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Listen (Beyoncé song)

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"Listen"
Song

"Listen" (Spanish: "Oye") is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. Henry Krieger, Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, and Knowles wrote the song, and was produced by The Underdogs for the soundtrack in the 2006 musical film Dreamgirls. "Listen" is one of four new compositions written for Dreamgirls, and Deena Jones, the character portrayed by Knowles in the film, sang it to assert independence over her controlling husband.

The track was released as the lead single from film's soundtrack album on December 5, 2006 in the United States, and appeared as a hidden track on international editions of Knowles' second solo studio album, B'Day. "Listen" was a critical success, and it won Best Original Song at the 2007 Annual Critics' Choice Awards.

Context

In the film version of Dreamgirls, Knowles portrays the character of Deena Jones, a pop singer who is heavily inspired by 1960s Motown star Diana Ross. The story explores the life of The Dreamettes, a fictional 1960s group of three female singers—Effie White (American singer-actress Jennifer Hudson), Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson (American singer-actress Anika Noni Rose)—who are shaken when they discover their manager is manipulating their personal and professional relationships.[1]

At the film's halfway point, Effie, who first had relationship with thei manager, discovers he is betraying her; Effie has her crescendo scene when she sings "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", a song popularized in 1982 by American singer-actress Jennifer Holliday.[2] During the second half of the film, Curtis and Deena argue at dinner over Deena's desire to make her film debut in an urban film instead of the Cleopatra prequel that Curtis is producing. An angry Curtis asserts his creative and psychological control over his wife, informing Deena that he would not let anyone else "handle" her, because, in his words, "no one knows you the way I do". Curtis tells Deena that her voice "had no personality. No depth. Except for what [he] put in there."[1]

In the context of the film, "Listen" is a 1975 song that Deena records on Rainbow Records, a recording empire established by Curtis. She records the song to, after knowing Curtis is also controlling her, assert independence.[2][3] Used in the film as a last-minute recording by Deena before leaving Curtis "to find her own voice as a newly independent woman",[4] co-writer Anne Preven called "Listen" a song which "Deena is exclaiming, 'You don't know who I am, and I know I do.'"[5]

Composition

Upon reading the script for Dreamgirls, director Bill Condon felt the second half of the film needed a song.[2] The "emotional punch" of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" led him to ask the musical team for Dreamgirls "to create a new and equally moving song to energize the second act".[4] Led by Henry Krieger, the composer of the original 1981 Broadway musical version of Dreamgirls, the song was written with help from Scott Cutler, Preven, and Knowles. The track was produced by the R&B-pop production duo The Underdogs.[6] "Listen" is one of four songs written for the film version of Dreamgirls.[7]

"Listen" is a soul song with ballad influences,[3][7][8] performed in a moderately slow pace. Set in common time, it is composed in the key of B♭ major.[9] The lyrics are written in the traditional verse-chorus form. A bridge follows after repeating the pattern and ends in another chorus. The music of the song takes its instrumentation from the bass, celli, drums, guitars, keyboards, percussion, violas, and violins.[6]

Release

Knowles performing "Listen" in during The Beyoncé Experience concert tour

"Listen" was released as the lead single off the soundtrack album Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture. Knowles recorded an introduction to "Listen" entitled "Encore to the Fans", and the song and introduction are featured as bonus tracks on international editions of Knowles' second solo album B'Day.[10] In the United States, "Listen" was released as a CD single on January 29, 2007, featuring its album and instrumental versions.[11] A Spanish version of the song, Oye, was produced and released on the deluxe edition of B'Day.

Critical reception

Knowles scored positive reviews for "Listen", most of which complimented her vocal performance. A reviewer from Pitchfork stated that "when [Beyoncé] belts out the chorus, the inspiration is real, tangible, and contagious".[12] Chuck Taylor of Billboard magazine writes, "Beyoncé delivers the performance of her career in 'Listen,' another defining moment in the brilliant flick [besides Hudson's 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going']. In this devastatingly beautiful ballad, she shimmers with evocative emotion, rising to new heights alongside a golden melody with spellbinding, rafter-raising production."[13] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine noted that the song "adds grit and touching gravity to Deena".[14] Jody Rosen's review for Entertainment Weekly was less impressed, describing "Listen" as "gloopy" and "an inspirational ballad about 'the song in my heart', which builds to an enormous schlock-opera climax".[15]

"Listen" was nominated Best Original Song at the 2006 International Press Academy Satellite Award,[16] and, in the following year, at the Golden Globe Awards and at the Academy Awards.[17][18] Also in 2007, Dreamgirls received seven nominations at the 12th Annual Critics' Choice Awards, where the film won four awards, including Best Original Song for "Listen".[19] At the Academy Awards, Knowles was not listed as one of the honorees. She is officially one of the four writers of the song, but as per Academy Rule 16, only three major contributors of a song are legible. This new rule was only ratified in 2005, and the executive committee of the organization determined, during their meeting in December of the same year, that Knowles' contribution was the smallest.[20][21]

Music video

Two music videos were made to promote the single. The first version premiered on MTV's Making the Video on November 28, 2006.[22] This video, which was directed by Diane Martel, features Knowles walking through a performance hall in modern-day street clothes, performing the song. Once she arrives onstage and at the song's bridge, she appears in costume as Deena, dressed in a 1970s-era gown. Intercut into the video are scenes from Dreamgirls, most of which depict Deena's relationship with Curtis.[23] These clips, however, were taken out in the director's cut version of the video;[24] this version appeared on the B'Day Anthology Video Album. The other version, directed by Matthew Rolston, features Knowles wearing a modern-day tank top, performing the song against a blank white background. Interspersed are some scenes from a Vogue magazine photo shoot.[25] This version appears on the Dreamgirls DVD release.

Track listing

US CD single
  1. "Listen" (Album version)
  2. "Listen" (Instrumental)
International CD single
  1. "Listen"
  2. "Irreplaceable" (DJ Speedy remix)

Charts

Chart (2007)[26][27][28] Peak
position
Austria Top 75 32
German Singles Top 100 18
Irish Singles Chart 6
Italian Singles Chart 3
Swiss Singles Top 100 10
UK Singles Chart 16
US Billboard Hot 100 61
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 23
US Billboard Pop 100 56

References

  1. ^ a b Condon, Bill - Director. Dreamgirls (Motion picture). United States: DreamWorks SKG. {{cite AV media}}: Unknown parameter |date2= ignored (help)
  2. ^ a b c Reid, Shaheem (2006-12-13). "Beyonce Wants End To Drama Over New Drama 'Dreamgirls'; Sets Tour". MTV News. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  3. ^ a b Scott, A. O. (2006-12-15). "Three-Part Heartbreak in Motown". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  4. ^ a b Ulmer, James (2006-09-10). "After Conquering 'Chicago,' It's On to Motown". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  5. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (2006-01-02). "In the mix: The Oscar song race rocks a who's who list of top stars". Variety. Reed Business. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  6. ^ a b B'Day deluxe edition (Media notes). Sony Music BMG Entertainment. 2007.
  7. ^ a b Corey, Moss (2006-08-01). "New Beyonce Single — And Eddie Murphy Singing — Featured In 'Dreamgirls'". MTV. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
  8. ^ Gardner, Elysa (2006-08-31). "Beyoncé, raising her voice". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  9. ^ "Listen". Sheet Music Plus. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  10. ^ Orzeck, Kurt (2006-09-05). "New Releases: Beyonce, Audioslave, Iron Maiden, Alice In Chains, Kinky, Sebadoh, Black Ice, Hem & More". MTV. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  11. ^ "Listen". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  12. ^ "Pitchfork: Track Reviews - Listen". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  13. ^ Taylor, Chuck. "Listen". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  14. ^ Travers (2006-11-21). "Dreamgirls". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-03-30. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |firs= ignored (help)
  15. ^ Rosen (2007-09-01). "Music Review: B'Day (2006)-Beyonce Knowles". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2007-12-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |firs= ignored (help)
  16. ^ "2006 11th Annual SATELLITE™ Awards". The International Press Academy and The SATELLITE Awards. Retrieved 2008-10-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ ""Nominees for the 2007 Golden Globe Awards in full". Times Online. 2006-12-15. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  18. ^ "79th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  19. ^ "Film critics honour The Departed". British Broadcasting Corporation. 2007-01-13. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  20. ^ O'Neil, Tom (2007-01-02). "Oscars won't 'Listen' to Beyonce; she's disqualified in song race". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  21. ^ Montgomery, James (2007-01-04). "Oscars Snub Beyonce Over 'Listen'". MTV. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  22. ^ "Video Premiere: Beyonce". MTV. 2006-11-28. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  23. ^ Martel, Diane - Director. Listen (Music video). United States: Sony BMG. {{cite AV media}}: Unknown parameter |year2= ignored (help)
  24. ^ Matel, Diane - Director. Listen (Director's cut) (Music video). United States: Sony BMG. {{cite AV media}}: Unknown parameter |year2= ignored (help)
  25. ^ Rolston, Matthew - Director. Listen (Music video). United States: VH1. {{cite AV media}}: Unknown parameter |year2= ignored (help)
  26. ^ "Artist Chart History - Beyoncé". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  27. ^ "Beyoncé's Billboard Singles Chart Performances". Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
  28. ^ "Beyoncé - Listen". αCharts.us. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
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