Sorry (Beyoncé song)
"Sorry" is a song by American singer Beyoncé from her sixth studio album, 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.
"Sorry"
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 music video is part of a one-hour film with the same title as its parent album, Lemonade, which originally aired on HBO on April 23, 2016. It was later released to Vevo on June 22, 2016 as the first standalone clip from the album. It features a spoken word poetry by Somali-English poet Warsan Shire, Beyoncé dancing along with a group of female dancers with painted bodies and a cameo appearance by tennis player Serena Williams. Beyoncé performed "Sorry" live during The Formation World Tour (2016), at the 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[edit]
"Sorry" was written and produced by Diana Gordon, MeLo-X, and Beyoncé.[1] Hit-Boy served as the track's co-producer, Stuart White handled the additional production and Beyoncé was responsible for the vocal production. It was recorded with the guidance of Stuart White at the Beehive Studios in Los Angeles. White also handled the song's audio mixing and mix engineering. The 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 EP titled Yoncé-X (2014) consisting of unauthorized remixes of songs from her fifth self-titled studio album. She invited him to collaborate on various projects, including On the Run, her co-headliner tour with Jay-Z.[2] The following year, MeLo-X was invited to work with the singer during the sessions for her sixth studio album, 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[edit]
"Sorry" is an up-tempo electro-R&B track with a thumping and bleeping beat.[6][7] Drowned in Sound writer Giuseppe Zevolli called it an emulation of early 2000s R&B.[8] The 405's Samantha O'Connor described it as an "electro-infused" track.[9] It is instrumentally complete with shattering drum beats, synthesizers and bells, the latter instruments prominent throughout the chorus.[8][10][11] The Atlantic writer Spencer Kornhaber likened the electronic layers of "Sorry" to the 2015 eponymous song by Justin Bieber. He further found its chorus similar to Top 40 music, but with a "glassy-eyed distance to the song, a purposeful malaise".[12] Mike Wass of the website Idolator felt that "Sorry" was intended as a female response to "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".[18] The song opens with the lyrics of the hook "Sorry, I ain't sorry", with the protagonist seemingly apologizing for something, but as it turns out later, she adopts an unapologetic stance realizing she was the victim.[17] It features the lyrics "Boy bye" and urges listeners to put their middle fingers up; the singer finds personal empowerment in those lines.[19] The protagonist talk-sings the lines "Today I regret the night I put that ring on" in which she expresses regret over the decision of marrying her husband.[9][14] She also tells her love interest that she wrote a "Dear John-type letter" for him. During one part, she sings about putting her deuces up which clarifies that she is over the relationship.[20] Andre Grant of HipHopDX noted how the song was a proof of the fast-shifting emotions the protagonist feels throughout "Sorry" as seen in the lines "I ain't sorry / Boy, bye", "He only want me when I'm not there / He better call Becky with the 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]
Commercial performance[edit]
After the release of Lemonade, "Sorry" managed to appear on several international music charts. It debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 11 on May 2, 2016, becoming Beyoncé's second best debut on the chart above her singles "Ring the Alarm" (2006) and "Drunk in Love" (2013). It was only surpassed by "Formation", which entered the chart at number 10 in the same week.[42] In its second week, the song held its peak position, being the only track of the album to do so.[43][44] "Sorry" also entered on the 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 UK Singles Chart, "Sorry" debuted at number 33 on May 5, 2016. The following week, it remained in the same position and then moved to the position of 99, before falling off on May 19, 2016 after three consecutive weeks of charting.[48] On the UK R&B Singles chart it peaked at number nine in its second week of charting.[49] In Australia, the single peaked at number 74 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]