Green Light (song)

:"For the song by John Legend, see Green Light (John Legend song)."Infobox Single
Name = Green Light


Artist = Beyoncé
Album = B'Day
Released = Start date|2007|7|30 (UK)
Format = CD single, music download
Recorded = Sony Music Studios
(New York City, New York)
Genre = R&B, funk, go-go
Length = 3:29
Label = Columbia
Writer = Beyoncé Knowles, Pharrell Williams, Sean Garrett
Producer = Beyoncé Knowles, The Neptunes
Certification =
Last single = "Amor Gitano"
(2007)
This single = "Green Light"
(2007)
Next single = "Until the End of Time"
(2007)

"Green Light" is an R&B–funk song written by Beyoncé Knowles, Sean Garrett, and Pharrell for Beyoncé's second solo studio album, "B'Day" (2006). Co-produced by The Neptunes and Beyoncé, it was released as the fifth UK single on July 30, 2007. The song received mixed responses from critics.

The single performed moderately on charts. "Green Light" peaked at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart and at number 46 in Ireland. The Freemasons remix of the track peaked at number 18 on the Dutch Top 40 chart. Its accompanying music video is inspired by Robert Palmer's 1985 music video "Addicted to Love". Beyoncé considered the video, which is her second to feature her all-female tour band Suga Mama, her toughest shoot.

Background and composition

After filming "Dreamgirls" in which Beyoncé landed a major role, she went on a month-long vacation. While in the break, she went to the studio to start working on her second solo album, "B'Day".Cite web |last=Reid |first=Shaheem |title=Be All You Can, B. |url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/b/beyonce/news_feature_081406/index2.jhtml |work=MTV News |accessdate=2008-02-11] She was inspired by her role and she "had so many things bottled up, so many emotions, so many ideas". Beyoncé contacted American singer-songwriter Sean Garrett, who had worked with her in Destiny's Child and on her 2006 single "Check On It".Cite news |last=Conniff |first=Tamara |title=Beyoncé Builds Buzz For 'B-Day' |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002689847 |work=Billboard |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc |date=June 16, 2006 |accessdate=2008-02-11] Together with Pharrell, who had also previously collaborated with Beyoncé, Garrett was booked to Sony Music Studios in New York City, each had studio to work in. The track was co-produced by Beyoncé and The Neptunes, along with "Kitty Kat", and was recorded by Jim Caruana and mixed by Jason Goldstein at the same studio. [Citation |last= |first= |title=B'Day eluxe edition - CD liner notes |url= |work= |publisher=Sony BMG Music Entertainment |date=(2007) |accessdate=2008-02-11]

"Green Light" is an R&B/funk song performed with rhythmic energy.Cite web |title=Beyoncé Digital Sheet Music: Green Light |url=http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/scorch.asp?ppn=SC0034390 |work=Musicnotes.com |publisher=Musicnotes Inc. |accessdate=2008-02-11] It is composed in the key of F major and is set in common time. The chord follows the Fm-G♭ key series with an occasional shift to additional B♭m₇. "Green Light" features "uh-huh huh huh" vocals and uses brassy stabs which a reviewer from Guardian Unlimited found a "direct echo to 'Crazy in Love'." [Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Peter |title=Beyonce, B'Day |url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/10bestcds/story/0,,1871710,00.html |work=Guardian Unlimited |publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited |date=September 17, 2006 |accessdate=2008-02-10] According to "thelondonpaper", the "uh-oh-oh-oh-oh" vocal in the song is an imitation of Amerie's performance in her 2005 single "1 Thing". [Cite web |last=Mackenzie |first=Malcolm |title=Interview: Amerie |url=http://www.thelondonpaper.com/cs/Satellite/london/music/article/1157148421900?packedargs=suffix%3DArticleController |work=thelondonpaper |publisher=News International Free Newspapers Ltd. |date=July 30, 2007 |accessdate=2008-02-11]

The lyrics are constructed in the traditional verse-chorus form. The song starts with an intro in which Beyoncé sings, "Give it to mama". It follows the verse-chorus-verse-verse-chorus pattern giving way to the bridge. Beyoncé repeats the chorus, ending the song.

Release and reception

"Green Light", along with "Get Me Bodied", were planned to be released as the next two singles from "B'Day", following the lead single "Déjà Vu". Beyoncé aimed the tracks for the international market; but opted for "Ring the Alarm" as the second single, which charted poorly. [Cite news |last=Concepcion |first=Mariel |title=Beyoncé Rings The Alarm on Vibe.com |url=http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/08/beyonce_rings_the_alarm_on_vibe_com/ |work=VIBE |date=August 16, 2006 |accessdate=2008-02-11] The single was released in the United Kingdom in July 30, 2007 as the fifth single, following "Beautiful Liar". [Cite web |title=Green Light the next single |url=http://www.sonybmgmusic.co.uk/artists/Beyonce/6091/25/ |work=Sony BMG UK |publisher=Sony BMG Music Entertainment (UK) |date=July 27, 2007 |accessdate=2008-02-11]

"Green Light" received polarized reception from critics. Eb Haynes of Allhiphop referred to "Green Light" as a "classic Pharell-Neptunes groove". [Cite web |last=Haynes |first=Eb |title=B'Day |url=http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviews/archive/2006/09/20/18134780.aspx |work=Allhiphop |publisher=Infinity, Allhiphop.com, Inc. |date=September 20, 2006 |accessdate=2008-02-10] Andy Kellman of Allmusic described the track as an "ambitious, fleet-footed number that continually switches tempos and sounds". [Cite web |last=Kellman |first=Andy |title=B'Day |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0cfyxqqdld6e |work=Allmusic |publisher=Macrovision Company |date= |accessdate=2008-02-10] Spence D. of IGN music stated that "'Green Light' brings things back down to pseudo earthiness; both with the slightly more organic sounding Neptunes beat."Cite web |last=D. |first=Spence |title=Beyonce - B'Day: Sophomore slump narrowly avoided. |url=http://uk.music.ign.com/articles/730/730624p1.html |work=IGN |publisher=IGN Entertainment, Inc. |accessdate=2008-02-10] He felt that the "rippling bassline sounds really familiar, like it's been used in other Neptunes' produced tracks before."

"Green Light" debuted on the UK Singles Top 75 at number 17 on August 6, 2007. [Cite web |title=UK Singles Top 75 |url=http://acharts.us/uk_singles_top_75/2007/32 |publisher=αCharts |date=August 6, 2007 |accessdate=2008-02-11] The single propelled to number 12 on downloads alone August 20, but failed to reach a higher position due to not having a physical release. [Cite web |title=UK Singles Top 75 |url=http://acharts.us/uk_singles_top_75/2007/34 |publisher=αCharts |date=August 20, 2007 |accessdate=2008-02-11] "Green Light" stayed on the chart for six weeks. [Cite web |title="Green Light" Global Positions and Trajectories |url=http://acharts.us/song/27149 |publisher=αCharts |accessdate=2008-02-11] On the Euro 200 chart, "Green Light" reached number 35. [Cite web |title=Euro 200 |url=http://www.apcchart.com/ |publisher=Apcchart |accessdate=2008-02-11] In Ireland, the single debuted at number 46 on August 23, 2007, and dropped off the chart a week later. [Cite web |title=Ireland Singles Top 50 |url=http://acharts.us/ireland_singles_top_50/2007/34 |publisher=αCharts |date=August 23, 2007 |accessdate=2008-02-11] The Freemasons remix of the track debuted at number 30 on the Dutch Top 40 chart on September 8, 2007. [Cite web |title=Dutch Top 40 |url=http://acharts.us/dutch_top_40/2007/36 |publisher=αCharts |date=September 8, 2007 |accessdate=2008-02-12] It propelled to number 19, and peaked at number 18 on September 29. [Cite web |title=Dutch Top 40 |url=http://acharts.us/dutch_top_40/2007/39 |publisher=αCharts |date=September 29, 2007 |accessdate=2008-02-12] It remained on the chart for six weeks. [Cite web |title="Green Light" (fremasons remix) Global Positions and Trajectories |url=http://acharts.us/song/27810 |publisher=αCharts |accessdate=2008-02-12]

Music video

The music video for "Green Light" was directed by Melina and co-directed by Beyoncé. Filmed in early 2007, it was one of the videos shot in two weeks for the "B'Day Anthology Video Album" (2007) and was one out of eight previously unseen clips. "Green Light" was the third video shot during the sessions.Cite web |last=Vineyard |first=Jennifer |title=Beyonce: Behind The B’Day Videos - Part 3 |url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/b/beyonce/videos_07/news_feature_040207/index3.jhtml |work=MTV |publisher=MTV Network |accessdate=2008-02-11] A one-minute music video for "Kitty Kat" serves as the introduction for the video.

The clip was inspired mainly by Robert Palmer's 1985 music video "Addicted to Love" because of its "stone-faced models pretending to play guitars".Cite web |last=Vineyard |first=Jennifer |title=Beyonce: Behind The B’Day Videos - Part 1 |url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/b/beyonce/videos_07/news_feature_040207/index.jhtml |work=MTV |publisher=MTV Network |accessdate=2008-02-11] "Green Light" was considered by Beyoncé as a modern version of the video because they used the instruments as props, where she pretended as a rock star. She revealed that the scenes reminded her of Vanity 6.

Beyoncé considered "Green Light" the "toughest video" to shoot. Besides from dressing in latex rubber clothing, she and her back-up dancers had to wear ballet-pointe heels. The shoes blistered her feet and gave muscle spasms due to the 18-hour session.Beyoncé invited her all-female tour band, Suga Mama, to make their second appearance in a video after their debut performance on the 2006 music video of "Irreplaceable". The video was posted on the MTV Overdrive on March 28, 2007.

Chart

References

External links

* [http://beyonceonline.com Official website]
* [http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/knowles_beyonce/13179520/lyrics.jhtml "Green Light" lyrics]
* [http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1236911&vid=140292 "Green Light" music video]