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"Suga Mama"
Song

"Suga Mama" is a song performed by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her second studio album, B'Day (2006). It was written by Knowles, Rich Harrison, and Makeba Riddick, and produced by Harrison and Knowles. "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, while sampling Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers' song "Searching for Soul", written by Chuck Middleton. Lyrically, "Suga Mama" features the female protagonist willing to pay large sums of money to keep her love interest contented.

"Suga Mama" was generally well received by music critics, who often noted it as one of the highlights from B'Day and complimented Harrison's production. However, there was some limited criticism of Knowles' vocal work on the song. Though not released as a single, "Suga Mama" had a music video filmed in black-and-white, and directed by Melina Matsoukas and Knowles, for the B'Day Anthology Video Album. The video received a limited release to British music TV channels. The song was also featured on the set lists of Knowles' last two world tours, The Beyoncé Experience (2007) and I Am... World Tour (2010). "Suga Mama" was included their accompanying live albums as well.

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 set in common time.[3] According to Shaheem Reid of MTV News and Joseph Mike webzine PopMatters, the song features influences by the 1960s as well as 1970s funk,[4] soul music,[5] and rock music.[6] Additionally, it contains limited elements of the 1980s go-go;[4][5] it also features sound more closely resembling live music than Knowles' previous recordings,[7] and Knowles delivers her vocal lines against a hip hop as well as jazzy beat.[8][9] Brian Hiatt of Rolling Stone magazine wrote that the song incorporates "a blues-guitar sample"[10] while IGN Music noted hat the song consists of a "static grit groove."[11] According to Jody Rosen of Entertainment Weekly, "Suga Mama" consists of a mixture of "brute power and slick syncopation."[8] It also contains a sample of Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers' song "Searching for Soul", which was written by Chuck Middleton.[12]

Lyrically, the song features the female protagonist offering up the keys to her house and car and her credit card just to keep her love interest and his good loving at home, presumably so that he can listen to her collection of old soul records.[13][14] These interpretations are shown in the lines: "It's so good to the point that I'll do anything just to keep you home [...] Tell me what you want me to buy, my accountant's waiting on the phone [...]".[4] The woman also sees the man as a sex object, asking him to sit on her lap and "take it off while I watch you perform".[15][16] 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'."[14] 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)."[17] On the other hand, Gail Mitchell of Billboard noticed that the song's lyrical arrangement was similar to that of Tina Turner's work.[6] A remix of the song features rapper American hip hop artist Consequence.[18]

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".[19] 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."[20] Bernard Zuel 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'".[21] Dave de Sylvi of Sputnikmusic said that Knowles is as " sweet and faux-innocent" as the 1960s soul stars in "Suga Mama".[17]

Bill Lamb of About.com chose "Suga Mama" as one of the top four songs on the entire record, writing that Knowles knows how to take good care of her man in the song.[22] Eb Haynes of AllHipHop considered the track to be an embodiment of "of the woman wearing and buying $500 stiletto pumps."[23] Andy Kellman of Allmusic described "Suga Mama" as a "spectacularly layered" track.[24] Jody Rosen of Entertainment Weekly, said that songs like "Suga Mama" showcase of Knowles' virtuosity and continued: "No one — not R. Kelly, not Usher, to say nothing of her rival pop divas — can match Beyoncé's genius for dragging her vocal lines [...]".[8] By contrast, 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."[11]

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.[25] 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;[26] it was one of eight videos shot in two weeks for the album.[27] 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."[26]

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.[26]

Live performances

The Mamas on Knowles' I Am... Tour.

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.[28][29] In Los Angeles, Knowles performed segments of the song, dressed in a golden, translucent slip and golden, sparkling panties. It was executed without backup dancers or live instrumentation, only backup singers toward the performance's conclusion.[30] When Knowles performed the song in Sunrise, Florida on June 29, 2009, she was wearing a glittery gold leotard. As she sang, animated graphics of turntables, faders and other club equipment were projected behind Knowles, her dancers and musicians.[31] 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.[32] "Suga Mama" was included on her live albums The Beyoncé Experience Live (2007),[33]. The Tennessean wrote that the song "was even sexier and more gutbucket than on record".[34]

References

  1. ^ "It's A Celebration". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. September 4, 2006. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  2. ^ a b Friedman, Roger (August 17, 2006). "First Look: Beyonce's New Album 'B'Day'". Fox News Channel. Fox Entertainment Group. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  3. ^ "Beyoncé Digital Sheet Music: Suga Mama". Musicnotes. Hal Leonard Corporation. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  4. ^ a b c "Beyonce Album Preview: Harder Sound, Aggressive Songs Among B'Day's Gifts". MTV News. MTV Networks. August 30, 2006. Retrieved September 11, 2008. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  5. ^ a b Joseph, Mike. "Beyoncé". PopMatters. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
  6. ^ a b Gail Mitchell (September 5, 2006). "Beyonce - B'Day". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media: 69. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  7. ^ Mayers, Norman (September 5, 2006). "Beyonce". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  8. ^ a b c Rosen, Jody (September 1, 2006). "Music Review: B'Day (2006) – Beyoncé Knowles". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  9. ^ Gill, Jaime (September 7, 2006). "Yahoo! Music Album Review: Beyonce - B'day". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo!. Retrieved January 9, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  10. ^ Brian Hiatt (September 20, 2006). "Beyonce - B'Day". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Archived from the original on December 23, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  11. ^ a b D., Spence (September 5, 2006). "Beyonce - B'Day". IGN. News Corporation. Retrieved January 9, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  12. ^ "Music Review: B'Day". Stylus (magazine). Fine Life Media. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  13. ^ Rodman, Sarah (September 4, 2006). "Beyonce shows rage and range on new release". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  14. ^ a b USA Today staff and correspondents (September 04, 2006). "Beyonce sets a torrid pace on new CD". USA Today. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on June 1, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2011. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ Springer, Sarah (October 6, 2006). "Beyonce's Back with her Second Solo Album". Black Voices. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  16. ^ Caroline Sullivan (September 1, 2006). "Review: Beyonce - B'day". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  17. ^ a b Dave de Sylvia (September 17, 2006). "Beyonce - B'Day". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  18. ^ Concepcion, Mariel (July 16, 2007). "Consequence Snags DMC For Video, Preps New CD". Billboard. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  19. ^ DeRogatis, Jim (September 3, 2006). "Spins - Beyonce, "B'day" (Sony)". Chicago Sun-Times. John Barron. Archived from the original on October 23, 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  20. ^ Richards, Chris (September 6, 2006). "Beyonce's 'B'Day' Is Nothing to Celebrate". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  21. ^ Zuel, Bernard (September 8, 2006). "B'Day". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  22. ^ Bill Lamb. "Review: Beyonce - B'day". About.com. The New York Times Company. Retrieved January 9, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  23. ^ Haynes, Eb (September 20, 2006). "B'Day". AllHipHop. Retrieved January 8, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  24. ^ Kellman, Andy. "B'Day". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved January 9, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  25. ^ "Suga Mama". RCA Records. April 24, 2007. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  26. ^ a b c Vineyard, Jennifer. "Behind the B'Day Videos". MTV News. MTV Networks. Retrieved August 31, 2008. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  27. ^ "Beyonce releases 'B'Day' video album". USA Today. April 5, 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  28. ^ "Beyoncé - Suga Mama". Nuts (magazine) (United Kingdom). IPC Media. Retrieved January 9, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  29. ^ "Beyoncé - Diva (live from the "I Am..." World Tour DVD)". Perez TV. November 15, 2010. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  30. ^ Beyoncé Knowles (2007). The Beyoncé Experience Live. Columbia Records.
  31. ^ Parke Puterbaugh (June 29, 2009). "Review: Beyonce is ... Fierce talent". New Records. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  32. ^ Ben Ratliff (June 22, 2009). "Flash, Concepts and, Yes, Songs". The New York Times. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  33. ^ "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)
  34. ^ 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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