TRACK 9
Countdown by Beyonce
It's hard to believe that Beyonce managed to come out with an unbelievable string of great videos this year in the midst of her pregnancy. While the general public might not have received Run The World as well as her or her label had hoped, the critics ate every last piece of her album up.
The album was definitely a grower for me. At the time of its release, I was searching for disposable electronic dance music in the vein of Rihanna's Only Girl (In The World). At the same time, I was excited for a Sleigh Bells-injected, Diplo-assisted Beyonce. Unfortunately, I got neither from this album and it stunted it a bit for me at first. But this song was too much of a gem for me to ignore, even upon the first few listens.
Without a doubt, my favorite 1-2 jab of the album comes with
Countdown and
End of Time, two fantastic songs with what feels like a smooth transition. But really, on an album that sees Beyonce trying a different approach (still with plenty of signature Beyonce sound) to pop music, Countdown takes the cake.
It flirts on the border between dance song and some type of sped-up slow love song (whatever that may mean). I'm not really sure what to do with it. I've read reviews that claim it's a dance smash, but I don't really see how. I've certainly never been inclined to dance around it. Nevertheless, I eventually decided to let the song be whatever it is, which seems to change based on my own mood.
Regardless, it highlights everything that's great about Beyonce. While her vocals are sometimes a bit too much for me, she's always much more talented in that she stops short of Christina pop runs. Throw in the great video, and you have one of my favorite songs of the year.