"Radio" is a song recorded by American singer

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

for her third studio album, '' I Am… Sasha Fierce'' (2008). The up-

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...

electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...

dance-pop Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...

song was composed by Beyoncé,

Rico Love Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, singer, songwriter, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wisco ...

, Anton Bakholdin and

Jim Jonsin James Gregory Scheffer (born June 8, 1970), known professionally as Jim Jonsin, is an American record producer and songwriter from South Florida. He has produced for numerous musical artists, including Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Usher, Lil Wayn ...

. Composed in the key of

D major D major is a major scale based on D (musical note), D, consisting of the pitches D, E (musical note), E, F♯ (musical note), F, G (musical note), G, A (musical note), A, B (musical note), B, and C♯ (musical note), C. Its key signature has two S ...

and built essentially on bouncy

beat Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of inte ...

, "Radio" also displays influences of the 1980s synthpop,

Europop Europop (also spelled Euro pop) is a style of pop music that originated in Europe during the mid-to-late 1960s and developed to today's form throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with revivals and ...

, and

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

. It is instrumentally complete with a

Roland TR-808 The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer, commonly known as the 808, is a drum machine manufactured by Roland Corporation between 1980 and 1983. It was one of the first drum machines to allow users to program rhythms instead of using preset patterns. ...

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...

, bass instruments, and

synthesizer A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...

s. The song's lyrics describe the love of Beyoncé in her childhood for the songs she used to listen to on the radio as she grew into an adult. "Radio" received positive reviews from contemporary music critics, who generally praised Knowles's departure from her usual R&B style. Some of them also complimented the believability as well as the originality of the song and chose it as the standout track of ''I Am... Sasha Fierce''. In September 2009, "Radio" was used to promote Dutch radio station

Radio 538 Radio 538 () is a Dutch commercial radio station established in Hilversum, Netherlands, in 1992. It is the second-most listened to radio station in the Netherlands. The name “Radio 538” refers to the wavelength on which Radio Veronica broadc ...

, and it subsequently charted for six weeks on the

Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 () is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore radio, offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" ...

chart, where it peaked at number 14. It also reached number five on its urban chart. "Radio" was part of Beyoncé's

set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...

on her I Am... World Tour (2009–10) and was included on the live album '' I Am... World Tour'' (2010).

Production and composition

"Radio" was written by James Scheffer,

, Anton Bakholdin, and Beyoncé. Production was handled by

, who also produced of " Sweet Dreams" (2009). "Radio" is different from the usual R&B material for which Beyoncé is known; It is an

song that exhibits influences of 1980s synthpop,Petridis, Alexis. (November 14, 2008
Review: ''I Am... Sasha Fierce''
. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''. (

Guardian News and Media Guardian Media Group plc (GMG) is a British-based mass media company owning various media operations including ''The Guardian'', and formerly ''The Observer''. The group is wholly owned by the Scott Trust Limited, which exists to secure the fin ...

). Retrieved on December 21, 2011.

,Greenblatt, Leah. (November 15, 2008
Review: ''I Am... Sasha Fierce''
. ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

''.

Time Inc Time Inc. (also referred to as Time & Life, Inc. later on, after their two onetime flagship magazine publications) was an American worldwide mass media corporation founded on November 28, 1922, by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden and based in New Yo ...

. Retrieved on December 21, 2011. and

. Following the release of '' I Am... Sasha Fierce'', Beyoncé explained the concept behind the song on her official website:

It just seems like a feel-good record but when you really listen to the lyrics, it's about me growing up. In my household, I didn't go all of the parties and I didn't do all the things that a lot of the other teenage girls did because I was so in love with my radio and my music. I was so in love with this radio and my parents were happy that I was into something positive.

According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by

EMI Music Publishing EMI Music Publishing Ltd. is a British multinational music publishing company headquartered in London, owned by Sony Music Publishing. In May 2018, Sony Music Publishing agreed to increase its stake in EMI to 90%, pending regulatory approva ...

, "Radio" is an up

song set in

common time A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates the ...

, written in the key of

. It follows the

chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural, or simply changes) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from ...

of Bm–G–D–A/C and Beyoncé's

vocal The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound producti ...

s span from the note of A₃ to E₅. Built on a bouncy

, "Radio" is instrumentally complete with a

,Hoard, Christian. (November 18, 2008
Review: ''I Am... Sasha Fierce''
. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

''.

Wenner Media Jann Simon Wenner ( ; born January 7, 1946) is an American businessman who co-founded the popular culture magazine ''Rolling Stone'' with Ralph J. Gleason and is the former owner of ''Men's Journal'' magazine. He participated in the Free Sp ...

. Retrieved on December 21, 2011. bass instruments, and

s. Several music critics, including Ben Westhoff of ''

OC Weekly ''OC Weekly'' was a free alternative weekly paper distributed in Orange County and Long Beach, California. It was founded in September 1995 by Will Swaim, who acted as editor and publisher until 2007. The paper was distributed at coffee shops, ...

'', noted that "Radio" bears resemblance to

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...

's single "

Umbrella An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is usually designed to protect a person against rain. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionally used when protec ...

" (2007) as they are both set to 1980s-style synthesizers." Similarly, James Reed of ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' wrote that "Radio" seems to be like the latest electro-pop confection from Rihanna. Darryl Sterdan of the Canadian website

Jam! Jam! was a Canadian website which covered entertainment news. It was part of the Canoe.com online portal, formerly owned and operated by Quebecor through its Sun Media division, and now owned by Postmedia Network. Jam! was the only media outl ...

wrote that "Radio" sounds like a record

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

would sing because of its electropop and dance-pop musical styles. Serbian newspaper ''

Alo! ''Alo!'' is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Belgrade, Serbia. History Launched by Ringier AG (owners of another Serbian daily '' Blic'') on October 15, 2007, ''Alo!'' attempts to establish itself on the saturated Serbian daily tabloid ...

'' suggested that the melody was plagiarized from "

Aspirin Aspirin () is the genericized trademark for acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to reduce pain, fever, and inflammation, and as an antithrombotic. Specific inflammatory conditions that aspirin is ...

" by Serbian singer Seka Aleksić, and claimed that the songwriters Filip Miletić and Miloš Roganović would sue Beyoncé; the claim was met with ridicule from other Serbian media. The believability of the song's lyrics, which conveys love testaments as well as its timeless endurance, sung on sensual vocal arrangements by Beyoncé, who additionally adopts a sneering attitude, demonstrates her

alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate Self (psychology), self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original Personality psychology, personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other ...

Sasha Fierce. Lyrically, "Radio" explores the relationship between Beyoncé as the female protagonist and the songs played on the radio, shown in the lyrics: "You're the only one that Papa allowed in my room with the door closed / We'd be alone / And Mama never freaked out when she heard it go boom / 'Cause she knew we were in the zone". Amy Linden of ''

Vibe Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing. Vibe may also refer to: People * DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ * Lasse Vibe (b ...

'' magazine felt that "Radio" could make an ideal " valentine" song because of its lyrical content.

Critical reception

"Radio" received generally positive reviews from contemporary critics, who praised Knowles's brief departure from usual R&B style as well as the believability and originality of the song. Alexis Petridis of ''

'' noted that though the 1980s

synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s ...

mode of "Radio" may not be as well suited to Beyoncé's voice as the old

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

samples contained in "

Crazy in Love "Crazy in Love" is a song by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé featuring guest vocals from American rapper Jay-Z. It was written by Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Rich Harrison, and produced by the last two. "Crazy in Love" is a pop, hip hop, and ...

" (2003) and "

Suga Mama "Suga Mama" is a song by American singer Beyoncé Knowles for her second studio album, ''B'Day (Beyoncé album), B'Day'' (2006). It was written by Knowles, Rich Harrison, and Makeba Riddick, and produced by Harrison and Knowles. "Suga Mama" is i ...

" (2007)", there is no denying that "Radio" is an "irresistible

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

song". Colin McGuire of

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

highlighted Knowles's diversion from her usual R&B style, writing that "Radio" is "a bit of a novelty act " which takes Beyoncé in a new direction. He further wrote that the different elements of dance music present in the song makes it feel refreshing, before adding that "it might even suggest a more expansive, experimental side of the songstress on her follow-up".McGuire, Colin. (February 9, 2009
Review: ''I Am... Sasha Fierce''
.

. Retrieved on December 21, 2011. Talia Kraines of

BBC Music BBC Music is the arm of the BBC responsible for the music played across its services. The current director of music is Lorna Clarke. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio operational division; however, its remit also includes music used i ...

wrote that "wild" "Radio" makes it the standout track on ''I Am... Sasha Fierce''. Sal Cinquemani of

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...

chose "Radio" as the highlight of both the standard and deluxe editions of ''I Am... Sasha Fierce'', writing that it is the most convincing love song on the album."Cinquemani, Sal. (2008-11-12
Review: ''I Am... Sasha Fierce''
.

. Retrieved on December 21, 2011. James Reed of ''The Boston Globe'' described "Radio" as fun, bouncy, and ideal for a night at the club. Similarly, Leah Greenblatt of ''

'' wrote that the "spiky, Europop throb" of "Radio" expertly taunt the boys and fill the dance floor. Darryl Sterdan of Jam! was surprised by the new musical direction of Beyoncé but concluded that "... you better believe it ... it kinda works". Daniel Brockman of '' The Phoenix'' described "Radio" as the most believable song on the album, and complimented its "amid bland testaments to love's timeless endurance and the smut and thuggin of the 'Sasha Fierce' persona,

hich Ij () is a village in Golabar Rural District of the Central District in Ijrud County, Zanjan province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq ...

is one with sensual overtones sung to an electronic device that, unlike men, 'never lets me down'". Echoing Brockman's sentiments, Amy Linden of ''Vibe'' magazine, who wrote that 1980's

and the sleek Valentine music of "Radio" tells the story of Beyoncé's alter ego. Similarly, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond of ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'' wrote that "Radio" "show

hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...

Sasha sjust a good girl playing fierce".Brew-Hammond, Nana Ekua. (December 17, 2008
Review: ''I Am... Sasha Fierce''
. ''

''. ''(Village Voice Media)''. Retrieved on December 21, 2011. By contrast, Matos Michaelangelo of ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...

'' said that "Radio" sounds like "shameless target-marketing" aiming at programming directors. On ''The Village Voice'' 2008 year-end

Pazz & Jop Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abse ...

singles list, "Radio" was ranked at number 443.

Credits and personnel

* Richard Butler, Jr. – producer,

publisher Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...

, vocals producer,

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

*Jim Caruana – recorder, vocals recorder *Matt Green – mixer assistant *Beyoncé Beyoncé –

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

, writer *Anton Bakholdin – writer * James Scheffer – producer, recorder, writer *

Mark "Spike" Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & the Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed Sheeran, ...

– mixer Source:

Promotion and chart performance

Beyoncé performed "Radio" on her I Am... World Tour (2009–10). The song was subsequently included on the live album '' I Am... World Tour'', as the thirteenth track. In early September 2009, "Radio" was used to promote Dutch radio station '

'. On September 19, 2009, "Radio" debuted on the

at number 31 after it was used to promote the local radio station. After three weeks, it peaked of number 14 on October 10, 2009, and charted for six weeks. "Radio" also peaked at number five on the Dutch urban chart.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Radio (Beyonce Knowles Song) 2009 songs Beyoncé songs Songs about radio Song recordings produced by Jim Jonsin Songs written by Beyoncé Songs written by Jim Jonsin Songs written by Rico Love Electropop songs Song recordings produced by Beyoncé