Readers’ Poll: The 10 Best Beyonce Songs
Beyoncé has released a strong string of solo singles since she launched her solo career in the early 2000s. As she's grown more famous, the cultural potency of her songs have become more powerful. "Formation" and the release of her surprise, self-titled album a few years back are perfect examples of the ways the diva can turn her music into cultural moments. In honor of her latest milestone, we asked our readers to vote for their favorite Beyoncé solo songs. Here are the results.
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“Baby Boy”
Beyoncé's foray into reggae and dancehall was a successful one for the singer as she collaborated with Sean Paul for a sexy, fun dance song. The R&B singer and reggae artist's styles playfully intertwine for a track that sounds as hypnotic as the fantasies she describes throughout the verses.
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“Partition”
Beyoncé's "Partition" is one of the singer's least coy songs about having sex. On the single, she's blunt and aggressive above a throbbing bass line. Later in the song, she samples the French translation of a scene from The Big Lebowski that addresses a misconception about feminists hating sex.
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“XO”
Amid the edgier sounds of her surprise fifth LP, titled Beyoncé, "XO" was the purest pop track on the entire album. Above a glitchy synth beat, the singer used a controversial sample of audio recorded during the space shuttle Challenger disaster before singing a song about the loss of a loved one. The song's melancholy message is lightened profusely by the bright sound of the song and was the most clearly radio-friendly hit from a largely risky album.
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“Sweet Dreams”
The gritty, futuristic beat of "Sweet Dreams" is one of Beyoncé's finest moments as Sasha Fierce. The urgent, electropop groove works well with the more delicate vocal delivery she harnesses for the 2009 single. Still holding on to the funky R&B of her past, the more straightforward pop of "Sweet Dreams" (along with its more electronic elements) was a perfect preview of the sonic experimentation she explored on her next album, 4.
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“Irreplaceable”
A break-up diss record has never been as infectiously catchy as Beyoncé's sweetly searing "Irreplaceable." Above the strums of an acoustic guitar, she carefully instructs her cheating, deadbeat boyfriend to move all his things "to the left, to the left." To add salt to her ex's wound, she even promises that his replacement is on his way as they speak.
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“If I Were a Boy”
The emotional ballad "If I Were a Boy" challenged relationship gender roles and gave an intimate look at the pain of a tense relationship where trust is quickly dissolving. At the time, it was one of Beyoncé's most vulnerable singles yet, made more powerful by the emotional intensity of her vocal performance.
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“Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Of all the anthems the pop star has made about independence and female power, "Single Ladies" is the most iconic. The dance-y track is as catchy as it is feisty and came equipped with "one of the best videos of all time" — according to Kanye West when he protested Taylor Swift's win over Beyoncé for Best Female Video at the 2009 VMAs.
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“Halo”
Beyoncé has always been a strong balladeer, but "Halo" may just be her finest yet. With her soaring voice and the lilting piano, the song sounds as heavenly as the love she describes in the track co-penned by OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder.
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“Crazy in Love”
The opening horn hook of "Crazy in Love" may be the most instantly recognizable moment of any Beyoncé song. The song itself — one of her first collaborations with husband Jay Z — helped propel the singer into solo stardom, helping efficiently launch her career outside of Destiny's Child. Since its 2003 release, the single has become one of the best-selling songs of all time and garnered two Grammy Awards. Most recently, Bey reinvented the track for 50 Shades of Grey and teased its horn hook during a walk-off with Bruno Mars during the Super Bowl 50 halftime show.
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“Love on Top”
Beyoncé's seamless fusion of modern R&B with motown breeziness and gospel-like runs is what makes "Love on Top" one of the most fun showcases of her talent and pop sensibilities. The beat plays out like an Eighties Janet Jackson B-side, but it is Beyoncé's key changes that elevate the track from simple pop hit to a near-perfect throwback love song that soundtracked her big pregnancy reveal at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.