Ring the Alarm
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| "Ring the Alarm" | ||
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| Single by Beyoncé | ||
| from the album B'Day | ||
| Released | August 15, 2006 (U.S.)
December 18, 2006 (UK) |
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| Format | 12" single, CD single, download | |
| Recorded | Sony Music Studios, New York City |
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| Genre | R&B, Hip hop soul | |
| Length | 3:23 | |
| Label | Columbia | |
| Writer(s) | Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, Beyoncé Knowles, Sean Garrett | |
| Producer(s) | Beyoncé Knowles, Swizz Beatz | |
| Chart positions | ||
| Beyoncé singles chronology | ||
| "Deja Vu" (2006) |
"Ring The Alarm" (2006) |
"Irreplaceable" (2006) |
"Ring the Alarm" is an R&B song written by Beyoncé Knowles, Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, and Sean Garrett for Knowles' second solo album B'Day (2006). Co-produced by Knowles, and Swizz Beatz, the song premiered on August 8, 2006 to radio outlets in the United States and eventually debuted at number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100, making the single her highest entry on the official American singles chart and the second highest debut of 2006 behind only Taylor Hicks's "Do I Make You Proud". It previously debuted at Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles at number seventeen.
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[edit] Song information
The song is one of a total of four tracks Swizz Beatz originally recorded with Knowles for B'Day and the pair's second single after "Check on It" (2005). In opposition to her past efforts the overall feel of "Ring the Alarm" shows a more angry and explosive side of the singer, a fact supported by a loud and roared vocal performance and the use of a screaming alarm. Beyoncé considered the song one of her favorites on the album "because it's honest. I think people will be surprised, 'cause it shows a lot of vulnerability for a woman to say, 'Yeah, I don't want you, but somebody else is gonna step in and benefit from all of the things I taught you.'"[1]
Lyrically the song explains the feelings of a woman who knows she should get rid of her man because of how he is treating her, yet she is worried that he will find someone else and this thought makes her jealous. The thought of another woman benefitting from what she has taught her man causes her to 'ring the alarm' because she'll be 'damned" if she sees another chick on his arm.
The song was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards 2007.
[edit] Chart performance
"Ring the Alarm" was released as the second single in North America from Beyoncé's sophomore album B'Day. The song debuted at number-twelve on the Billboard Hot 100, the second highest debut of 2006 and the highest debut of Beyoncé's career. However, the song peaked at number-eleven, Beyoncé's lowest peaking single yet. Critics and fans speculate it was the song's structure of rock-influences and screechy vocals that hurt the song's radio play[citation needed]. However, the single's remix "Ring the Alarm (Freemason Club Mix)" claimed the number-one spot on the Billboard Dance/Club Singles chart.
The song was released in only four markets outside the U.S.: Brazil, Canada, Japan and the Philippines It reached the top twenty in three of these markets, but became Knowles's first single not to make an appearance on the Canadian Singles Chart. In the U.K. the video was used along with the availability of the download in order to increase sales of her album B'day. Elsewhere "Irreplaceable" was the second single. Several weeks after falling off the Hot 100 the single made a re-entry in 2007 at number 81.
[edit] Music video
The music video for "Ring the Alarm" was the second Knowles video to be directed by Sophie Muller. Primarily filmed in New York, the video premiered at Yahoo! Music on August 16, 2006 and made its debut on MTV's Total Request Live at number ten on August 22. The video remained on the show for thirty-five days and seemed poised to retire until it was replaced by "Irreplaceable".
The video starts with Beyoncé on a table in an interrogation room set in a milieu similar to the one in the film Basic Instinct, lit with a bright red flashing light. Further perpetuating the comparison to the film is the image of a body covered with a white sheet, suggesting perhaps Beyoncé's character is being investigated for murdering someone. She wears a white skirt and turtleneck also made to resemble Sharon Stone's wardrobe from the movie. The scenes cut between her dancing violently on the table shouting out the lyrics and her sitting on a chair wearing a coat. There are scenes of her at her beachside home and then dancing in a corner wearing army camouflage clothing. She is also seen crying towards the bridge of the video.
[edit] Formats and track listing
These are the formats and track listings of major single-releases of "Ring the Alarm".
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[edit] Charts
| Chart (2006)[2][3] | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Brazil Hot 100[4] | 13 |
| Brazil Hot 40 Dance Traxx | 1 |
| Israel Singles Chart | 11 |
| Japan Top 20 | 16 |
| Lithuania Airplay Chart[5] | 13 |
| Norway Urban Chart | 9 |
| Philippines Quaday Hot 100 Singles | 10 |
| Poland Singles Chart | 46 |
| Scandinavian Urban Chart | 4 |
| Sweden Singles Top 60 | 56 |
| UK Official Download Chart | 114 |
| United World Chart | 37 |
| United World Dance Chart | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 | 21 |
| U.S. Singles Top 40 | 9 |
| World RnB Top 30 Singles | 3 |
[edit] Official remixes
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[edit] Notes
- ^ [1]
- ^ www.musicsquare.net/. World singles chart. Since July, 2006.
- ^ www.allmusic.com/. U.S. Billboard charts. Since July, 2006.
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
| Beyoncé Knowles |
|---|
| Discography |
| Studio albums: Dangerously in Love (2003) • B’Day (2006) |
| DVDs: Live at Wembley (2004) • B’Day Anthology Video Album (2007) |
| Singles: "Work It Out" • "Crazy in Love" • "Baby Boy" • "Fighting Temptation" • "Me, Myself and I" • "Naughty Girl" • "Dangerously in Love" • "Check on It" • "Deja Vu" • "Ring the Alarm" • "Irreplaceable" • "Listen" • "Beautiful Liar" |
| Other songs: "I Got That" • "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" • "Hollywood" • "Upgrade U" |
| Related articles |
| Filmography • Awards and nominations • Destiny's Child • Solange Knowles • Jay-Z • Columbia • House of Deréon • Beyonce Experience |
