Schoolin' Life
"Schoolin' Life" | |
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MSR Studios (New York City) | |
Genre | |
Length | 4:53 |
Los Da Mystro |
"Schoolin' Life" is a song that was recorded by American singer
Lyrically, the song features Knowles schooling everyone from their 20s to their 50s. She gets feisty as she reflects on lessons she learned in her own life and affirms that she hasn't certified as a teacher, a preacher or a doctor, but is willing to perform their various duties regardless. "Schoolin' Life" was well received by contemporary music critics, who noted its aural resemblance to
Production and mixing
"Schoolin' Life" was written by Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash, Shea Taylor, and Carlos McKinney. Production was handled by Knowles, The-Dream, and Los Da Mystro.[1] It was made available on the deluxe edition of 4, which was sold exclusively at Target[2] until that edition was released to iTunes Stores on January 2, 2012.[3] The deluxe edition consists of an additional two deluxe only tracks, "Dance for You" and "Lay Up Under Me" and three remixes of "Run the World (Girls)" (2011).[2] Jordan Young aka DJ Swivel mixed the song at New York's Jungle City Studios.[4] Describing "Schoolin' Life" as his favorite track on the album, Swivel told Sound on Sound that he was adamant about mixing the song:
I spent a lot of time after [Knowles] left the studio tightening up the rough. In fact, I'm sure she let me mix it just because I loved the track so much! I mixed this in the fantastic penthouse room in Jungle City. This record was, of course, about the vocals — but a lot of it was about the production elements too. Everything had to be audible; there's some interesting percussion, and the hook had to feel nice and big.[4]
Around 100
After completing the lead vocals, Swivel decided to rework the 1980s sound on the snares as they were originally very tight. He therefore added a gated reverb for the snap sound which was long and drawn‑out snap sound. He also subbed in an additional kick underneath to add some real oomph to the bottom. Owing to the work Swivel had accomplished during production, the final mix took only a few hours. He said: "There were a lot of tracks, but I just enjoyed it, to be honest. I knew how I wanted it to sound, and it was pretty much the last song we cut; a lot of the mixing was nailed in the production as well, which helped. Dream did a great job producing this track."[4] The bar one guitar track of "Schoolin' Life" was entirely programmed. Similarly, the live drum section in the hook was actually done with programmed drums. Once the mixing was over, Swivel's impression were as follows:
['Schoolin' Life] absolutely had to have its own space. There are percussion elements and a few random sounds in there too, plus the nice guitar track, but certainly the main challenge was for all of these tracks to be well balanced and individually audible. It really is very easy to overlook something like that, which can potentially completely change the sound of a record.[4]
Composition and lyrical interpretation
"Schoolin' Life" is an
In the chorus, Knowles gives listeners a flashback to her friskier days[16] and admits that she is certified neither as a teacher, a preacher nor a doctor, but is willing to perform their various duties regardless.[6] She also sings, "I'm great at writing physical love letters", and "I'm a freak, all day all night".[6] After asking, "Who needs a degree when you're schoolin' life?",[17] Knowles echoes, "Oh oh oh oh oh oh woah oh oh".[10] In the second verse, she continues to sing about the ins and outs of life to the "pretty somethings", "sexy somethings", "bitter somethings", and "little somethings":[13] "Living in a fastlane, see you when you crash babe", "That body ain’t always gonna get you out of everything", and "Stop living in regret, it’s not over yet".[13][14] In the bridge, she commands, "Make your life what you decide / Baby, party till the fire marshal shuts this sucker down".[6][13] The song ends with Knowles giving one her final lessons, "Don’t stop running until it’s finished — it’s up to you, the rest is unwritten".[13]
Critical reception
"Schoolin' Life" received positive reviews. Jamie Peck of MTV described "Schoolin' Life" as "[a] feisty lesson in fun... It's the perfect soundtrack for dancing on a fire escape or... playing in a busted open fire hydrant... Whatever, it's hot!".
'I Miss You' and bonus track 'Schoolin' Life' both showcase opposite sides of that magnificent decade's musical spectrum. The former is a stripped down track carried mostly by a hollow beat and dismal synthesizers, allowing Knowles and her morosely beautiful voice center stage ... The latter picks up the pace, peppered liberally with old-school horns and crashes. Knowles details her experiences growing up, but parallels can be drawn to the maturation she's going through on this very album. More than any song, 'Schoolin' Life' literally oozes confidence, providing an endearing edge to an already catchy track.[11]
Becky Bain of
Recognition
The Guardian's critic Tom Ewing ranked "Schoolin' Life" at number nine on his list of The 10 Best Tracks of 2011.[19] Priya Elan of NME placed the song at number five on her list of the 10 Best Pop Songs Of The Year, writing that it is the "most excellent, time-defying look at Beyonce's life so far".[20] He added that if viewed from a stylistic perspective, "Schoolin' Life" may not have fit with 4 mature tone, but as a stand-alone track "it was one of the most fun of the year".[20] The staff members of the website Popdust ranked "Schoolin' Life" as the 87th best song of 2011, commending Knowles for having pastiched it together "from decades-musty synths and rip-roar over it until it sounds completely current with a wink and a smirk."[21]
Live performances
In May 2012, Knowles performed "Schoolin Life" during her
Chart performance
For the week ending July 30, 2011, "Schoolin' Life" debuted at number 155 on the
Chart (2011) | Peak position |
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South Korea Gaon International Chart[26]
|
155 |
References
- Beyoncé Knowles. Columbia Records. 2011.)
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link - ^ a b "4 (Deluxe Edition) – 2 Discs". Target Corporation. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
- Apple Inc. Archivedfrom the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "DJ Swivel: Recording Beyoncé's 4". Sound on Sound. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
- ^ a b c Hamilton, Casey (June 23, 2011). "Beyonce Surprises on 'Schoolin' Life'". Gather.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
- ^ MTV Networks. Archivedfrom the original on June 25, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
- ^ a b c "New Music: Beyoncé – 'Schoolin' Life'". Rap-Up. Devin Lazerine. June 22, 2011. Archived from the original on December 8, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
- ^ a b c S. Reid, Tyrone (June 27, 2011). "Music Review: Beyoncé - 4". Blogcritics. Technorati, Inc. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
- ^ a b Koren, Daniel (June 24, 2011). "REC'D: Beyonce – 'Schoolin' Life' (Prod. by The-Dream)". Pretty Much Amazing. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
- ^ a b c Maher, Cristin (June 25, 2011). "Album Review: Beyoncé - 4". PopCrush. Archived from the original on November 4, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
- ^ Buzz Media. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
- ^ a b Cooper, Duncan (June 23, 2011). "Stream: Beyonce, 'Schoolin Life' (Produced by The-Dream)". The Fader. Archived from the original on January 29, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
- ^ Idolator. Buzz Media. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Cheesman, Danielle (June 27, 2011). "Why Buying The Deluxe Edition Of Beyonce's '4' Album Is Worth It". MSN Music. MSN. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
- ^ Natasha (June 22, 2011). "Do We Love It?: Beyonce's Bonus Track 'Schoolin' Life'". Theybf.com. Archived from the original on December 13, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
- ^ Ramirez, Erika (June 22, 2011). "Beyonce Gets Frisky on 'Schoolin' Life': Listen". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
- ^ Pitchfork Media. Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
- ^ Mitchell, John (August 30, 2011). "Beyonce's Album Sees Sales Surge After VMA Performance Of 'Love On Top'". MTV. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on December 13, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
- ^ "Best albums of 2011: how Guardian critics voted". The Guardian. London. December 16, 2011. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
- ^ IPC Media. Archivedfrom the original on January 9, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
- ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2011 (Part 1)". Popdust. Popdust Inc. December 15, 2011. Archived from the original on January 5, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
- ^ Johnston, Maura (May 27, 2012). "Live: Beyoncé Brings The House Down At Atlantic City's Newest Casino". The Village Voice. Village Voice Media. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
- ^ "Beyoncé Performs 'Schoolin' Life' for 'Life Is But a Dream'". Rap-Up. Devin Lazerine. November 25, 2013. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
- ^ "Watch: Beyonce's 'Schoolin' Life' Performance In Atlantic City From Her 'Life Is But A Dream' DVD". Vibe. Vibe Media. November 25, 2013. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
- ^ Finn, Natalie (November 22, 2013). "Beyoncé's Life Is But a Dream: Watch Her Tear It Up Onstage in Exclusive DVD Sneak Peek!". E! News. NBCUniversal. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
- ^ Gaon Chart. Archived from the originalon August 25, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2011.