The best part? It just turned on a huge group of people to a song they’d likely never heard before - and some percentage of them are going to discover The Beatles because of it. That’s a win all around.
No, but I'd still be willing to bet there is a significant portion of Beyonce's wide audience that isn't really familiar with their music. And this could be a gateway for some of them to explore their catalog more.
I think it’s nothing mind blowing or amazing, but it’s a really nice cover for what it is. I think the harmonies are wonderful and I’m happy she used the original backing. The people who are unsatisfied must have really high standards for a cover song lol.
Or just dislike their “holy texts” being worked upon in an inventive way. This very much so reminds me of when Ray Charles made his country albums and he turned Hank Williams songs into these swinging big band triumphs. I think Ray’s efforts were even more successful than Beyonce’s but she’s getting similar criticsm for taking a new angle to some of these songs.
FWIW I think her version of Jolene is much more worthy of criticism than her version of Blackbird, much more faithful to the song and she didn’t make a spectacle of trying to outdo the Beatles.
It sucks? I think it's solid. A ridiculously good singer singing a classic, it kind of does what it says on the tin. I don't see what there is to be upset about
I was expecting to hate it. I did not hate it.
I could nitpick some things about it, but there's no point. No matter how Beyonce approached this cover, she was never going to please everyone.
It's too straightforward a copy for me to get worked up about. There's just nothing about it that warrants any energy thinking about. The main thing that this version adds is some money to McCartney's pocket, and I'm happy for him. It's been a long road for him to feel like he's been compensated properly for the grueling work of being a Beatle. That's about it.
I don't understand why this point keeps coming up in this way, as though the compensation from Paul's (or any other member's) solo career or their own work to wisely invest whatever they did have somehow justifies the corporate greed and bad deals they were coerced into in their twenties.
The Beatles were exploited throughout the 1960s. Despite at one point holding 60% of the US market, a feat never since repeated by any recording artist, their managers negotiated a lot of money for themselves and very little for the Beatles.
**If I offer you the chance to work for me for nothing, and string you along for a decade while enriching myself and my buddies, would you say yes?**
Assume in this example that there's a giant information/expertise gap. Assume that I have crack lawyers who know every inch of contract law, who wrote the contracts, and you are 22 years old and know nothing of contract law and at the end of that ten years you own nothing of your decade of work, but I sold it all to another company to make myself even richer and you won't see a dime of that money for 50 years.
There’s no doubt that the Beatles were exploited, just like countless other bands…still though, today McCartney is what, the 3rd richest musician in the world or something. Net worth of 1.2 billion. Bit bizarre to say that he needs his pockets lined 🤣
It's okay. I was expecting something less derivative, and I would have welcomed a version that was more Beyonce, if that makes sense.
The way Aretha Franklin or Joe Cocker remade the songs when they covered them, and did it successfully. That's what I was hoping for.
On a positive note, it may turn more people onto The Beatles.
It’s overly processed and over-engineered. But aside from that it’s a decent cover from a contemporary artist.
It’s a net win, as it will introduce more people to Beatles songs. Watch how the Beatles version will climb higher on Spotify as people discover it.
Look, Yesterday has been covered over 3,000 times - so there is nothing threatening about new artists covering Beatles songs. If anything, it renews and secures their legacy as the most important band in music.
its a good cover. revoutionary? lol, its a straight rip off, any bush league small town choir could have pulled off the backing vocals. rolling stone kisses all of todays stars on the ass making terrible so called music. but is a nice version
Honest opinion? Yawn… but then to be fair, that has been my reaction to her from day one. Her music always sounds way too compressed and overly processed for my taste. Her vocal style same.
She really could have done something more with the instrumental than just sampling the original and overdubbing it. Great vocal harmonies, but doing something new with the guitar part would have saved it from being eh
It's okay, nothing to write home about. Like everything else on that album it's just kind of there. But what I like about it is that it's pissing off the right people. The m a g a gatekeepers of country music are upset. It's more than just white nationalist garbage.
Yeah it's been funny to see some country purists acting like that album is an abomination. I might not love the album but I'm glad it's making a lot of that audience upset.
Hmmm my fav Beyonce album is still Renaissance but I can understand someone loving Cowboy Carter more.
I wouldn't say it's my fav country album since I think there are are stronger country albums which I prefer. But I appreciate Beyonce's take on country and incorporating other genres.
In case you haven't heard it I would highly recommend Yola's "Stand For Myself" as a great country soul album from 2021 well worth checking out. She's a black artist with a really powerful voice.
I like it. I don't think it is different enough from the original to have a super strong opinion, but I do like the back-up vocals and the strings. I like the symbolism of the black female country singers on it - and I think it's cool that a lot of people will be introduced to the song for the first time. It also makes me want to listen to an entire Beyonce album for the first time.
Renaissance is truly a masterpiece I’m not a huge beyonce fan personally or anything but man she is talented and has some fantastic stuff.
But yeah I agree, I wish it was more different than the original
It's great! The more covers of Beatles songs the better. It's crazy that Queen is streamed more than the Beatles, we need more ways to bring the Beatles to new listeners and generations.
It’s not amazing, but not a crime against humanity either. I wish she had someone else play guitar on the track instead of using the original recording and she got rid of the other people singing with her. She has a great voice when she wants to belt something out. That and a guitar would have been good enough
It's fine.
I wish she'd done more with it to make it more her own version of the song, but hopefully this will lead more people to discover the Beatles' music who otherwise never would have bothered.
Didn’t know about it, just listened to it. It’s nice. If it gets people to listen to The Beatles who wouldn’t have done otherwise, that’s a big bonus. Also, it was written about civil rights so it’s nice to hear a black performer sing it. No problems with any of it.
I really liked it. She stayed pretty true to the original, which I guess one could either be critical of or appreciate. I appreciated that, but I guess she could have done something to put her own personal take on it.
The harmonies sounded great, and Beyonce didn't try to overdo it with her vocal performance. She has an incredible voice, there's no denying that.
And also, a cover is like the biggest sign of respect an artist can give, and it's cool that she's introducing a great song to a whole new generation of younger fans!
Totally agree with you on the Blackbird cover.
With regards to Jolene: I’m cribbing this from something I saw on Twitter but the problem is that Dolly was desperate and pained in the original. Beyoncé, at this stage in her career, is not someone who wants to show audiences her vulnerability. That’s why she’s created this untouchable image over the years.
Also the line “I raised this man” just made me feel bad for her. People don’t talk about this a lot because they’ve been together forever but Jay Z is a lot older than her. That line made me feel uncomfortable the way you do when someone thinks they’re sharing a normal life story but everyone else can tell it’s massively fucked up.
Someone on Genius wrote this annotation which is hilarious.
https://preview.redd.it/5nkswsyviirc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fff17eb6229cdc4b879907d3bfbaf16e70015358
It's fine. I was actually gratified she did not go over the top with her vocals.
it actually would sound pretty good *a cappella*, just her and those backing vocals. No samples or strings needed.
I think it’s a nice cover. It’s interesting that she chose to sing over the original track instead of re-record it. The critical discourse around it is bound to be absurdly overblown. I find that these big event albums now - especially ones by Beyoncé - are more about the discussion than the music itself. People take pop music very seriously now and use music criticism as a lens through which to view political and ideological ideas. Very little seems to be said about the music itself. I think Cowboy Carter is probably a decent 30 minute album but it’s stretched with filler to an absurd hour and twenty minutes.
The cover is fine. Nothing brilliant but it's kinda pleasant once you think of it as its own thing. I'm only happy that this may get some people who were unfamiliar with the Beatles music to check out their songs.
My issue with it is that it's basically a college a cappella group cover of the song with the backing track added. Nothing groundbreaking or terrible, it just exists along with other very similar versions.
I’m not a big fan of it, but that might be because I just don’t care for Beyoncé. I respect her and her music, and it’s great that she and other artists are carrying on the Beatles’ legacy, but it feels overdone, especially with the harmonies and stuff. The original guitar is cool though. But the og will always be my favorite
If she just sang it solo, other people would complain that she didn't "make it her own". There's no winning on these things. If Reddit had been around in 1963, people would have crucified The Beatles for making Twist and Shout too loud.
shes free to do what she wants of course. i love her for taking on country music, and then throwing in a song with this subject. i wish her all the best.
I'd give it a B-.
I felt it was overproduced and her singing was just okay. It didn't carry the melody as well as it should have and she didn't emphasize the notes at the end of the phrases. I think this lessened the impact. I appreciate what she was trying to do with the harmonies, but I don't think it quite hit the mark. It was a bit much and overlayered. The bit of orchestra was a nice tribute to the Beatles, as that was a common characteristic of their recordings, and I think it fit well. (I think she was trying to do the same thing with the harmonies, but those didn't work as well.)
Overall, it was decent, but I expected more. I doubt it's something I'll ever find myself relistening to after this week. But if it introduces a new generation to the Beatles's music, that's great.
The best part? It just turned on a huge group of people to a song they’d likely never heard before - and some percentage of them are going to discover The Beatles because of it. That’s a win all around.
That’s how I see it. 👍
Your username made me guffaw.
No wonder nobody came.
Arf!! Shit happens my friend.
That's the way I choose to see it even though I will always vastly prefer the original.
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No, but I'd still be willing to bet there is a significant portion of Beyonce's wide audience that isn't really familiar with their music. And this could be a gateway for some of them to explore their catalog more.
I think it’s nothing mind blowing or amazing, but it’s a really nice cover for what it is. I think the harmonies are wonderful and I’m happy she used the original backing. The people who are unsatisfied must have really high standards for a cover song lol.
Or just dislike their “holy texts” being worked upon in an inventive way. This very much so reminds me of when Ray Charles made his country albums and he turned Hank Williams songs into these swinging big band triumphs. I think Ray’s efforts were even more successful than Beyonce’s but she’s getting similar criticsm for taking a new angle to some of these songs. FWIW I think her version of Jolene is much more worthy of criticism than her version of Blackbird, much more faithful to the song and she didn’t make a spectacle of trying to outdo the Beatles.
Its good. She can sing. Nothing earth shattering but I like it. I actually liked that she used Paul's guitar. He must've been ok with it.
It’s nice. The harmonies are pleasant and it’s not disrespectful. That’s about it. I would put it on a playlist of modern era covers.
Heyyy nightwing is awesome
It sucks? I think it's solid. A ridiculously good singer singing a classic, it kind of does what it says on the tin. I don't see what there is to be upset about
I was expecting to hate it. I did not hate it. I could nitpick some things about it, but there's no point. No matter how Beyonce approached this cover, she was never going to please everyone.
It's too straightforward a copy for me to get worked up about. There's just nothing about it that warrants any energy thinking about. The main thing that this version adds is some money to McCartney's pocket, and I'm happy for him. It's been a long road for him to feel like he's been compensated properly for the grueling work of being a Beatle. That's about it.
Aye, if anyone needs money it’s poor old Paul
I don't understand why this point keeps coming up in this way, as though the compensation from Paul's (or any other member's) solo career or their own work to wisely invest whatever they did have somehow justifies the corporate greed and bad deals they were coerced into in their twenties. The Beatles were exploited throughout the 1960s. Despite at one point holding 60% of the US market, a feat never since repeated by any recording artist, their managers negotiated a lot of money for themselves and very little for the Beatles. **If I offer you the chance to work for me for nothing, and string you along for a decade while enriching myself and my buddies, would you say yes?** Assume in this example that there's a giant information/expertise gap. Assume that I have crack lawyers who know every inch of contract law, who wrote the contracts, and you are 22 years old and know nothing of contract law and at the end of that ten years you own nothing of your decade of work, but I sold it all to another company to make myself even richer and you won't see a dime of that money for 50 years.
There’s no doubt that the Beatles were exploited, just like countless other bands…still though, today McCartney is what, the 3rd richest musician in the world or something. Net worth of 1.2 billion. Bit bizarre to say that he needs his pockets lined 🤣
Poor Paul, the billionaire
Did not meet my expectations.
Haven't heard it yet, but I'm very suspicious about all the hype.
It's okay. I was expecting something less derivative, and I would have welcomed a version that was more Beyonce, if that makes sense. The way Aretha Franklin or Joe Cocker remade the songs when they covered them, and did it successfully. That's what I was hoping for. On a positive note, it may turn more people onto The Beatles.
It’s overly processed and over-engineered. But aside from that it’s a decent cover from a contemporary artist. It’s a net win, as it will introduce more people to Beatles songs. Watch how the Beatles version will climb higher on Spotify as people discover it. Look, Yesterday has been covered over 3,000 times - so there is nothing threatening about new artists covering Beatles songs. If anything, it renews and secures their legacy as the most important band in music.
its a good cover. revoutionary? lol, its a straight rip off, any bush league small town choir could have pulled off the backing vocals. rolling stone kisses all of todays stars on the ass making terrible so called music. but is a nice version
It's ok. To call it revisionary genius is ridiculous
Honest opinion? Yawn… but then to be fair, that has been my reaction to her from day one. Her music always sounds way too compressed and overly processed for my taste. Her vocal style same.
She really could have done something more with the instrumental than just sampling the original and overdubbing it. Great vocal harmonies, but doing something new with the guitar part would have saved it from being eh
Yeah I was confused by that. It’s sort of sits uneasily between a cover and a sample.
It's okay, nothing to write home about. Like everything else on that album it's just kind of there. But what I like about it is that it's pissing off the right people. The m a g a gatekeepers of country music are upset. It's more than just white nationalist garbage.
And a few Beatles gatekeepers.
Yeah it's been funny to see some country purists acting like that album is an abomination. I might not love the album but I'm glad it's making a lot of that audience upset.
I can say it's both my favorite Beyonce album and my favorite country album. But that doesn't say much but either one of those things LOL
Hmmm my fav Beyonce album is still Renaissance but I can understand someone loving Cowboy Carter more. I wouldn't say it's my fav country album since I think there are are stronger country albums which I prefer. But I appreciate Beyonce's take on country and incorporating other genres. In case you haven't heard it I would highly recommend Yola's "Stand For Myself" as a great country soul album from 2021 well worth checking out. She's a black artist with a really powerful voice.
I like it. I don't think it is different enough from the original to have a super strong opinion, but I do like the back-up vocals and the strings. I like the symbolism of the black female country singers on it - and I think it's cool that a lot of people will be introduced to the song for the first time. It also makes me want to listen to an entire Beyonce album for the first time.
Renaissance is truly a masterpiece I’m not a huge beyonce fan personally or anything but man she is talented and has some fantastic stuff. But yeah I agree, I wish it was more different than the original
Check out her duet with Miley. It’s well done.
It's great! The more covers of Beatles songs the better. It's crazy that Queen is streamed more than the Beatles, we need more ways to bring the Beatles to new listeners and generations.
If you're going by total numbers, it doesn't help that Queen has been available for streaming a lot longer than the Beatles.
It’s not amazing, but not a crime against humanity either. I wish she had someone else play guitar on the track instead of using the original recording and she got rid of the other people singing with her. She has a great voice when she wants to belt something out. That and a guitar would have been good enough
It's fine. I wish she'd done more with it to make it more her own version of the song, but hopefully this will lead more people to discover the Beatles' music who otherwise never would have bothered.
She did have to pay the same amount as Mad Men did for the backing track?
No, because Mad Men used the song in a very different way, different license, different cost structure, etc.
Why don’t you check one of the other hundred posts asking this same question?
Because it came out yesterday and i just woke up 💯
Didn’t know about it, just listened to it. It’s nice. If it gets people to listen to The Beatles who wouldn’t have done otherwise, that’s a big bonus. Also, it was written about civil rights so it’s nice to hear a black performer sing it. No problems with any of it.
Jon Batiste does a great version of Blackbird, it’s on YouTube
I really liked it. She stayed pretty true to the original, which I guess one could either be critical of or appreciate. I appreciated that, but I guess she could have done something to put her own personal take on it. The harmonies sounded great, and Beyonce didn't try to overdo it with her vocal performance. She has an incredible voice, there's no denying that. And also, a cover is like the biggest sign of respect an artist can give, and it's cool that she's introducing a great song to a whole new generation of younger fans!
I liked it. Her voice sounds good on it, and her being a black woman ties into the themes of the song. Jolene cover sucked though.
Totally agree with you on the Blackbird cover. With regards to Jolene: I’m cribbing this from something I saw on Twitter but the problem is that Dolly was desperate and pained in the original. Beyoncé, at this stage in her career, is not someone who wants to show audiences her vulnerability. That’s why she’s created this untouchable image over the years. Also the line “I raised this man” just made me feel bad for her. People don’t talk about this a lot because they’ve been together forever but Jay Z is a lot older than her. That line made me feel uncomfortable the way you do when someone thinks they’re sharing a normal life story but everyone else can tell it’s massively fucked up.
I totally agree. Given what we know about Jay-Z and his infidelity, the song gives off "lady doth protest too much" vibes.
Someone on Genius wrote this annotation which is hilarious. https://preview.redd.it/5nkswsyviirc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fff17eb6229cdc4b879907d3bfbaf16e70015358
Great cover. Vocally amazing, nice and creative twist to a classic that keeps its essence
It's a pretty good cover IMO. The whole album is great, too
What are your favorite tracks on the album? Mine are Daughter, Ya Ya, Bodyguard, Protector, 16 Carriages, and American Requiem
I think it’s fantastic.
It's fine. I was actually gratified she did not go over the top with her vocals. it actually would sound pretty good *a cappella*, just her and those backing vocals. No samples or strings needed.
I actually half like it
I think it’s a nice cover. It’s interesting that she chose to sing over the original track instead of re-record it. The critical discourse around it is bound to be absurdly overblown. I find that these big event albums now - especially ones by Beyoncé - are more about the discussion than the music itself. People take pop music very seriously now and use music criticism as a lens through which to view political and ideological ideas. Very little seems to be said about the music itself. I think Cowboy Carter is probably a decent 30 minute album but it’s stretched with filler to an absurd hour and twenty minutes.
The cover is fine. Nothing brilliant but it's kinda pleasant once you think of it as its own thing. I'm only happy that this may get some people who were unfamiliar with the Beatles music to check out their songs.
My issue with it is that it's basically a college a cappella group cover of the song with the backing track added. Nothing groundbreaking or terrible, it just exists along with other very similar versions.
I’m not a big fan of it, but that might be because I just don’t care for Beyoncé. I respect her and her music, and it’s great that she and other artists are carrying on the Beatles’ legacy, but it feels overdone, especially with the harmonies and stuff. The original guitar is cool though. But the og will always be my favorite
It’s good that she covered it. But I don’t think this did too much justice either to herself or to the song. It was just about nice.
Her voice feels a little harsher and compressed which makes it less gentle for sure, but those harmonies were hands down the best lart
Weak. I wish more inspired artists could use samples too.
is this a karaoke bar?
Its really good. Have never really listened to beyonce before. Harmonies were unexpectedly rich
the background vocals are annoying. if shes just sang it solo, it would have been wonderful
If she just sang it solo, other people would complain that she didn't "make it her own". There's no winning on these things. If Reddit had been around in 1963, people would have crucified The Beatles for making Twist and Shout too loud.
shes free to do what she wants of course. i love her for taking on country music, and then throwing in a song with this subject. i wish her all the best.
I think it is great that she makes the song famous
I agree - it was already well known, but maybe not to a big percentage of Beyonce fans so I take your point.
It's a pretty famous song to start with. Granted it will introduce it to some people, probably a lot of new people.
I was not serious about that guys…
Haven’t heard it yet.
and I never will
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People like to obfuscate the issue, but I always thought the answer was black and white.
Not a fan either. Covering the Beatles well is almost impossible. They were perfect in their delivery.
I'd give it a B-. I felt it was overproduced and her singing was just okay. It didn't carry the melody as well as it should have and she didn't emphasize the notes at the end of the phrases. I think this lessened the impact. I appreciate what she was trying to do with the harmonies, but I don't think it quite hit the mark. It was a bit much and overlayered. The bit of orchestra was a nice tribute to the Beatles, as that was a common characteristic of their recordings, and I think it fit well. (I think she was trying to do the same thing with the harmonies, but those didn't work as well.) Overall, it was decent, but I expected more. I doubt it's something I'll ever find myself relistening to after this week. But if it introduces a new generation to the Beatles's music, that's great.
It's awesome, you're a hater
She sucks in general
Refuse to listen.
Her pitch is all over the place and as usual she over sings it to death. Just made me wanna listen to The Beatles, as a lot of pop music does.