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"Sorry" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her sixth studio album Lemonade (2016). It was written and produced by Wynter Gordon, Sean "Melo-X" Rhoden and Beyoncé. Columbia Records serviced it to radio stations as the album's second single on May 3, 2016. "Sorry" is an electropop song with a thumping rhythm created by drum beats, synthesizers and bells. The song's lyrics revolve around the protagonist dealing with betrayal of a companion with a woman. Due to the numerous allegations featured in the song, media linked its subject matter to the singer and her spouse, Jay Z.
Music critics mostly praised its lyrics and anthemic nature, deeming it an album standout. The "Becky with the good hair" line was met with speculations about the identity behind the mentioned mistress, therefore promoting Lemonade. It debuted at number eleven on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and became Beyoncé's second highest career debut on that chart.
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. Critics emphasized Williams's dancing as its highlight. Beyoncé performed "Sorry" live during The Formation World Tour (2016).
Background and recording
"Sorry" was written and produced by Wynter Gordon, Sean "Melo-X" Rhoden and Beyoncé. 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 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 Holywood. Chrissy Collins provides backing vocals throughout the song.
Beyoncé first heard of "Melo-X" after he had released an EP titled Yoncé-X (2014) consisting of remixes of songs from her fifth self-titled studio album. That same year, he collaborated with her on various projects, including On the Run, her co-joint tour with Jay Z. 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 Media, he elaborated about his work on "Sorry", recalling that it was written in the summer of 2015. 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". 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". "Sorry" was sent to rhythmic adult contemporary radio in the US on May 3, 2016 as the album's second single. It was also serviced to contemporary hit radio stations in Italy and the US on May 6 and May 10, 2016 respectively
Composition and lyrical analysis
"Sorry" is an up-tempo electropop track with a thumping and bleeping beat. Drowned in Sound writer Giuseppe Zevolli called it an emulation of early 2000s R&B. The 405's Samantha O'Connor described it as an "electro-infused" track. It is instrumentally complete with shattering drum beats, synthesizers and bells, the latter instruments prominent throughout the chorus. 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". Mike Wass of the website Idolator felt that "Sorry" was intended as a female response to "I Don't Fuck with You" (2014) by Big Sean and further found similar phrases.
The song's lyrics revolve around the protagonist's cheating lover and her way of dealing 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. 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." Alexis Petridis from The Guardian also interpreted the lines as Beyoncé declaring she was prepared to abandon him and take her 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). 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. 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".
"Sorry" has been described as a defiant, spiteful song exemplified in the lyrics, "Looking at my watch, he shoulda been home". 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. It features the lyrics "Boy bye" and gives an instruction to put the middle fingers up; the singer finds personal empowerment in those lines. 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. 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. 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". Zevolli also opined that the song's second part is "by far one of the most surprising mood-swings on the record".
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