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I Care (Beyoncé song)

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"I Care"
Song

"I Care" is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, taken from her fourth studio album, 4 (2011). It was written by Knowles, Jeff Bhasker and Chad Hugo while production was handled by Knowles and Bhasker. The song was recorded at the MSR Studios and was mixed by Jordan Young aka DJ Swivel at KMA Studio in New York City. "I Care" is an R&B power ballad, which also contains elements of soul music and rock music. Built on a hand-clapped rhythm and pulsating beats, the song's instrumentation consists of screeching guitars, low-profile synthesizers, pounding drums, heavy percussion instrument, and a piano. In "I Care", Knowles admits her vulnerability to her indifferent love interest with both honesty and power. She sings with heartfelt emotion over cooing background vocals and scats alongside a multi-octave guitar solo towards the end of the song.

"I Care" was generally well-received by contemporary music critics who highlighted the heartfelt emotion, sadness and resentment with which Knowles sings. Critics also complimented the way she made effective use out the power in her lower register in the first and second verses until her voice slowly builds till the commanding chorus is reached. Critics generally praised the guitar solo and the vocal power of Knowles which was displayed by "I Care" among other songs on 4. Following the release of 4 in early July 2011, "I Care" charted number 35 on the South Korea Gaon International Singles Chart, based on downloads alone. The song was part of Knowles' set list for her 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé, held in Roseland Ballroom, New York City in August 2011. Critics once again praised her vocal abilities and noted that performing the song live, made it seem single-worthy.

Background and production

Chad Hugo (pictured) co-wrote the song with Jeff Bhasker and Knowles.

"I Care" was written by Jeff Bhasker, Chad Hugo and Knowles while production was handled by Bhasker and Knowles.[1] A private listening party for Knowles' fourth studio album, 4, was held on May 12, 2011.[2] Knowles offered a select group of fans a preview of five songs from 4 and the official video for the lead single "Run the World (Girls)".[2] On that occasion, "I Care" was one of the songs previewed.[2] Beginning on June 16 to June 27, 2011, the songs from 4 were available to listen to in full each day on Knowles' official website, paired with its accompanying photo spread from the album packaging and an insightful quote.[3] On June 17, 2011, "I Care" was the second song to be chosen. The quote found Knowles commenting that "I Care" is one of the many ballads which take on matters of the heart.[4] Jordan Young aka DJ Swivel mixed "I Care" at New York's KMA Studio.[5] He told Sound on Sound, "I didn’t really know I was going to mix 'I Care' until the last minute. Luckily, during the course of the album, I had a couple of days to myself and I mixed it just because I felt like it, so the demo was already somewhat mixed, and B[eyoncé] let me do the final mix also."[5]

"I Care" comprised 75 tracks in total: 35 for the music and 40 for the vocals.[5] According to Swivel, the main challenge in mixing "I Care" was hand‑aligning every single drum shot as it was time-consuming. He said, "It's super‑monotonous, but it's the best way I can do it. If you Beat Detective the drums to the grid, it's never perfect."[5] As the layering of the drums had to be right on the millisecond, Swivel did one kick and snare at a time.[5] This helped him ensure that the kicks line up with the programmed drums, hence preventing any phase inversion.[5] Accordingly, each drum punched through as strongly as the last. The inspiration for the main drum sound on "I Care" came to Swivel at around four o'clock in the morning during a mixing session.[5] He took a large plate sound from Avid’s D‑Verb plug‑in, rolled the high frequencies off at 8.6 kHz, and sent it through an SSL channel strip with a gate on it, setting the release time to 0.6 seconds. He said, "It's a really basic plug‑in, and I used a very [19]80s‑sounding gated reverb." [5]

I am a producer as well, so part of what I think when I am mixing is: 'What is the sound the producer was trying to achieve?’ Sometimes a plug‑in won’t get that sound, so I’ll often take creative freedoms by doing some drum replacement, and if a producer doesn’t like it, it’s as simple as a mute — it’s no big deal. It’s never to change the sound; it’s just a utilitarian thing, to help execute a sound.

—DJ Swivel, Sound on Sound[5]

Once he had the sound, he rolled off the bottom to "take the muddiness out".[5] It was actually double reverbed; the gated reverb was only on the snares and the toms, and the rest of the kit as a whole had another plate reverb, which came off the Lexicon 960, for smoothing it out.[5] Swivel said that it actually took him five minutes. According to him, the sound obtained was "a little unorthodox" and therefore, he tried to refine it.[5] Knowles thought that it was better the way Swivel did it originally. Swivel commented, "... and in all honesty, whatever works first is usually going to work best. You end up finding something you like about it, and that's where the emotional attachment to a sound comes into play."[5] Swivel often replaces or augments sounds with samples, trying to realise the producer's vision. Similarly in "I Care", he added a couple of kicks underneath the original kick and pitched them down an octave, so that "[the listener] could not hear them but could feel them on big speakers."[5] Swivel further said that it started with "a dark, almost warehouse‑sounding" kick, and he then added a little thump to it.[5]

Swivel dedicated much time in getting the vocal sound right, which according to him is crucial while working with Knowles' music.[5] He further explained, "I only put a quick EQ on the vocal at the end of a recording session if I have been cutting her, but mixing is far more particular, so I spent a lot of time dialling in the perfect frequency."[5] For the delay throws in the verses on "I Care", he sent it through a large hall reverb at 50 percent — half reverb, half clean — then through an Amp Farm plug‑in for the grittiness, and that then went through a quarter‑note delay.[5] In the bridge, Knowles matches the guitar solo vocally — that was doubled — and one of the vocal tracks has an Amp Farm on it to add to that grittiness.[5] To do justice to the multitude of vocal tracks within the song, Swivel created a stereo field using some clever panning techniques and a Waves S1 Imager plug‑in.[5] He said that it worth noting that whenever he mixes a record, "I hate hard‑panned L/R. To get the right width, I pan them all differently in pairs: 40/40, 60/60, 70/70, 80/80, 90/90, and OK, maybe one is 100/100, but this process is ultimately what creates the stereo field."[5] Swivel used Waves' SSL E‑Channel plug‑in to shape Knowles' lead vocal. He took a Waves S1 Imager and spread with that without isolating he width.[5] He added that something is hard‑panned, it feels too isolated and also confuses the listener's ears. Swivel explained further, "I like smooth sound, and with B[eyoncé] that works fine as she’s so good at matching everything. I like a wall of background vocals. It's the best way of putting your vocal in every area of the stereo field: a wide sound, but you’ve still got something there in the middle."[5]

Composition and lyrical interpretation

"I Care" is an R&B power ballad.[6][7][8] According to Cameron Adams of the Herald Sun, the song contains elements of futuristic soul music[9] and rock music.[10] It is built on a hand-clapped rhythm,[11] various melodies,[12] and pulsating as well as palpitating beats and a lone synth note underneath.[13][14] "I Care" is instrumentally complete with screeching guitars,[15] synthesizers,[14] a thrashing drum machine,[11][16] dense percussion instrument,[17] and a piano.[12] Holly Gleason of Paste magazine commented that "I Care" aurally resembles Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" (1977).[11] Joey Guerra of The Houston Chronicle and Matthew Horton of BBC felt that the emotion and the chords present in "I Care" are reminiscent of Prince's "Purple Rain" (1984).[8][16] Horton added that it "near-equals '1+1' and 'I Miss You' tug heartstrings too".[8] Jim Farber of the Daily News wrote that Knowles' vocals over the guitar solo on "I Care" could have spun off a song by Journey.[18] The New York Times' Jon Caramanica compared the song with Janet Jackson's earlier materials.[19]

"I Care"
A 24-second sample of "I Care" on which Knowles sings with "a devastating blend of sadness and resentment"[17] over distant humming synthesizers, pounding drums and a tumbling beat.[20] She adopts raspy and husky growls,[21] on the guitar solo,[12] after which the song surges during the cathartic chorus, "Well I care / I know you don’t care too much, but I still care".[22]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Throughout the song, Knowles airs out her feelings to an indifferent partner,[23][24] and delivers "indignation and beauty in equal measure", as stated by Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune.[25] This view was echoed by Erika Ramirez of Billboard magazine, who wrote that Knowles endorses "beauty in honesty and, ironically, power in admitting her vulnerability",[26] and Lewis Corner of Digital Spy, who noted that the "raspy and husky growls" that she adopts occasionally, show "offering moments of raw, heartfelt emotion".[21] Gleason wrote that the song writhes through the ache and the obsession that come from being the one left in love.[11] Knowles sings over cooing background vocals,[17] and her voice moves "from silken to powerful, torn to potent".[11]

Over ominous keys in the first verse, Knowles sings about how her relationship turned sour and puts all her cards on the table, "I told you how you hurt me, baby / But you don't care / Now I'm crying and deserted, baby / But you don't care / Ain't nobody tell me this is love / You're immune to all my pain / I need you to tell me this love / You don't care, well, that's OK".[23] While singing the first and second verses, Knowles pulls out the power in her lower register.[27] Each time, her voice slowly builds till the commanding chorus is reached,[12] where towards the end, she sings, "la la la", in a muted saxophone line.[28] Her voice expresses anger as she sings the chorus lines.[29] In the second verse, Knowles continues the "wild-eyed pleas", as stated by Guerra.[16] Her raw vocals then punch through most powerfully at the second chorus leading up to the bridge.[15][29] After the bridge, Knowles, this time, scats the chorus alongside a multi-octave guitar solo.[10][12][25]

Critical reception

Joanne Dorken of MTV UK that "I Care" proves why Knowles "is still the best in the business", further adding that her vocals are flawless as she belts out notes "we didn't even realise were possible."[13] Similarly, David Amidon of PopMatters who stated that "1+1 provides Knowles a song that "can compete with the favorites of this generation's parents", later wrote that "1+1" and "I Care" are "equally competent, if safer, attempts at the same formula".[7] He added that the songs explains why she "head and shoulders above her Clear Channel competition in R&B".[7] However, he concluded that the two songs are misplaced on the tracklising of the album as "I Care" is "a jilted lover track" directly after "a pure love song" as "1+1".[7] The Chicago Sun-Times's Thomas Conner commented that "I care" is a "sad but superb" song.[14] Holly Gleason of Paste magazine noted that I Care" creates "a backdrop for Knowles' shaft of vocal power", hinting that she played Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008).[11]

Genevieve Koski of The A.V. Club commented that "4 sees [Knowles] stretching out vocally, particularly on the heart-rending 'I Care'."[30] Rich Juzwiak of The Village Voice commented that "I Care" is one of several 4 songs in which "deceptive calm gives way to intensity-cum-chorus", and commended how Knowles' essence "trembles with feeling, she seizes with emotion [and] her voice flutters with the intensity of a hummingbird".[31] Brandon Lewis of Blogcritics commended how Knowles makes maximum use of the power in her lower register, which according to him, is very effective with the song's "relatively short, punchy phrasing".[27] Ian Walker of AbsolutePunk commented that Knowles and "the backing production" ebb and flow as the song proceeds, and added that toward the end, Knowles channels her inner Mariah Carey and ultimately "puts the older star to shame".[12] Similarly, Craig Jenkins of Prefix Magazine praised how effortlessly Knowles scats along with the multi-octave guitar solo.[10]

Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone wrote that though the song may not be an obvious single, it remains one of the finest tracks on the record.[17] Ben Cardew of Music Week called "I Care" an "early highlight" on 4, further praising its instrumentation and the fact that the song "feels touched with sadness, largely thanks to a fantastic chorus". He also noted that "I Care" bears resemblance to some of The Neptunes's "classy early tracks".[32] Andy Gill of The Independent wrote that "I Care" makes good use of Surfer Blood's 2010 song Twin Peaks's two-chord motif.[33] Chad Grischow of IGN commented "I Care" is one of the songs that on which the Knowles' vocals are superior to the lyrics, "as the lame hook pleads, 'But I care / I know you don't care too much / But I still care'".[20] NME's Hamish MacBain showed depreciation the guitar solo, the lyrics and the "off-kilter drums and moody synths" on "I Care".[34] Neil McCormick of UK's The Daily Telegraph viewed "I Care" as an old-fashioned power ballad.[24]

Live performances

Knowles performing during the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé.

Knowles performed "I Care" live for first time on August 14, 2011 during her 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé in Roseland Ballroom, New York City.[35] She performed the song in front of 3,500 people wearing a gold dress and backed by her all-female band and her backing singers, called the Mamas.[36] Joycelyn Vena of MTV News commented that on "I Care", Knowles' vocal abilities "outshined it all."[37] Mike Wass of Idolator commented:

Sitting on top of a piano with her band and orchestra watching on, Beyonce wrung every ounce of emotion from the lyrics of '1+1' and hit each note perfectly. It was an impressive display, but her rendition of 'I Care' was even better. [Knowles] whipped her hair to the brooding brass and ominous beat, while bringing the song to life with an immaculate vocal. Out of nowhere, this often-overlooked track now seems single-worthy.[38]

The video taken from the DVD Live at Roseland: Elements of 4 was uploaded onto YouTube by Knowles' Vevo account on December 21, 2011. It begins with Knowles singing the song seated while wearing a sparkly mini dress.[39] Later, the guitar player in her all-female band comes next to her and performs a guitar solo while Knowles is singing the bridge.[39] Kenneth Partridge of The Boombox praised the performance writing that "the R&B megastar is all growls and snarling glances".[39] He further stated that Knowles looked like "a triumphant rock 'n' roll goddess" while performing "I Care".[39] A writer of The Huffington Post praised the performance writing that "'I Care' off her album 4 showcases an impressive amount of Beyonce-ness. As she belts the lyrics 'You see these tears falling down to my ears/ I swear you like when I'm in pain/ I try to tell you all my fears/ You still don't care?/ That's okay,' Beyonce bedazzles in a sparkly getup and an impressive amount of hair-whipping."[40] During the ITV special A Night With Beyoncé which aired on December 4 in the United Kingdom, Knowles performed "I Care" to a selected crowd of fans.[41]

Chart performance

For the week ending July 2, 2011, "I Care" debuted at number 35 on the South Korean International Singles Chart, selling 15,816 digital downloads.[42]

Chart (2011) Peak
position
South Korea Gaon International Chart[42] 35
Portuguese Ringtone Chart[43] 16

Release history

Country Date Format
Italy[44] March 23, 2012 Contemporary hit radio

References

  1. ^ 4 (Media notes). Columbia Records. 2011. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |artist= ignored (|others= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b c MTV News Staff (May 11, 2011). "Beyonce Previews 4, 'Run The World (Girls)' Video". MTV News. MTV Networks. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Join Us As We Count Down To '4'". Beyoncé Knowles' Official Website. Archived from the original on June 18, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  4. ^ "Beyoncé's New Album Out Now & Streaming In Full | The Official Beyoncé Site". Beyoncé Knowles' Official Website. Note that you have to click on the cover art of 'I Miss You' to see the quote. Archived from the original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w "DJ Swivel: Recording Beyoncé's 4". Sound on Sound. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  6. ^ Markovitz, Adam (July 10, 2011). "4 review – Beyoncé Review | Music Reviews and News". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved December 7, 2011. {{cite web}}: Text "Jul 10, 2011" ignored (help)
  7. ^ a b c d Amidon, David (June 27, 2011). "Beyoncé: 4 < PopMatters". PopMatters. Sarah Zupko. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  8. ^ a b c Horton, Matthew (June 22, 2011). "BBC – Music – Review of Beyoncé – 4". BBC Online. BBC. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  9. ^ Adams, Cameron (June 23, 2011). "Album review: 4 by Beyonce". Herald Sun. The Herald and Weekly Times. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  10. ^ a b c Jenkins, Craig (June 28, 2011). "Beyoncé – 4". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Gleason, Holly (June 24, 2011). "Beyoncé 4 (Columbia)". Paste. Wolfgang's Vault. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Walker, Ian (June 24, 2011). "Beyoncé Knowles – 4". AbsolutePunk. Buzz Media. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  13. ^ a b Dorken, Joanne (June 21, 2011). "Beyoncé '4' Track By Track Review". MTV UK. MTV Networks. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  14. ^ a b c Conner, Thomas (June 22, 2011). "CD review: Beyonce, '4' – Music: Via Chicago". Chicago Sun-Times. Sun-Times Media Group. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  15. ^ a b Cragg, Michael (June 26, 2011). "Beyoncé: 4 – review". The Observer. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  16. ^ a b c Guerra, Joey (June 26, 2011). "Review: It figures Beyoncé's 4 is another jewel | Life | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle". The Houston Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  17. ^ a b c d By Matthew Perpetua (June 8, 2011). "Beyonce's '4': A Track-by-Track Breakdown | Rolling Stone Music". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  18. ^ Farber, Jim (June 28, 2011). "Beyonce review: Singer shows softer side and lyrical power with new album '4'". Daily News. Mortimer Zuckerman. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  19. ^ Caramanica, Jon (June 27, 2011). "On '4,' Beyoncé Bids Farewell (for Now) to Her Old Selves". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  20. ^ a b Grischow, Chad (June 28, 2011). "Beyonce: 4 Review – Jay-Z's wife returns with something new and something old on latest". IGN. News Corporation. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  21. ^ a b Corner, Lewis (June 28, 2011). "Beyoncé: '4'". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi Médias. {{cite web}}: Text "accessdateDecember 7, 2011" ignored (help)
  22. ^ Kellman, Andy (June 28, 2011). "4 Beyoncé". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  23. ^ a b Cline, Georgette (June 17, 2011). "Beyonce Releases 'I Care' From '4' LP – Exclusive Listen + Photo". AOL Music. AOL Inc. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  24. ^ a b McCormick, Neil (June 23, 2011). "Beyoncé: 4, CD of the week". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  25. ^ a b Kot, Greg (June 24, 2011). "Beyonce album review; 4". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Company. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  26. ^ Ramirez, Erika (June 28, 2011). "Beyonce's '4:' Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  27. ^ a b Lewis, Brandon (June 10, 2011). "Music Review: Beyoncé – 4 – Page 2". Blogcritics. Eric Olsen and Phillip Winn. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  28. ^ Elan, Priya (June 10, 2011). "Beyonce, '4' – First Listen". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  29. ^ a b NG, Adrienne (June 16, 2011). "Beyonce's 4: A Review". Cliché Magazine. Jeremy Fall. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  30. ^ Koski, Genevieve (June 28, 2011). "Beyoncé: 4 – Music Review". The A.V. Club. Onion. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  31. ^ Juzwiak, Rich (June 28, 2011). "Beyonce's Odes to Joy". The Village Voice. Village Voice Media. Retrieved December 7, 2011. {{cite web}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  32. ^ Cardew, Ben (June 20, 2011). "First Listen: Beyonce's eclectic album 4 is much better than its first singles". Music Week. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  33. ^ Gill, Andy (June 24, 2011). "Album: Beyonce, 4 (Columbia) – Reviews, Music – The Independent". The Independent. London: Independent Print Limited. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  34. ^ MacBain, Hamish (June 21, 2011). "Beyonce – Album Review: Beyonce – '4' – Album Reviews". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  35. ^ Newman, Jason (August 15, 2011). "Concert Review: Beyoncé Reigns at Roseland Ballroom". Rap-Up. Devin Lazerine. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  36. ^ Wete, Brad (August 15, 2011). "Beyonce performs first of four-night run of her new '4' album at small NYC theater – an EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  37. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (August 17, 2011). "Beyonce Serves Up Intimate Performance In NYC". MTV News. MTV Networks. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  38. ^ Wass, Mike (August 15, 2011). "Beyonce's Intimate Night At Roseland Ballroom". Idolator. Buzz Media. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  39. ^ a b c d Partridge, Kenneth (December 21, 2011). "Beyonce 'I Care' Video Off 'Roseland' Debuts – Exclusive". The Boombox. AOL Inc. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  40. ^ "Beyonce Performs 'I Care' Live At Roseland Ballroom". The Huffington Post. December 21, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  41. ^ Beyoncé Knowles (December 4, 2011). A Night With Beyoncé (ITV1). The Fountain Studios, London, United Kingdom: Victory Television Network in co-production with Sony Music Entertainment. Event occurs at 9pm. {{cite AV media}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |format= requires |url= (help)
  42. ^ a b "South Korea Gaon International Chart (Week: 2011 to July 2, 2011)". Gaon Chart. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  43. ^ "Top 30 Ring Tones – Semana 49 De 2011" (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
  44. ^ ""I Care", il nuovo singolo Dy Beyoncé in radio dal 23 marzo in Italia!" (in Italian). Beyonce Knowles' Official Website. March 21, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2012.

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