Sorry (Beyoncé song)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"Sorry"
Lemonade
Written2015
ReleasedMay 3, 2016 (2016-05-03)
StudioThe Beehive (Los Angeles)
GenreElectro-R&B
Length3:52
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Beyoncé singles chronology
"Formation"
(2016)
"Sorry"
(2016)
"Hold Up"
(2016)
Music video
"Sorry" on
YouTube

"Sorry" is a song by American singer

Lemonade (2016). It was written and produced by Beyoncé, Diana Gordon, and MeLo-X, with Hit-Boy serving as a co-producer and Stuart White as an additional producer. Columbia Records serviced the song to radio stations as the album's second single on May 3, 2016. "Sorry" is an electro-R&B song with a thumping rhythm created by drum beats, synthesizers and bells
. The song's lyrics revolve around the protagonist dealing with the betrayal of a partner with another woman.

Due to the numerous allegations featured in the song, media linked it to the singer and her husband, Jay-Z. Upon the release of Lemonade, "Sorry" was deemed the "most unapologetic" song on the album; critics praised the "self-empowering attitude" adopted by the singer and praised its "catchy lines". "Sorry" debuted and peaked at number eleven on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling over three million copies in the country.

The song's

2018 Coachella festival and as part of the set list of her co-headlining tour with Jay Z, the On the Run II Tour
.

Background and recording

"Sorry" was written and produced by

mastering of "Sorry" was finished by Dave Kutch at two studios: The Mastering Palace NYC and Pacifique Recording Studios located in North Hollywood. Crissy Collins provides backing vocals throughout the song.[1]

Beyoncé first heard of MeLo-X after he had released an

Lemonade; two of the tracks he worked on, "Hold Up" and "Sorry" were included on its final track listing. During an interview with Pitchfork, he elaborated about his work on "Sorry", recalling that it was written in mid-2015.[2] While conceiving the track, MeLo-X tried to incorporate dancehall influences, something that was part of his culture as a Jamaican. He described the idea behind "Sorry" as "pretty simple": "It was just some cool keys, drum patterns, and we started putting down vocal ideas and lyric ideas".[2] Later, Hit-Boy contributed to the song, adding various sounds and layers. MeLo-X further pointed out that "Sorry" was a "vital point" on the record due to "all these different emotions and different sounds and different layers".[2] "Sorry" was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States on May 3, 2016 as the album's second single.[3] It was also serviced to contemporary hit radio stations in Italy and the United States on May 6 and May 10, 2016 respectively.[4][5]

Composition and lyrical analysis

"Sorry" is an up-tempo

IDFWU" (2014) by Big Sean and further found similar phrases.[13]

The song's lyrics revolve around the protagonist's cheating lover and her way of coping with the adultery. Following the release of Lemonade speculations arose about the singer's husband Jay-Z's alleged infidelity with a mistress referred to as "Becky". Jon Pareles in The New York Times pointed out that many of the accusations were "aimed specifically and recognizably" at him.[14] Similarly, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine noted the lines "Suck on my balls, I've had enough" were an "unmistakable hint" that the lyrics revolve around Jay Z."[15] Alexis Petridis from The Guardian also interpreted the lines as Beyoncé declaring she was prepared to abandon him and take their daughter along. He also found the lyrics "Big homie better grow up" as a reference of the self-given title by Jay-Z during his guest appearance on their past collaboration "Crazy in Love" (2003).[16] NME writer Larry Bartleet was of the opinion that the singer was "thrillingly honest sucker-punch" on the song's lyrics aimed at Jay-Z.[10] On the other hand, Lindsay Mannering from Bustle magazine felt that it was hard to determine whether the lyrics were inspired by the pair's private life due to the prominent usage of innuendos. However, she later clarified that although the song may not necessarily be autobiographical, "Beyonce has a tendency to reveal her truth through music... so it's possible that 'Sorry' references her emotions after Jay allegedly cheated on her".[17]

"Sorry" has been described as a defiant, spiteful song exemplified in the lyrics, "Looking at my watch, he shoulda been home".

good hair" and "Let's take a toast to the good life / Suicide before you see this tear fall down my eye".[11] Zevolli also opined that the song's second part is "by far one of the most surprising mood-swings on the record".[8]

Critical reception

"Sorry" was highly acclaimed by music critics. Corinne Heller of E! Online dubbed "Sorry" as the "most controversial song" on Lemonade due to the alleged infidelity and "Becky with the good hair" mistress discussed in the lyrics.[21] Amy Zimmerman, writing for The Daily Beast deemed "Sorry" by far the most iconic single and coined it as the song which "introduced the world to Jay Z's most infamous alleged mistress, 'Becky with the good hair'".[22] She also felt that the "incredibly shade-laden line" was similar to "Drake's iconic 'Courtney from Hooters on Peachtree' reference".[23] Spin journalist Greg Tate credited the line mentioning Becky for "breaking the Internet" and praised the fact that it was potent enough to promote the new material by the singer with "few dollops of viral poesy and self-inflicted gossip-mongering".[24] Comparing "Sorry" to Beyoncé's own "style-banger" "7/11", Jillian Mapes in a review for Pitchfork noted how "she turns his side-chicks into memes, which will inevitably become 'better call Becky with the good hair' sweatshirts that Beyoncé can sell for $60 a pop".[25] Vulture's Dee Lockett deemed the song to be a "surefire club" hit from the album with an "instant-quotable line".[26] Ray Rahman from Entertainment Weekly called it a "middle fingers up anthem" which was "sure to be sung by spurned lovers for as long as there are Beckys with good hair".[27] PopMatters writer Evan Sawdey opined that "the middle-finger anthem 'Sorry'... come[s] from a new place, one that is distinct, palpable, and yes, relatable".[28] NME writer Larry Bartleet wrote that the singer expresses a "sorry, not sorry" stance in the song and noted how in the lyrics "suck on my balls", "the sense of release is palpable".[10] Emily Blake from the website Mashable called the song "the fiercest kissoff we've seen from Bey so far".[29]

A

Idolator's Mike Wass who felt that the track felt "safe" and concluded, "It's a bouncy, infinitely-quotable bop with an infectious, radio-friendly chorus, but the lyrics let it down." However, Wass went on to write that it "makes up for [its lack in finesse] in bluster and called the Becky line "an overnight pop culture phenomenon".[13]

Recognition and accolades

Village Voice's Pazz & Jop mass critics poll of the year's best in music in 2016, "Sorry" was ranked at number 15.[40] Billboard ranked "Sorry" at number two on their "100 Best Pop Songs of 2016" list: "Between "Tell 'em boy bye" memes and the "Becky with the good hair" witchhunt, Beyonce's "Sorry" ignited more online chatter than most non-Trump political campaigns this year. But more importantly, Beyonce executes one miraculous vocal tonal shift after another on "Sorry," going from pissed-off exasperation to dignity at any cost ("Suicide before you see this tear"), to small-voiced vulnerability at the very end. On "Sorry," Beyonce proves your life doesn't have to be perfect for you to remain flawless."[41]

Commercial performance

After the release of Lemonade, "Sorry" managed to appear on several international music charts. It debuted on the US

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart at number 7, becoming Beyoncé's twenty-fifth top-ten single on the chart and climbed up to number four the following week.[42] According to streaming service Tidal, "Sorry" was streamed 14.2 million times in five days in the US.[42] As of September 2016, "Sorry" has sold 808,787 downloads in the United States.[45] The Recording Industry Association of America awarded the single a triple platinum certification for sales and streams of 3,000,000 units in the country.[46] In Canada, the song debuted and peaked at a position of 40 on the Canadian Hot 100 for the week ending of May 14, 2016.[47]

On the

ARIA Singles Chart on May 7, 2016.[50] On the component Urban Singles chart in the same country, the song attained a peak position of eight.[51] Elsewhere, it charted at number 62 in France and 82 in Ireland and Sweden.[52][53][54][55]

Music video

Development and synopsis

American tennis player Serena Williams makes a cameo appearance in the music video for "Sorry"

A

black and white and features a cameo appearance by tennis player Serena Williams. Williams was asked to keep her appearance secret prior to the release of the clip.[21] Beyoncé wanted to include her in the video due to the "personification of strength" she represented; she was approached by the director and Beyoncé who were both interested in her contribution to that particular song. While filming, Beyoncé told Williams "just be really free and just dance like nobody's looking and go all out".[57]

In the context of the album's main storyline which follows a woman dealing with her love interest's cheating affair, "Sorry" is placed in the middle, during the stage called "apathy"; the clips opens with that word written across the screen.[7] Beyoncé is then heard reciting a spoken-word poem about infidelity written by Warsan Shire over the slow melody of a jewelry box playing a theme from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake.[58][59] The poem included the lines "So what are you gonna say at my funeral, now that you've killed me?" and "Ashes to ashes, dust to side chicks", the latter text referencing verses from the Bible.[23][60]

As the song begins, the visual moves to scenes showing the singer with braided hair dancing along with women dressed in tribal costumes and with painted faces and bodies in a Southern mansion and a city bus emblazoned with the words "Boy Bye"; bopping and putting their middle fingers up is a part of their dance choreography in line with the song's lyrics.[61][62] Adelle Platon of Billboard noted that the dancers' body paint was inspired by Yoruba people.[63] The body painting was called "Sacred Art of the Ori" by Nigerian artist Laolu Senbanjo.[64] Chris Kelly from Fact pointed out how it served as "part of a web of connections between Beyoncé and her lover, Africa and America, pop music and classical".[65] Williams is also seen in numerous scenes moving around the mansion dressed in a black bodysuit and twerking next to Beyoncé who is sitting on a chair resembling a throne.[66][67] The final scenes see Beyoncé dancing on and in front of the bus, before she closes the clip singing the infamous line "He better call Becky with the good hair".[60]

Reception

Writing for Rolling Stone, Brittany Spanos summarized that Beyoncé and Williams "dance away heartbreak" in the "stark" clip.

Complex magazine felt the clip was a "tour-de-force of everything fans love about Bey".[61] Cosmopolitan's Gina Mei noted how the fact that Beyoncé was surrounded by "gorgeous, powerful, and independent women" throughout the video made it "a tour de force, and it's all kinds of empowering".[68] Similarly, Zimmer from The Daily Beast noted how the singer was accompanied by "crews of beautiful black women everywhere she goes" in the "good old-fashioned girls rule, boys drool banger".[23] Emily Blake from Mashable.com described the video as "the most epic, middle-finger filled girls-only party this great nation has seen".[29] Houston Chronicle journalist Andrea Waguespack described the visual as "[h]eavy with African influences" and its opening as "chilling".[58] Similarly, Alyssa Bailey in a review for Elle, called the opening monologue "chilling" and pointed out how it becomes "a mesmerizing dance number, flawlessly executed by Beyoncé" afterwards.[69] Carl Williott, writing for Idolator noted how the opening monologue and Williams's cameo were "intact" to the "kiss-off".[70] Alexis Rhiannon from Bustle praised the fact that Beyoncé decided to release "Sorry" as a standalone video in the same form as it appeared on Lemonade.[71] Sarah Murphy of Exclaim! called the clip "already-iconic" when it was released to Vevo.[19] Joi-Marie McKenzie from ABC News felt that Beyoncé was "having the time of her life" while dancing her worries away with the group of females.[72]

Vulture.com felt her dancing should be "marveled" at.[75] Carey O'Donnell from Paper magazine summarized the clip as a "raucous, fierce ladies night, featuring fellow icon Serena Williams, in all her twerking glory".[76] Sophie Hirsh from Mashable pointed out "Sorry" as an album highlight and praised the "endless fierceness" of Beyoncé and Williams.[77] Clash magazine's Shahzaib Hussain felt that the clip for "Sorry" appeared during the album's "feverish" moments. Hussain further summarized the clip as "Queen of the sporting world Serena Williams twerking up a storm while Beyoncé looks on like a Madam, proud of her creation".[32] The video was nominated for Best Choreography at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to "Formation".[78][79]

Live performances

Beyoncé performing "Sorry" as part of the 2016 Formation World Tour

"Sorry" was part of the

Marlins Park on April 27.[80] The song was performed second during the concerts and the singer appeared on stage alone for the beginning of the performance.[81] She was then joined by female back-up dancers who performed a choreography in line with the song's lyrics, which included putting their middle fingers up.[82][83] Dee Lockett, writing for Vulture, felt that the inclusion of "Formation" and "Sorry" as the first two songs on the concerts was a "no-brainer opening".[84] Michael Cerio of CBS classified the performance as "fiery".[82] The Sun Chronicle reviewer Lauren Carter chose the performance of "Sorry" as one of the show's highlights.[85] The Guardian writer Caroline Sullivan noted how during the performance of "the bitterest songs" of Lemonade, "Sorry" and "Don't Hurt Yourself", "she's a pillar of rage".[86]

In 2018, the singer performed the song as part of her headline show at

Jay Z. While singing the song, she repeatedly asks the females in the audience if they have "had enough".[88] Writing for The Guardian, Rachel Aroesti called it a "faintly chilling haka-style refrain".[89] According to Ed Masley of The Arizona Republic, the performance was a "suitably bitter rendition" with a "withering delivery of the final payoff, 'He better call Becky with the good hair'".[90] Metro Weekly's André Hereford noted that "Sorry" was the peak of a run of dance-heavy hits on the show.[91]

On May 2, 2016, Yuna covered the song during a concert at The Sinclair in Massachusetts.[92] French singer Christine and the Queens also performed the song on BBC's Radio 1's Live Lounge.[93]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Lemonade liner notes.[1]

Song credits

  • Diana "Wynter" Gordon, MeLo-X, Beyoncé Knowles
  • Production – MeLo-X, Knowles, Gordon,
  • Co-producer – Hit-Boy
  • Additional production – Stuart White
  • Vocal production – Beyoncé
  • Additional programming – B.Carr
  • Recording – Stuart White; The Beehive, Los Angeles, California
  • Second engineering – Ramon Rivas
  • Backing vocals – Crissy Collins
  • Audio mixing – Stuart White; Pacifique Recording Studios; North Hollywood, California
  • Mix engineering – Stuart White, John Cranfield (assistant)
  • Mastering
     – Dave Kutch; The Mastering Palace NYC, Pacifique Recording Studios, North Hollywood, California
Video credits
  • Director – Kahlil Joseph, Beyoncé Knowles Carter
  • Producer – Onye Anyanwu
  • Editor – Bill Yukich
  • Production designer – Hannah Beachler
  • Stylist – Marni Senofonte
  • Poetry film adaptation – Warsan Shire

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[105] Platinum 70,000
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[106] 3× Platinum 180,000
Canada (Music Canada)[107] Platinum 80,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[108] Gold 400,000
United States (RIAA)[46] 3× Platinum 3,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

"Sorry" release history
Region Date Format Label(s) Ref.
United States May 3, 2016 Rhythmic contemporary radio [3]
Italy May 6, 2016 Radio airplay Sony [4]
United States May 10, 2016 Contemporary hit radio
  • Parkwood
  • Columbia
[5]

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Further reading