Poison (Beyoncé song)
| "Poison" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by Beyoncé from the album I Am... Sasha Fierce | ||||
| A-side |
"Broken-Hearted Girl" "Video Phone" | |||
| Recorded | 2007–08, Roc the Mic studio (New York City, New York) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:05 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Writer |
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| Producer |
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| I Am... Sasha Fierce track listing | ||||
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"Poison" is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles. It is included on the 2009 deluxe edition of her third studio album, I Am… Sasha Fierce (2008) and the EP titled I Am...Sasha Fierce – The Bonus Tracks (2009). It was written by Johntá Austin, Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen of the production team Stargate and Knowles while the production was handled by the later two. The song was featured on a mixtape by DJ Haze titled Big R&B Ego and it leaked online in August 2009 prior to the release of the deluxe edition of I Am… Sasha Fierce. "Poison" is a slow-tempo song in which Knowles talks about a bad relationship that she cannot abandon. It received mixed reviews from critics who noted that although the song was cut out of the track-listing of the standard edition of the album, it was a solid track. Following the release of the EP I Am... Sasha Fierce – The Bonus Tracks in Korea, the song peaked at number one on the South Korea Gaon International Chart during the week ending February 7, 2010.
Background
"Poison" was written by Johntá Austin, Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen of the production team Stargate and Beyoncé Knowles for her third studio album I Am… Sasha Fierce (2008). It was produced by Stargate and Knowles while the audio mixing was done by Carlos Otanedel and Damien Lewis at Soapbox Studios in Atlanta. The instrumentation of the song was provided by Stargate at the Roc the Mic studio in New York and the recording was done by Mikkel S. Eriksen. Jim Caruana also worked on the recording of the song.[2][3] "Poison" was not included on the track-listing of the standard version of the album; it was included on a re-issue of the deluxe edition of the album instead, which was released on November 23, 2009.[4][5] An EP titled I Am...Sasha Fierce – The Bonus Tracks was also released on the same date in several countries featuring new songs including "Poison".[6][7] Prior to the official premiere of the song on I Am... Sasha Fierce, "Poison" was included on a mixtape by DJ Haze which was called Big R&B Ego.[8][9] This version was leaked on the Internet in August 2009.[10]
Composition and critical reception
According to the sheet music published by EMI Music Publishing on the website Musicnotes.com, "Poison" is a slow-tempo R&B and pop song with hundred beats per minute. Knowles' vocals range from the note of G3-D5.[11] In the song, Knowles sings about a relationship that she knows is no good for her, but still one that she cannot give up. The song is complete with stuttering beats coupled with her "liquidy" voice.[10] A writer of Rap-Up magazine noted that the remix of the song which was featured on the mixtape Big R&B Ego was "potent, but not quite fatal".[8] Sonya Eskridge of Sister 2 Sister magazine wrote in her review of the song that "we can't help but wonder why it would have been cut".[10] Matthew Richardson of Prefix Magazine noted, "As far as songs that got left in the studio, 'Poison' actually isn't that bad. The song's production isn't loud enough for this to be a single, but Beyonce sounds fine here."[12]
Recording artist Nicki Minaj also discussed the song during an interview with Rap-Up magazine, saying "When I tell you it gives me life, like, it gives me life. Her voice is effortless. It's badass, like, 'I know I’m the best.' I love the melody, I love the cadence. It's playful, but it's just so in-your-face. It's dope and it's creative."[1] Nia Beckwith of the website AllHipHop gave a positive review about the song, saying that it was "the most noteworthy" track she heard during the week of its premiere. She wrote,
The overall theme of the song puts me in the mind of a hit from R&B group Bell Biv Devoe circa 1990 that was also titled Poison, but doesn't fair the potential to be a number one song like it did close to 20 years ago. Even though the song doesn't seem like it would be a chart topper it does seem album worthy. It's something most can relate to if you've ever been in a relationship. Beyonce sings about a failed relationship thats no good, but yet is so hard to walk away from and ends up being just like Poison.[13]
Credits and personnel
Credits are taken from the liner notes of the re-issue of the deluxe edition of I Am... Sasha Fierce.[2]
- Written by Beyoncé Knowles, Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen
- Produced by Stargate and Knowles
- All instruments by Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen
- Recorded by Mikkel S. Eriksen at Roc the Mic, New York; nyadditional vocals recorded by Jim Caruana at Roc the Mic, New York
- Mixed by Phil Tan assisted by Josh Houghkirk with additional engineering by Carlos Oyanedel and Damien Lewis at Soapbox Studios, Atlanta
Charts
After the release of I Am... Sasha Fierce – The Bonus Tracks, "Poison" became very popular in Korea and reached the top position of the South Korea Gaon International Chart during the week ending February 7, 2010.[14] It was the ninety-eighth best-selling track of 2010 selling 128,009 units.[15]
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| South Korea Gaon International Chart[14] | 1 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "What's on Nicki Minaj's iPod". Rap-Up. Devin Lazerine. August 10, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 I Am... Sasha Fierce (Deluxe Edition). Beyoncé Knowles. Columbia Records. 2009.
- ↑ "Beyoncé > I Am...Sasha Fierce Deluxe Extended Edition > Posion". Beyonce.com Parkwood Entertainment. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ↑ "I Am...Sasha Fierce [Deluxe Edition]". Amazon.com. (US) Amazon Inc. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ↑ Eskridge, Sonya (August 13, 2009). "Rihanna, Beyoncé release new albums". Sister 2 Sister. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ↑ "I Am...Sasha Fierce The Bonus Tracks: Beyonce: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. (US) Amazon Inc. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ↑ "I Am . . . Sasha Fierce (The Bonus Tracks) – EP by Beyoncé". iTunes Store. (US) Apple Inc. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "New Music: Beyoncé – 'Poison'". Rap-Up. Devin Lazerine. August 12, 2009. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ↑ ""Poison" de Beyoncé sur la mixtape de DJ Haze" ["Posion" by Beyoncé on a mixtape by DJ Haze] (in French). Charts in France. August 13, 2009. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Eskridge, Sonya (August 13, 2009). "Beyoncé’s ‘poison’ leaked". Sister 2 Sister. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ↑ Austin, John; Knowles, Beyoncé; Eriksen, Mikkel; Erik Hermansen, Tor. "Beyoncé Knowles – 'Poison' – Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. EMI Music Publishing. MN0091320.
- ↑ Richardson, Matthew (August 13, 2009). "Beyonce: "Poison" (MP3)". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ↑ Beckwith, Nia (August 16, 2008). "Sunday Selection: Beyonce – 'Poison'". AllHipHop. AHH Holdings LLC. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Korean International Singles Chart for Week Ending February 7, 2010" (The URL will open up the South Korea national singles chart. To view international, click the right hand box out of three above the orange 'number one' position. Then above the chart table on the right, select 2010 instead of 2013 and then select February 1 to 7). Gaon Chart. February 7, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
- ↑ "2010년 가온차트 부문별 Top 100위 – 국외" [2010 Top 100 Gaon Charts of sectoral – Outbound] (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
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