One Week // One Band

“Upgrade U” is worthy of consideration for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s perhaps Beyoncé’s most militant, hard-sounding solo track; I add the qualifier “solo” because certain late-period Destiny’s Child tunes, namely “Soldier” and “Lose My Breath”, could feasibly be played over the PA at West Point. There are plenty of other Beyoncé songs that utilize horns to great effect (I’ve already written about a few), but on “Upgrade U” the goal isn’t ebullience, it’s relentlessness. When paired with the minimal beat, constructed from little more than buried bass and handclaps, the result is as sonically touch as Beyoncé gets. (“Ring the Alarm” deserves mention for this quality as well - unfortunately, I can’t cover every song!)

That “hard” beat leads me to the second revelation of “Upgrade U”: Beyoncé would make a half-decent rapper! For a good portion of the song, Bey makes use of half-rapped, half-sung vocals that appear infrequently throughout the rest of her discography. Her flow is capable enough that she avoids sounding like a fish out of water; as I mentioned in my take on “Get Me Bodied”, she has no issue navigating rhythms, whether rapping or singing. Truthfully, neither her verses nor Jay-Z’s lengthy appearance are very tuneful, but the point of “Upgrade U” isn’t gentle sentiment or beautiful melody. This song is successful and substantial on the basis of attitude and brute force.

The third notable aspect of “Upgrade U” is at odds with the two observations I made above. Despite the rougher setting, “Upgrade U” is made a little more lighthearted by the playful interaction between Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The duo’s interplay on B’Day is a marked improvement over their team-ups on Dangerously in Love. Instead of existing as two separate entities appealing to separate demographics, their verses are lyrically intertwined. Also, isn’t it fun to imagine Beyoncé “upgrading” Jay-Z and running his life? I suppose it’s been said that behind every ultra-millionaire drug dealer turned rap mogul, there’s an equally successful pop empress taking the reins. 

(And in our continuing series of notes about Beyoncé’s ridiculous videos, she alternatively looks like one of the start of Basketball Wives and a mermaid from the projects in this one. If that sentence doesn’t convince you to watch, I don’t know what will.)