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Suga Mama

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This article is about the Beyoncé song. For her backing band, see Suga Mama (tour band).
"Suga Mama"
Song

"Suga Mama" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her second studio album, B'day (2006). It was written by Knowles, Rich Harrison, and Makeba; Harrison and Knowles produced the track for her second solo album, B'Day. "Suga Mama" is influenced by 1970s funk and contains limited elements of 1980s go-go. The song also derives genres from R&B as well as soul. It contains a sample of Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers' song "Searching for Soul", which was written by Chuck Middleton. Lyrically, the song features the female protagonist willing to pay large sums of money to keep her love interest contented.

"Freakum Dress" was generally well received by music critics, with most of them calling it the bast track on B'Day and complimenting its Rich Harrison-production. The music video was shot in black-and-white and was co-directed by Melina Matsoukas and Knowles for the B'Day Anthology Video Album. The video was officially released in April 2007 on British television. The song was promoted by numerous live performances of Knowles on her world tours from 2007 to 2010.

Recording

Knowles enlisted Harrison as one of the five co-producers of B'Day, and she arranged for him, Sean Garrett and Rodney Jerkins to be given individual rooms at Sony Music Studios in New York City. Knowles said she fostered "healthy competition" between the producers by going into each of their rooms and commenting on the "great beats" the others were creating.[1] She and Harrison had previously collaborated on her 2003 single "Crazy in Love", which uses a prominent soul music sample in a similar manner to "Suga Mama".[2] Fox News said that "Suga Mama" and "Freakum Dress", Harrison's other contribution to B'Day "fall short of originality but mimic the Chi Lites [sic] percussion section [of "Crazy in Love"] yet again", adding, "Harrison is like the Indiana Jones of soul, constantly pulling out forgotten gems of the past for sampling [...] You can't help but think: Thank God someone wrote music in the past that can be repurposed now."[2]

Music and theme

"Suga Mama"
A 20-second sample of the song featuring Knowles telling her love interest that she wants to be his "Suga Mama".
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Suga Mama" is a moderate R&B song pacing in common time, set in 4/4 count.[3] According to MTV News and webzine PopMatters, the song features influences by 1970s funk and contains limited elements of 1980s go-go;[4][5] it also features sound more closely resembling live music than Knowles' previous recordings.[6] Its female narrator is satisfied by her lover and is willing to pay large sums of money to keep him contented. The protagonists tells her lover, "It's so good to the point that I'll do anything just to keep you home."[4] Rolling Stone magazine wrote, "Over a blues-guitar sample [...] Beyonce offers both herself and her checkbook."[7] The woman sees the man as a sex object, asking him to sit on her lap and "take it off while I watch you perform".[8] USA Today contrasted the song with the 1999 song "Bills, Bills, Bills" by Destiny's Child (of which Knowles was a member), writing, "From needing somebody to pay her automo-bills, [Knowles is] now doling out the cash as a satisfaction-seeking 'Suga Mama'."[9] Dave de Sylvi of Sputnikmusic said that Knowles sings: "I could be like a jolly rancher that you get from the corner store" with the same sense of mischief as Christina Aguilera on 'Candyman' (2007)."[10] A remix of the song features rapper American hip hop artist Consequence.[11]

Critical reception

The Chicago Sun-Times wrote that "Suga Mama" was the "best moment" on B'Day, which it reviewed negatively, and that it "owes much of its charm to lifts from Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers".[12] According to a review of B'Day in Entertainment Weekly, "A piddly home hi-fi can hardly capture the thunderous grandeur of 'Get Me Bodied' [...] or 'Suga Mama', a funky update of gutbucket '60s soul. Those songs showcase Beyonce's virtuosity, her mix of brute power and slick syncopation."[13] The Washington Post said Rich Harrison "delivers again with 'Suga Mama', twisting a vintage Soul Searchers sample into a gritty, loping groove. Beyonce sounds right at home on this one [...] And while it doesn't quite eclipse 'Crazy in Love', it's still B'Day's finest moment."[14] The Sydney Morning Herald cited the song as an example of one of the "good moments" on B'Day being "followed by a dud [...] the slinky funk of 'Suga Mama' is trodden on by the mechanical 'Upgrade U' and then trampled by the posturing and eventually annoying 'Ring the Alarm'".[15] IGN Music criticized Knowles' vocals in the song, writing that she "comes in over the low-end track with too much earnestness, drowning out the funky grooves with her piercing dramatic mezzo-soprano. If she were a throaty alto, she'd fit the beats that have been served up to her much more appropriately."[16]

Music video

Knowles riding a mechanical bull in the music video

The "Suga Mama" music video was released to British music channels in April 2007.[17] It is black-and-white and was co-directed by Melina and Knowles for the B'Day Anthology Video Album, which was released the same month;[18] it was one of eight videos shot in two weeks for the album.[19] It begins with Knowles sitting in a chair, wearing men's clothing and smoking a cigar. She gets up and begins to pole dance. The remainder of the video presents Knowles dancing on top of a sugar cube, dancing with backing dancers whose faces are partially concealed, lying in a circle of light, and riding a mechanical bull. Knowles said she is meant to "slowly become a woman" during the video, adding "Well, a sexier woman – I'm always a woman."[18]

Knowles rehearsed the pole dancing using two ballet bars, which was when it was decided to add a pole above her head to form an arc. Though Knowles is from Texas, she had never previously been on mechanical bull. There were no problems during warm-ups, but the man operating the bull during the video shoot programmed it to go faster, causing Knowles to fall off when she tried to perform tricks such as lifting up her foot, leaning back and turning around. To minimize the time Knowles spent on the bull, the director shot the sequence at twelve frames per second (see frame rate) and Knowles sang twice as quickly, but it wasn't until 4:00 am that they completed work.[18]

Live performances

Although Knowles did not perform the song in any televised appearances, the song was a part of her set list on The Beyoncé Experience in Los Angeles and I Am... Tour during various stops including the Odyssey Arena in Northern Ireland, the O2 Arena in London, Athens in Greece, and Sydney in Australia.[20][21] When Knowles performed the song in Sunrise, Florida on June 29, 2009, she was wearing a glittery gold leotard. As she sung, animated graphics of turntables, faders, and other club gear throbbed behind her and her dancers as well as musicians.[22] Knowles was accompanied by her two drummers, two keyboardists, a percussionist, a horn section, three imposing backup vocalists called the Mamas and a lead guitarist, Bibi McGill.[23] "Freakum Dress" was included as the third track and the fourth track on her live albums The Beyoncé Experience Live (2007),[24] and the deluxe edition of I Am... World Tour (2010) respectively.[25] The Tennessean wrote that the song "was even sexier and more gutbucket than on record".[26]

References

Template:Wikipedia-Books

  1. ^ "It's A Celebration". Billboard. September 4, 2006. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  2. ^ a b Friedman, Roger (August 17, 2006). "First Look: Beyonce's New Album 'B'Day'". FOX. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  3. ^ "Beyoncé Digital Sheet Music: Suga Mama". Musicnotes. Hal Leonard Corporation. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  4. ^ a b "Beyonce Album Preview: Harder Sound, Aggressive Songs Among B'Day's Gifts". MTV. August 30, 2006. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  5. ^ Joseph, Mike. "Beyoncé". PopMatters. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
  6. ^ Mayers, Norman. "Beyonce". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
  7. ^ "Beyonce". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
  8. ^ Springer, Sarah (October 6, 2006). "Beyonce's Back with her Second Solo Album". Black Voices. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  9. ^ Barnes, Ken. "Beyonce sets a torrid pace on new CD". USA Today. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
  10. ^ Dave de Sylvia (September 17, 2006). "Beyonce - B'Day". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  11. ^ Concepcion, Mariel (July 16, 2007). "Consequence Snags DMC For Video, Preps New CD". Billboard. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  12. ^ DeRogatis, Jim (September 3, 2006). "Spins - Beyonce, "B'day" (Sony)". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on October 23, 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  13. ^ Rosen, Jody. "B'Day (2006)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
  14. ^ Richards, Chris (September 6, 2006). "Beyonce's 'B'Day' Is Nothing to Celebrate". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  15. ^ Zuel, Bernard (September 8, 2006). "B'Day". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  16. ^ D., Spence (September 5, 2006). "Beyonce - B'Day". IGN. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  17. ^ "Suga Mama". RCA Records. April 24, 2007. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  18. ^ a b c Vineyard, Jennifer. "Behind the B'Day Videos". MTV. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
  19. ^ "Beyonce releases 'B'Day' video album". USA Today. April 5, 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  20. ^ "Beyoncé - Freakum Dress". Nuts (magazine) (United Kingdom). IPC Media. Retrieved January 9, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  21. ^ "Beyoncé - Diva (live from the "I Am..." World Tour DVD)". Perez TV. November 15, 2010. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  22. ^ Parke Puterbaugh (June 29, 2009). "Review: Beyonce is ... Fierce talent". New Records. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  23. ^ Ben Ratliff (June 22, 2009). "Flash, Concepts and, Yes, Songs". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  24. ^ "The Beyoncé Experience (Live) [Audio Version]". Itunes Belgium (in Dutch). Apple Inc. November 19, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  25. ^ "I Am...World Tour". Itunes Belgium (in Dutch). Apple Inc. November 26, 2010. Retrieved January 9, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  26. ^ Friskics-Warren, Bill (July 19, 2007). "Review: Beyoncé and her all-female band inspire, uplift". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on December 11, 2007. Retrieved August 31, 2008.

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