Beat Goes On (Madonna song)

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"Beat Goes On"
Song by Madonna featuring Kanye West
from the album Hard Candy
Recorded2007
Studio
Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Audio video
"Beat Goes On (feat. Kanye West)" on
YouTube

"Beat Goes On" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter

hip-hop
influences, featuring instrumentation from bells, handclaps and whistles.

Lyrically, "Beat Goes On" encourages people to say whatever they like and do whatever they feel. The song received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who commended the disco environment, while also praising Williams' production. However, some felt that the leaked version was better than the final version featuring West. "Beat Goes On" was certified platinum in Brazil for selling over 60,000 digital downloads. It also charted inside the top-twenty in Finland and on the Canadian Hot 100 chart. The song was performed live during the Sticky & Sweet Tour, featuring Madonna and her dancers on a 1935 Auburn Speedster, while Williams and West appeared in the video being displayed on backdrops.

Background and composition

In early 2007, it was reported that Madonna was recording songs with American singer-songwriter

Idolator.[7] During the pre-chorus Madonna sings the line, "Always a bridesmaid, never the bride", followed by "I'll throw you some rope, if it'll give you hope."[6] In December 2007, it was announced that a new version of the song was being developed with American rapper Kanye West as featured guest.[8]

"Beat Goes On" was re-recorded in October 2007 by Spike Spent, Andrew Coleman and Alex Dromgoole at Sarm Studios, London, and at the Record Plant Studios, California. Spent and Coleman also mixed the track at the Record Plant. Williams' production team,

hip-hop influences,[10] drum beat and bell chimes,[14] as well as Williams' shimmering, thumping production, which according to Bradley Stern from Idolator, "offers Madonna the perfect groove to wax bombastic about the cathartic pleasures of dancing."[10] Lyrically, "Beat Goes On" is a song about the freedom to dance,[15] where people are urged to say whatever they like and do whatever they feel.[16]

Reception

Kanye West singing
Kanye West's appearance on the track was criticized.

"Beat Goes On" received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Caryn Ganz of Rolling Stone felt that the usage of bells and whistles as instrumentation, along with the disco sounds made the track connect to two of Madonna's inspirations, that of Chic, and Donna Summer. Ganz went on to criticize West's appearance, calling it "uninspired".[17] In a similar review, Thomas Hauner of PopMatters wrote that the song "continues the Donna Summer touch, this time opting for 'beep beep' vocals on a surprisingly sweet track."[18] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine praised the song's "flattering sonic facelift", feeling that it "transports [the track] from 2001 to 1979".[15] Talia Soghomolian of musicOMH praised "the variations in its tempo", making it "the perfect dance floor tune, merging old school and modern takes on urbanity."[19] Stern wrote a positive review for Idolator that "by the time West shows up unexpectedly for his rap at the end, you have no choice but to heed his call to get down, beep beep, and get up outta your seat."[10]

Miles Marshall Lewis of The Village Voice was not favourable to West's verses, calling them as "playfully tepid lines",[20] while a reviewer from Blender panned his contributions.[21] Jaime Gill of Yahoo! Music echoed the same thought, calling West's rap as "awful" and his addition to the track as redundant.[22] Joan Anderman of The Boston Globe was mixed in his review of the song, praising Madonna's endeavors in "Beat Goes On" while questioning West's appearance in it.[13] Conversely, Tony Robert Whyte of Drowned in Sound called him "a decent guest".[23] Allan Raible of ABC News summarized the track as a "standard disco number". He complimented Madonna's vocals but added that the song felt rejuvenated with the addition of West's vocals.[24]

"Beat Goes On" was certified platinum by the

Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos, for exceeding 60,000 digital downloads.[25] In Finland, the song debuted and peaked at number 15 in August 2009.[26] In Canada, the song also made its debut, peaking at number 82 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart.[27] In the US, the song made an entry on the Billboard Pop 100 (now discontinued) chart for a week, at number 97.[28]

Live performance

Speedster, during the performance of "Beat Goes On" on the Sticky & Sweet Tour

"Beat Goes On" was performed during the

River Plate Stadium of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was recorded and released on the live CD-DVD album, Sticky & Sweet Tour (2010).[33]

Personnel

Credits and personnel adapted from Hard Candy album liner notes.[9]

  • Madonna – songwriter, lead vocals, producer
  • Pharrell Williams – songwriter, background vocals, producer
  • Kanye West – songwriter, featured vocals
  • Chad Hugo – producer
  • Spike Spent – mixing, recording
  • Andrew Coleman – mixing, recording
  • Alex Dromgoole – recording

Charts and certifications

References

  1. ^ "Timberlake Gets With Madonna!". MTV News. April 11, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  2. ^ "Madonna aposta no hip hop e prepara fase "popozuda"". Folha de S.Paulo (in Portuguese). April 11, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  3. ^ Reid, Shaheem (August 7, 2007). "Timbaland Talks About His And Justin Timberlake's 'Hot' Collabo With Madonna". MTV News. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  4. ^ "Madonna and Pharrell Turn the Clock Back to 2005". New York. August 22, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  5. ^ "G1 < Música > Notícias > Nova música de Madonna vaza na internet" (in Portuguese). Grupo Globo. August 22, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  6. ^ a b Colin (August 22, 2007). "Madonna's New Song, "The Beat Goes On," Leaks!". NewNowNext. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  7. ^
    Idolator
    . Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  8. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (December 6, 2007). "Madonna Names New Album 'Licorice'". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  9. ^ a b Hard Candy (Inlay cover). Madonna. Warner Bros. Records. 2008. p. 14. 9362-49884-9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ a b c d Stern, Bradley (April 24, 2013). "Madonna's 'Hard Candy' Turns 5: Stan & Deliver". Idolator. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  11. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (April 24, 2008). "Madonna's Hard Candy Sets Sex, Relationships To Hip-Hop, Trip-Hop, Disco Beats". MTV News. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  12. ^ Nishimoto, Dan (April 27, 2008). "Album Review: Madonna – Hard Candy". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  13. ^
    Boston Globe
    . Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  14. ^ "Madonna - Hard Candy (album review)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  15. ^ a b Cinquemani, Sal (April 23, 2008). "Madonna: Hard Candy". Slant Magazine. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  16. Plugged In
    . Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  17. ^ Ganz, Caryn (April 2008). "Music Reviews: Hard Candy". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
  18. ^ Hauser, Thomas (June 10, 2008). "Madonna: Hard Candy < Reviews". PopMatters. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
  19. ^ Soghomonian, Talia (April 28, 2008). "Madonna — Hard Candy". musicOMH. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  20. ^ Marshall Lewis, Miles (May 6, 2008). "Madonna's Hard Candy". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  21. ^ "Madonna: Hard Candy Review on Blender". Blender. April 29, 2008. Archived from the original on May 1, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  22. ^ Gill, Jaime (May 2, 2008). "Madonna — Hard Candy Album Review". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on May 5, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  23. ^ Robert Whyte, Tony (April 28, 2008). "Reviews — Madonna: Hard Candy". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on June 4, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  24. ^ Raible, Allan (May 1, 2008). "Review: Madonna's "Hard Candy"". ABC News. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  25. ^ a b "Brazilian single certifications – Madonna – Beat Goes On" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  26. ^ a b "Madonna feat. Kanye West: Beat Goes On" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  27. ^ a b "Madonna Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  28. ^ a b "Hard Candy > Madonna > Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  29. ^ Pareles, Jon (October 5, 2008). "Aerobic, Not Erotic: The Concert as Workout". The New York Times. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
  30. ^ Liss, Sarah (October 20, 2008). "Live review: Madonna feels it in her heartbeat". CBC News. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  31. Consequence of Sound
    . Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  32. ^ Schrodt, Paul (October 29, 2008). "Madonna (Chicago, IL – October 27, 2008)". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  33. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (April 6, 2010). "The Sticky & Sweet Tour". AllMusic. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  34. ^ "Greece Digital Songs: Week of October 18, 2008". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  35. ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Weekly Chart: Jul 2, 2009". TopHit. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  36. ^ "M – My Vitriol". Zobbel.de. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  37. Tophit. Archived
    from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  38. ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Annual Chart: 2009". TopHit. Retrieved April 22, 2024.

External links