Irreplaceable
"Irreplaceable" is a song by American singer Beyoncé for her second studio album, B'Day (2006). The song was written by Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Espen Lind, Amund Bjørklund, Beyoncé and produced by Stargate and Beyoncé. "Irreplaceable" was originally a country record; it was re-arranged as a mid-tempo ballad with pop and R&B influences by modifying the vocal arrangements and instrumentation. During the production and recording sessions, Beyoncé and Ne-Yo wanted to create a record which people of either gender could relate to. The song's lyrics are about the breakdown of a relationship with an unfaithful man and the song contains a message about female empowerment.
For other uses, see Irreplaceable (disambiguation)."Irreplaceable"
Following the moderate chart performances of "Déjà Vu" and "Ring the Alarm", "Irreplaceable" was released internationally on October 23, 2006, as the album's second single, and the third in the United States on December 5, 2006. The single was released through Columbia Records. Pitchfork Media and Rolling Stone placed it on their lists of Best Songs of the 2000s. "Irreplaceable" won several awards, including Best R&B/Soul Single at the 2007 Soul Train Music Awards. It was nominated for the Record of the Year award at the 50th Grammy Awards.
The single became Beyoncé's fourth number-one in the U.S., was B'Day's most successful release, and remained at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for 10 consecutive weeks. "Irreplaceable" was the twenty-fifth most successful song of the 2000s (decade) in the U.S., and was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It became Beyoncé's second single to achieve 200 million audience impressions in 2006. She is the second singer to achieve this feat in the U.S., the first having been Mariah Carey in 2005. "Irreplaceable" also peaked at number one in Australia, Hungary, Ireland, and New Zealand, at number four in the United Kingdom, and reached the top ten in several other European countries. "Irreplaceable" was the most successful song of 2007 in the US and 2007's tenth best-selling digital single with over 4.6 million copies sold worldwide.[1] It also was the most downloaded female ringtone of the 2000s decade in the US.
The single's accompanying music video was directed by Anthony Mandler and served as the debut performance of Beyoncé's all-female band, Suga Mama. The video was included on the 2007 B'Day Anthology Video Album, and a video edit was produced for "Irreemplazable", the Spanish version of the song. It won the Video of the Year award at the 2007 Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards, and was nominated for the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year at the 2007 Awards. "Irreplaceable" has regularly featured in Beyoncé's tours and live performances since 2006. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) recognized the song as one of the most performed of 2007 at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards.
Composition[edit]
"Irreplaceable" is a mid-tempo ballad with pop and R&B influences.[14] Written in the key of B♭ major,[15] the beat is set in common time and moves at a moderate 88 beats per minute.[15] Beyoncé's vocal range in the song spans nearly two and a half octaves, from B♭2 to E♭5.[15] While most of the songs on the album are aggressive and uptempo, her voice on "Irreplaceable" is toned down.[16] "Irreplaceable" uses a gently strummed acoustic guitar,[17] following the B♭5–F5–Cm7–E♭6/9 chord series.[15] Hermansen and Eriksen combined the classic chord progression on an acoustic guitar, a modern-sounding 808 drum beat and cellos.[2] Al Shipley of Stylus Magazine noted that the guitar strum can be found in Rihanna's 2007 single "Hate That I Love You", a song co-produced by Stargate and Ne-Yo.[18] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone wrote that Chris Brown's 2007 single "With You", another Stargate-produced song, also features the same element.[19] He wrote, "'With You' is the convincer, even if you can instantly tell that producer Stargate was just trying to roll out 'Irreplaceable' one more time."[19] while Billboard magazine wrote that it "leans a bit too heavily" to the song.[20]
Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that "Irreplaceable" resembles ballads sung by Whitney Houston.[21] Spence D. of IGN wrote that the song was inspired by Aretha Franklin's work since "Irreplaceable" consists of several variations in gutturals and octave range.[16] The lyrics of "Irreplaceable" concern the breakdown of a woman's relationship with her boyfriend after she discovers his infidelity, and the song "sounds a lot like a statement of independence".[17] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe wrote, "With a heretofore unknown grasp of nuance, Beyonce combines heartache, bravado, and anger as she tells a cad he's far from irreplaceable—and that, in fact, her new man will be arriving momentarily."[22] Hermansen said that "Irreplaceable" is a song that "people from all walks of life can enjoy".[2] Beyoncé said that the song is "a little honest",[23] and, "... basically we can't forget our power and our worth. And sometimes you're so in love, you forget that. And sometimes you feel like you're not being appreciated. And sometimes they forget that they can be replaced."[23]
The song's lyrics are constructed in the verse-pre-chorus-chorus form.[15] It begins with guitar strumming, and Beyoncé sings the hook-intro, "To the left, to the left: everything you own in a box to the left".[17][24] In bar seven, she sings the first verse, arguing with her boyfriend about the indifference of their relationship, and tells him to walk away. The pre-chorus and chorus follow, "You must not know 'bout me ... I can have another you by tomorrow / I could have another you in a minute ... Don't you ever for a second get to thinking / You're irreplaceable". In the second verse, Beyoncé recollects the moment she discovered her boyfriend's infidelity. The same pattern leads to the second chorus. Towards the end, Beyoncé sings the bridge, where she tells her lover, "Replacing you is so easy". The song closes with an ad-libbed chorus.[17] The Boston Globe noted that Beyoncé sings some parts of it in a higher register "that complements the lyrics' wounded sensibility".[22]
Release[edit]
During the production of "Irreplaceable", Hermansen thought that the track would not receive radio play because of the acoustic guitars, and deemed the song too pop-oriented. Hermansen did not expect "Irreplaceable" to conform to any genre. Despite his prediction, the song became successful on urban charts. It was played in New York and on country radio stations. Shortly after the release of "Irreplaceable", Beyoncé told MTV: "I love 'Irreplaceable'. I think it's important to have those songs. I've had so many people come up to me in tears, saying, 'I experienced my first breakup. If it wasn't for the song, I wouldn't be strong enough to not call. I wouldn't know how much I'm worth.' I'm happy to be a part of that."[2]
"Irreplaceable" was released in the United Kingdom on October 23, 2006, as the second single there.[25] In the US, "Irreplaceable" was the third single from B'Day', and followed "Ring the Alarm".[2] The single was released on December 5, 2006, and featured the album and instrumental versions of the track.[26] "Irreplaceable" was the second single released from B'Day in international markets on Columbia Records. Two versions of the single were released in the UK on October 26, 2006. A CD single, which featured the album version of "Irreplaceable", and the Freemasons club mix radio edit of "Ring the Alarm", was released. An enhanced CD, which included the album version, three remixes of "Ring the Alarm", and the "Ring the Alarm" music video, was also released.[27] A 12-inch single was released in the UK the following week.[27] In Australia, a maxi single, which featured the album version and two remixes of "Déjà Vu", was released on December 5, 2006.[28] A Maurice Joshua remix edit of the song was released in Australia two weeks later.[29]
Beyoncé recorded a Spanish version of the song, called "Irreemplazable", with additional lyrical contributions from Rudy Pérez and was included on the second disc of the deluxe edition of B'Day released on June 12, 2007.[30][31] An Irreemplazable EP was released in the US on August 28, 2007,[32] and on September 10, 2007, in the UK.[33] The EP includes "Irreemplazable", the Norteña Remix of "Irreplaceable", "Amor Gitano", three versions of "Beautiful Liar", the Timbaland remix of "Get Me Bodied" featuring Voltio, and "Oye", the Spanish version of "Listen".[32][33]
As a fundraiser for the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, a compilation album that included "Irreplaceable", called Songs for Japan, was released on March 25, 2011.[34]
Commercial performance[edit]
"Irreplaceable" entered various charts worldwide, and became the most successful single released from B'Day. The single debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart on November 4, 2006, at number eighty-seven.[51] It climbed the charts rapidly because of its radio airplay, and it was the "Greatest Airplay Gainer" for six consecutive weeks by early December 2006.[52][53] Three weeks after the release of "Irreplaceable", B'Day re-entered the top ten on the US Billboard 200.[2] "Irreplaceable" reached number one on December 16, becoming Beyoncé's fourth number one single as a solo artist,[54] and her second in 2006, following "Check on It" (2005). The single spent 10 consecutive weeks at number one[52] and was replaced by Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right" (2006) on February 24, 2007.[55] "Irreplaceable" outperformed "Baby Boy"'s nine weeks at number one. Beyoncé's former group Destiny's Child's single "Independent Women Part I" (2000) remained at number one for eleven weeks in late 2000 and early 2001.[55] "Irreplaceable" remained on the chart for thirty weeks, and as of December 2017, and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[56] It was additionally certified triple platinum in July 2007, denoting sales of three million master ringtones.[57] "Irreplaceable" peaked atop the US Radio Songs, staying atop the chart for eleven consecutive weeks.[58]
According to Mediabase, "Irreplaceable" passed the two hundred million audience impressions mark on December 11, 2006.[59] Another Beyoncé's single "Check on It" previously passed this mark on January 31, 2006.[59] Consequently, Beyoncé became the second singer to achieve this in the United States, the first having been Mariah Carey whose two singles, "We Belong Together" (2005) and "Shake It Off" (2005), passed the same audience impressions mark in 2005.[59] "Irreplaceable" was the best-performing single in the United States of 2007, topping the Billboard Top Hot 100 Hits.[60][61] "Irreplaceable" installed Beyoncé at third place for most number one singles by a female songwriter, overtaking Janet Jackson and Carole King and tying Diane Warren for nine number-one singles. Beyoncé received three songwriting credits in one year, the only woman to achieve this since King in 1971 and Carey in 1991.[62] In February 2010, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) listed "Irreplaceable" as the highest certified master ringtone by a female solo artist of the 2000s.[63] By August 2011, the single had sold over three million digital downloads in the United States.[64][65] Spanish version of the song "Irreemplazable" charted equally well, peaking at number four on the Hot Latin Songs.[65] The extended play (EP) of the same title appeared on the US Latin Pop Albums at number two, Top Latin Albums at number three, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums at number forty-one and on the Billboard 200 at number one-hundred-and-five.[66][67]
"Irreplaceable" debuted at number eight on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, and peaked at number one, staying atop the chart for three consecutive weeks, becoming Beyoncé's first and so far only number-one single in Australia. It was certified six-times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of 420,000 copies.[68] "Irreplaceable" appeared twice on the ARIA year-end charts, reaching number twenty-three in 2006,[69] and number forty-two in 2007.[70] "Irreplaceable" debuted at number three on the New Zealand Singles Chart on November 6, 2006, the song's highest debut on any chart. It peaked at number one, and remained on the chart for eighteen weeks.[71] It was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ).[72] "Irreplaceable" peaked atop the charts in Hungary and Ireland, as well; it also entered the top ten in Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Slovakia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Venezuela. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart, spending twelve weeks in the top twenty and twenty-five weeks on the chart in total. It was Beyoncé's fifth longest-charting single in the United Kingdom, and spent more weeks on the chart than her number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Déjà Vu" but slightly less than more recent hit singles "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Halo" and "Sweet Dreams".[73] Due to Beyoncé's performance of "Irreplaceable" at the Glastonbury Festival 2011 on June 26, 2011, the song re-entered the top forty of the UK Singles Chart at number thirty-three, and the live version appeared at number twenty-six on the UK Singles Chart Update.[74][75] According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), "Irreplaceable" was 2007's tenth best-selling digital single with over 4.6 million copies sold worldwide;[1]
Cover versions and usage in media[edit]
American band Sleigh Bells recorded an acoustic cover of the song during their Maida Vale sessions and released it Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show on March 6, 2012.[98][99] A writer of Billboard magazine commented that their cover was "ethereal".[99] Ray Rahman of Entertainment Weekly described the cover as "really good!... Krauss also has a teen-pop background thanks to her Rubyblue days, so it's actually not that surprising that she can find her away around a Top 40 single so well."[100] However, Maura Johnston of The Village Voice gave a negative review for the cover, saying: "Krauss sighs her way through the song, turning her voice into a mew that sounds like she was trying to sing along with the radio while not being heard by her roommates or anyone else outside of a six-inch radius... Also, some of the guitar chords are a bit off.... it's sorta disappointing."[101]
In 2007, Gregory and the Hawk[102] and Taylor Swift each covered the song.[103] US country band Sugarland, who performed some of Beyoncé's songs during their live shows, performed a country version of "Irreplaceable" with Beyoncé at the 2007 American Music Awards, held on November 18.[104][105] Kate Nash covered "Irreplaceable" in January 2008.[106] In November 2009, Damon Thomas of The Underdogs sang the song.[107] Kidz Bop covered "Irreplaceable" on their eleventh studio album Kidz Bop 11 (2007).[108] A group named Faith, consisting of Michelle Delamor, Ashley Rodriguez and Charity Vance, sang "Irreplaceable" on the 'group night' episode of ninth season of American Idol on February 10, 2010,[109] In 2011, Canadian singer Maria Aragon,[110] and South Korean singer G.NA, covered the song.[111] Andy Grammer performed "Irreplaceable" on the radio station The Mix Lounge 104.1 and posted the video of his performance on his YouTube page in June 2011.[112] During the finale of the tenth season of American Idol on May 25, 2011, the lady contestants joined together onstage to perform "Irreplaceable" along with a medley of Beyoncé's other singles.[113] On August 26, 2013, singer Barry Southgate covered the song during the fifth season of The X Factor Australia.[114] Giles Hardie of The Sydney Morning Herald rated his performance eight out of ten and wrote it was "a very clever song choice".[114] In September 2013, Lily Allen covered "Irreplaceable" at a celebration party in Italy,[115] and on June 30, 2014, Anja Nissen covered the song on the third series of The Voice Australia.[116] In May 2007, "Irreplaceable" was used in the final scene of "When the Chickens Come Home to Roost", the final episode of the first season of the television series The Game.[117] The series also used the song in the opening moments of its premiere episode for the second season.[118] In 2017, Woman2Woman group from Cape Town, South Africa, did a parody on the breakfast show Expresso. Felicity Kiran, Anray Amansure and Lauren-Lee Bock originally did it as promotional video. It went viral with around 40 million views worldwide.[119]