65]

Remixes

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In March 2014, rapper M.I.A. posted several videos on her Instagram account during which a remix of "Flawless" was played.[68] Two months later, on May 13, she released an officially commissioned remix of the song titled "Baddygirl 2", after she had waited for approval from the singer's team two months.[69] M.I.A.'s version was produced by Party Squad, contained modified lyrics and samples of Beyoncé's "Diva" and "Run the World (Girls)".[70][71] It explored elements of trap and EDM music.[72] Some of the reworked lines contained feminist messages and elements of the original song were completely altered. John Walker, writing for MTV News remarked that except the opening lines "I woke up like this/ I went to bed like this/ We do everything just like this", the remix doesn't contain "any easily recognizable bits" of the original.[73] Similarly, a writer of Fact magazine noted that Beyoncé did not want to release the remix as it only contained the same feminist elements of the original.[72] Zach Frydenlund of Complex felt that the reworked version contained M.I.A.'s "intense energy"[70] while Sharan Shetty found a "manic", high-energy sound similar to the rapper's diverse influences. However the latter concluded that the remix "doesn't quite measure up to the original, but... regardless, it's an interesting and head-bopping take".[74] The Guardian editor Alexandra Khan-Anselmo felt that the remix is "good enough to make you want to smash the window of a cop car, pull a Wynona or sneak on to the underground".[71]

Impact

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On May 7, 2014, a video was uploaded on Vimeo called #everyBODYisflawless featuring plus-size fashion bloggers and models Gabi Gregg, Nadia Aboulhosn and Tess Munster lip-synching and dancing to the song.[75][76]

The song's title and its lyrics "I woke up like this" were used in merchandise sold through Beyoncé's official website shop.[18]

Remix featuring Nicki Minaj

[edit]
"My love is love/sandbox 10"
Song

Background and release

[edit]

On August 2, 2014, the official remix of the song featuring rapper Nicki Minaj was released unexpectedly on Beyoncé's official website which marked their first collaboration together.[77] Two months prior to the release of the song, Minaj's manager Gee Roberson contacted her to inform her that Beyoncé wanted a remix of "Flawless" on which she would be featured. Following this, Beyoncé sent Minaj a new version she wanted and told Minaj, "I want you to be you. I don't want you to hold back.", according to the rapper.[78] Minaj began writing the verse in New York and Beyoncé visited her in the studio, encouraging her. Beyoncé later revealed to Minaj that she would release the song sometime during her On the Run Tour. Following this both of the singers began sending each other photos of themselves to create the song's artwork.[78] The remix was included in the reissued version of Beyoncé, subtitled the Platinum Edition, released on November 25, 2014.[79]

Composition

[edit]

Musically, the remix was noted for being a slower version of the original and containing new, sexually explicit verses.[80][81] The music of "Flawless" is mostly kept the same as the original, with the sound being slightly altered and several parts reorganized.[82] The remix opens with Beyoncé speak-singing lines about sex: "It stay Yoncé, oh Yoncé in that lingerie, on that chardonnay, it's gonna touch down like a runway".[82] Her accent during the verse was noted to be West Indian and similar to Rihanna's.[82] The remix addresses the infamous elevator altercation between Beyoncé's sister Solange Knowles and Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z after the 2014 Met Gala. Beyoncé raps in the song with her higher vocal register, "Of course sometimes shit go down when it's a billion dollars on the elevator", repeating the line twice, followed by a sound of a cash register dinging and the singer laughing, referring to her and her husband's combined billion-dollar net-worth.[83][84] She also adresses her detractors through the lines "You can say what you want/I'm the shit" adopting a softer voice.[82][85] The line "you wish I was your pound cake" was noted for being a reference to Drake's song "Pound Cake".[86]

A brief sample of the horns from Outkast's song "SpottieOttieDopalicious" (1998) preceeds Minaj's rap verses.[86][87] Minaj starts rapping at the two minutes and thirty three seconds mark of the song, with a rapid-fire delivery using a low timbre.[82][85] Her lyrics reference the work with Kanye West on the song "Monster", her success and compare detractors with Michael Jackson's convicted doctor Conrad Murray through numerous punch lines.[88][82] She also raps the lines "The queen of rap slaying with Queen B / if you ain't on the team / you're playing for team D" during the end of her lines.[89] Minaj's vocal delivery was compared to her earlier work on "Monster".[88][89]

Critical reception

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Caitlin White writing for MTV News felt that the version "more than exceeds our expectations" and added that it managed to expand "flawlessness beyond women at this juncture".[88] Nadeska Alexis of the same publication wrote that Beyoncé sounded "extra fearless" together with Minaj.[90] Pitchfork Media's Evan Minsker referred to the remix as "like a gift from the heavens" as it featured the two singers together on a song.[91] Vulture's writer E. Alex Jung called the pair's first collaboration "epic".[89] Melinda Newman, a writer of HitFix, felt that the reworked version "brings... up to speed" compared to the original, but noted that Minaj's lyrics discussing Jackson's doctor would likely upset his fans.[83] Slate editor Sharan Shetty described it as "excellent", praising the duo as a "powerful pair".[85] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard magazine praised Beyoncé's line adressing the elevator accident as a highlight of the remix.[92] Time reviewer Nolan Feeney deemed the remix a "feistier, more aggressive take" on the original, while also adding that it had a different message, "talk all you want, you'll never wake up like them".[93] A writer of Rap-Up magazine felt that Minaj delivered one of "her best verses yet".[94] Sasha Frere-Jones, a critic of The New Yorker felt that unlike the original version, the remix is "flawless... because it is conceptually coherent and ferocious, and neither performer makes a mistake", noting that Beyoncé outshined Minaj's performance.[82] He concluded his review by stating that "the synergy of the 'Flawless' remix hits a peak of cultural importance".[82] Time magazine writers ranked "Flawless" at number one on their year-end list of the ten best songs of 2014. The writers concluded, "In a year that saw a number of high-profile female pop collaborations, 'Flawless'... but what it lacked in radio domination it made up for with sheer star power."[95]

Live performances

[edit]

During the concert in Paris, France as part of the On the Run Tour on September 12 and 13, 2014, Minaj joined Beyoncé onstage to perform the remix of "Flawless" live.[96][97] Both singers were dressed in clothes designed by Versace's Versus.[98] Jocely Vena writing for Billboard described the performance as "[f]lawless indeed".[97] Lewis Corner in a review for the Digital Spy felt that Minaj "bolster[ed] its [the song's strong feminist message] weight with her tight rhymes".[99] During an interview with radio station SkyRock FM, Minaj revealed that she felt honored and emotional to perform together with Beyoncé and acknowledged that she was surprised by the positive reaction of the audience when she appeared.[100] A live video which was featured on the HBO special On the Run Tour: Beyoncé and Jay Z was released on Vevo on October 6, 2014.[101] Adam Fleischer of MTV News overally described the video as "flawless".[102] Dee Lockett of Slate considered the performance one of the better part of the show and felt the duo recreated the feminist moment Beyoncé had during the song at the VMAs.[103] Josiah Hughes from Exclaim! felt that "[t]hings get truly out of hand" when Minaj starts singing in the video.[104] Minaj also performed her verse of the song at the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival where she sang a cappella during the last part of it.[105]

Lil' Kim remix

[edit]

On August 4, 2014 rapper Lil' Kim posted a remix of the song. Her version was a diss track directed at Minaj for calling herself "queen of rap" in the original remix.[106] It contained the same lines by Beyoncé from the official remix and several of Minaj's verses.[107] The newly added verses were rapped by Kim immediately after Minaj's declarations, "Am I trippin' or did this ho just say my name? / Queen of rap, fuck outta here / Queen's back, fuck outta here / Time to get this rap bitch up outta here".[108][109] Her lyrics also included other negative comments about Minaj and was described as not safe for work.[108] A writer from BET compared Kim's contribution with the material from her album Hard Core (1996) noting multiple flow flips.[107] The remix was widely derided on social media, with "#LilKimGiveUp" becoming a trending topic on Twitter shortly following the remix's release.[110]

Personnel

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Credits adapted from Beyoncé's website.[16]

  • Beyoncé – vocals, production, vocal production
  • Hit-Boy – production
  • Rey Reel Music – co-production
  • Boots – additional production, additional arranging
  • Stuart White – recording, mixing
  • Jordan "DJ Swivel" Young – recording
  • Ramon Rivas – second engineering
  • Rob Suchecki – second engineering
  • Tyler Scott – assistant engineering
  • Tony Maserati – mixing
  • Justin Hergett – mix engineering
  • James Krausse – mix engineering
  • Derek Dixie – mix consultation
  • Tom Coyne – mastering
  • Aya Marrill – mastering

Charts

[edit]

Release history

[edit]
Country Date Format Label
United States August 12, 2014 Rhythmic contemporary radio[118]
(Nicki Minaj remix)
August 16, 2014 Urban contemporary radio[119]
(Nicki Minaj remix)
August 19, 2014 Rhythmic contemporary radio[120]
Italy October 10, 2014 Contemporary hit radio[121]
(Nicki Minaj remix) 		Sony Music Entertainment

References

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  1. ^ "Bow Down/I Been On". Beyonce.com. Parkwood Entertainment. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d Saad, Nardine (March 18, 2013). "Beyonce revisits Sasha Fierce in new track 'Bow Down / I Been On'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Payne, Chris (March 17, 2013). "Beyonce Drops New Hit Boy-Produced Track, 'Bow Down/I Been On'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d "New music: Beyoncé – Bow Down/I Been On". The Guardian. March 18, 2013. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  5. ^ Boone, John (March 18, 2013). "News/ Beyoncé's New Song "Bow Down / I Been On" Edited: Listen to Queen B Rap in This Fan-Made Version!". E! Online. NBCUniversal. Retrieved October , 2014. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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Further reading

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