Ego (Beyoncé Knowles song)
Encyclopedia
"Ego" is a song recorded by American R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...

 singer Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...

 for the deluxe edition of her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008). The song was composed by Elvis Williams
Blac Elvis
Elvis Williams, better known as Blac Elvis, is an award-winning American record producer, musician and song writer. He rose to fame in 1999 co-producing alongside Polow da Don. Producing hits for Ludacris, Ciara, Kelly Rowland, Fergie, Rich Boy, Kelis, Nelly, Pussycat Dolls and Mario. Recently he...

, Harold Lilly, and Knowles. "Ego" was officially remixed with additional vocals from hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 artist, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

. Initially planned to be released in January 2010 as the second urban single in the US along with the third international single "Halo
Halo (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Halo" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce . Columbia Records released the song as the fourth single of the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 20, 2009. It was composed by Ryan Tedder, Evan Bogart, and...

", the release of "Ego" was canceled and replaced by "Diva
Diva (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Diva" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. The song was written and produced by Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, Sean Garrett, and Knowles for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce . It was released as the album's third overall single in the United States alongside the third...

". "Ego" was later serviced as the third urban single, and fifth overall single in the US on May 19, 2009 alongside the fourth international single "Sweet Dreams
Sweet Dreams (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Sweet Dreams" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce . Originally titled "Beautiful Nightmare", the song leaked in March 2008, eight months prior to the album's release. Written and produced by Knowles, James Scheffer, Wayne Wilkins, and...

".

"Ego" was originally written for singer Chrisette Michele
Chrisette Michele
Chrisette Michele Payne , known professionally as Chrisette Michele, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter....

, who turned it down. So, it was proposed to Knowles who used it for the deluxe edition of I Am... Sasha Fierce. In the song, Knowles sings about her love for the "huge ego" of her love interest. "Ego" was generally well received by music critics, many of whom praised the fact that Knowles opted to show some of her vocal limitations in a part of the song. Critics also noted that "Ego" could even have been placed in either disc of I Am.. Sasha Fierce since it combines elements of both sides of Knowles' split musical personality. The remix version of "Ego" was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
The Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs on which rappers and singers collaborate...

 at the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...

.

"Ego" became the fifth consecutive song from I Am... Sasha Fierce to reach the top 40 on US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

, peaking at 39. It also reached number three on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

 and received a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...

 (RIAA). Despite not being released elsewhere, "Ego" reached number 11 in New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...

 and number 60 in the United Kingdom, among others. The music video was directed by Frank Gatson, Jr., and was co-directed by Knowles herself, thus becoming her directorial debut. The remix version of the song with Kanye West also received a music video. "Ego" was part of Knowles' set list
Set list
A set list, or setlist, is a document that lists the songs that a band or musical artist intends to play, or has played, during a specific concert performance...

 on her I Am... Tour.

Background and release

"Ego" was originally written for singer Chrisette Michele
Chrisette Michele
Chrisette Michele Payne , known professionally as Chrisette Michele, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter....

 for her 2009 album Epiphany
Epiphany (Chrisette Michele album)
Epiphany is the second studio album by American R&B and soul singer–songwriter Chrisette Michele, released May 5, 2009 on Def Jam Recordings in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2008 to 2009...

. The singer turned it down because she had written all the songs on her then-upcoming album and feared that the song might not suit her. She said, "You don’t know if they’re going to be able to capture your voice the same way that you captured it yourself." Therefore, the song was proposed to Knowles who used it for the deluxe edition of I Am... Sasha Fierce. The song was officially remixed with added vocals from Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

, whom Knowles described as the "perfect person" to be on the remix. Elaborating on her collaboration with West, she told MTV, "...And [Kanye's] voice sounds so wonderful on it. He definitely has the confidence and he backs it up. And that's what this song is about." The remix also received an official video which was included on the remix album, Above and Beyoncé – Video Collection & Dance Mixes (2009). The audio version of the remix was included on both the remix album and the platinum edition of I Am... Sasha Fierce.

"Ego" was initially planned to be serviced as the second US urban single
Airplay
* Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay...

 and the third overall US single from Knowles' third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), alongside "Halo
Halo (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Halo" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce . Columbia Records released the song as the fourth single of the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 20, 2009. It was composed by Ryan Tedder, Evan Bogart, and...

". However, its release was scrapped and "Diva
Diva (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Diva" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. The song was written and produced by Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, Sean Garrett, and Knowles for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce . It was released as the album's third overall single in the United States alongside the third...

" was released instead to urban radio on January 20, 2009. "Ego" was later released as the fifth US single. It was at first supposed to be released alongside the sixth US/fourth worldwide single "Broken-Hearted Girl
Broken-Hearted Girl
"Broken-Hearted Girl" is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles. It was written by Knowles, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, and was produced by Knowles and Stargate for Knowles' third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce...

"; however, at the last minute, the release of "Broken-Hearted Girl" was scrapped, and "Sweet Dreams
Sweet Dreams (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Sweet Dreams" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce . Originally titled "Beautiful Nightmare", the song leaked in March 2008, eight months prior to the album's release. Written and produced by Knowles, James Scheffer, Wayne Wilkins, and...

" was released instead. Both tracks were taken from the "Sasha Fierce" disc. This goes in contrast to the previous joint-releases from this album where one track was taken from each disc. The song was sent for urban airplay
Airplay
* Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay...

 on May 19, 2009 and for rhythmic radio
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...

 on June 2, 2009 along with "Sweet Dreams". Additionally, "Ego" was released on a digital EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

 as a B-side single in Germany with "Sweet Dreams" as the A-side single on July 31, 2009.

Composition

According to Knowles, "Ego" as an R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...

-leaning song with a "fun vibe". The song also incorporates influences from bump jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

, soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...

, and pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

. It features a backing piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

 as well as a punchy beat. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Hal Leonard Corporation, "Ego" is written in common time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....

, composed in a moderate tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...

, and is set in the key of D Major
D major
D major is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature consists of two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor....

. The song follows the chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...

 of D-Gmaj7-A-A. Critics noted that "Ego" is an homage to "old-school R&B midtempo jams". Lyrically, the song features Knowles as the female protagonist singing about her love for the "huge ego" of her lover. In an interview with Jayson Rodriguez of MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...

, Knowles clarified that "Ego" is on the "...Sasha Fierce" disc simply because it is "fun" and very "Sasha Fierce". She further explained that "Ego" reveals the story about someone being "very confident and having [this] swagger when they walk and when they talk, and that being one of the reasons why [she is] attracted to them." The song explores the restrained vocals of Knowles and consists of a "piano breakdown". As Knowles sings, she lets out a slinky snarl in her voice. As Knowles sings, she describes the ego of her love interest as: "It’s too big, it’s too wide, it’s too strong, it won’t fit, it’s too much...." The remix of the song features Kanye West rapping on it.

Critical reception

"Ego" received positive reviews from critics, most of whom wrote that the song, which is featured on the "... Sasha Fierce" disc, could have also been placed on the "I Am.." disc since the lyrics seem to showcase vulnerability and the desire to be loved back while the music is completely fun like Knowles' alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...

. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

 magazine gave the song a positive review stating that "Ego" manages to combine elements of both sides of Knowles' musical personality. He said that the song seems to be an homage to "old-school R&B midtempo jams". He went on to praise the vocals of Knowles and that she polished her vocal during the interlude, thus showing her real voice and limitations "just like the old days". Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...

 was brief and said that the song could benefit from the first half of the album. IGN Music
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

 described "Ego" as a "one of the genuine shining moments where her voice and the music are perfectly matched." Ann Powers
Ann Powers
Ann Powers is an American writer and pop music critic.Powers has been writing about popular music and society since the early 1980s...

 of Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....

concluded that Knowles shows "the spunk she developed playing Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...

 in a movie
Cadillac Records
Cadillac Records is a 2008 musical biopic written and directed by Darnell Martin. The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential Chicago-based record-company executive Leonard Chess, and the musicians who recorded for Chess...

" in "Ego".

Neil McCormick of the The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...

chose "Ego" as the standout track on I Am... Sasha Fierce, complimenting its lyrical arrangement and calling it "playful boldness". The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...

's Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond described "Sasha Fierce" as "brassy, big-headed, confrontational, and witty" and said that all these adjectives suit "Ego". According to Jennifer Vineyard of VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...

, "Ego" seems more like "a meeting ground" between the album's halves. She said that the song is "musically" with "Sasha", nevertheless "thematically and lyrically", it is full-on Knowles. She qualified the song as "vulnerable, wanting to love and be loved back". Nick Levine of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....

 simply remarked that Knowles is "goddamn fabulous" on "Ego". The remix version of "Ego" with Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

 was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
The Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs on which rappers and singers collaborate...

 at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...

 but lost to "Run This Town
Run This Town
"Run This Town" is a 2009 song performed by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West. The song features Rihanna. The track was produced by Kanye West alongside No I.D. It is released as the second single of Jay-Z's eleventh studio album The Blueprint 3...

" sung by Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...

 featuring Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...

 and Kanye West.

Chart performance

On June 20, 2009, the song entered Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 at number 77, becoming Knowles' 19th solo entry on the chart. The song peaked at number 39 after 8 weeks on the chart on August 15, 2009, becoming Knowles' 18th solo top 40 single and the 5th single from I Am... Sasha Fierce to crack the top 40. "Ego" fared better on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

, where it peaked at number three on July 25, 2009, thus charting higher than "If I Were a Boy
If I Were a Boy
"If I Were a Boy" is a pop song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. It was composed by Toby Gad and BC Jean. Jean initially recorded her version of the song which was rejected by Jean's record company. Knowles then recorded a new version for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce...

" and "Halo
Halo (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Halo" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce . Columbia Records released the song as the fourth single of the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 20, 2009. It was composed by Ryan Tedder, Evan Bogart, and...

" on this chart. The song received a gold certification from Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...

 on September 8, 2009, and, as of October 6, 2010, has sold 357,000 downloads (excluding remix version) in the US.

Even though the song was only officially released in the US, it still managed to chart in other countries. In New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, "Ego" debuted at number 28 on June 8, 2009, and peaked at number 11 on June 29, 2009, after just three weeks on the chart. It is also the fifth song from I Am... Sasha Fierce to chart within the top forty there. The song was certified gold by RIANZ
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...

 (RIANZ) on August 7, 2011. "Ego" also bubbled at number two on the Dutch Tip Parade chart, which is equivalent to number 42 on the Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...

 Singles Chart. Similarly, "Ego" began to receive mild airplay on UK music channels as of March 2010. Consequently, it debuted at number 153 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

 and at number 81 on the UK R&B Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...

 on April 10, 2010. One week later, due to a considerable increase in airplay, it surged to number 60 on the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number 23 on the UK R&B Chart. It later managed a better peak at number 22 on the UK R&B Chart on April 24, 2010. "Ego" is the second single from I Am... Sasha Fierce to enter both the Top 75 of UK Singles Chart and the Top 25 of the UK R&B Chart without a physical or a digital release, the first being "Diva
Diva (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Diva" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. The song was written and produced by Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, Sean Garrett, and Knowles for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce . It was released as the album's third overall single in the United States alongside the third...

", which peaked at number 72 on the UK Singles Chart on May 24, 2009.

Background and concept

Knowles made her directorial debut on the video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 for "Ego" with the choreographer Frank Gatson Jr, who had been working with her for twelve years by then, as the creative director. Gatson has been the creative director for many of her videos, such as "Suga Mama
Suga Mama
"Suga Mama" is a song performed by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her second studio album, B'Day . 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...

", "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
"Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...

", and "Get Me Bodied
Get Me Bodied
"Get Me Bodied" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. The song was written by Beyoncé Knowles, Sean Garrett, Solange Knowles, Angela Beyince, Makeba Riddick, and Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, and produced by Swizz Beatz, Beyoncé and Sean Garrett, for Knowles' second solo studio...

", as well as her last three world tours, including the I Am... Tour. Knowles let Gatson direct the video for "Ego" after he introduced her to a new choreographer, Sheryl Murakami. Knowles told Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

:


"My goal for [the] video is simplicity... In "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", I saw this old tape of Bob Fosse
Bob Fosse
Robert Louis “Bob” Fosse was an American actor, dancer, musical theater choreographer, director, screenwriter, film editor and film director. He won an unprecedented eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction...

's wife (Gwen Verdon
Gwen Verdon
Gwenyth Evelyn “Gwen” Verdon was an actress and dancer who won four Tony awards for her musical comedy performances. With flaming red hair and an endearing quaver in her voice, Verdon was a critically acclaimed dancer on Broadway in the 1950s and 1960s...

), and I used that as inspiration. I thought in this world, with all the technology and everything that's going on, to strip everything down—great idea. So I kind of did the same thing, but glossy and black, for 'Ego'".


A "bootlegged" version of the music video, featuring Sheryl Murakami performing the choreography, was leaked onto YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

 in early March 2009. In the B-roll footage on Above and Beyoncé, it was shown that a clay sculpture of Knowles was made for the video of "Ego". However, the sculpture was not shown in the final version of the video. Three edits exist for the "Ego" music video: an official video, a remix video featuring Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

, and a fan-exclusive video.

Synopsis

The official video premiered on Knowles' official website on May 21, 2009. Just like the music videos for "If I Were a Boy
If I Were a Boy
"If I Were a Boy" is a pop song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. It was composed by Toby Gad and BC Jean. Jean initially recorded her version of the song which was rejected by Jean's record company. Knowles then recorded a new version for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce...

", "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)", and "Diva
Diva (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Diva" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. The song was written and produced by Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, Sean Garrett, and Knowles for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce . It was released as the album's third overall single in the United States alongside the third...

", the video for "Ego" was shot in black and white. The video consists of Knowles in a silver leotard and two other women similarly dressed doing the same choreography as her, which has reminiscence of the video of "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
"Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...

". Later in the video, she is sitting in a white glittery chair in front of the same tiled background, in a black coat with the two dancers still dancing in unison around her, there are a few shots of her in the chair to the back of the camera with the dancers also with their backs to the camera. Later, Knowles gets up from the chair and dances with the dancers around the chair. This scene ends as she and the dancers walk to the left of the camera and into the next scene. In this scene, she is still with the tiled background, and she and her dancers are holding poles with which they dance.

Also, there are, during the same pole scene, some shots of her singing by herself in the chair from the second scene. In the next scene, with the same tiled background, Knowles is leaning against the wall during the Bridge of the song, her dancers spin in heels around her, and afterward they all continue to dance against the wall. The very last scene shows Knowles in the chair, without the black jacket and dancing to herself while the song ends. In the premiered version of the music video, the word "bitch" is muted out when Knowles states "I got every reason to feel like I'm that bitch!" "Ego" is the first video from I Am... Sasha Fierce in which Knowles has curly afro hair, similar to the one in "Work It Out". It is also the first video from the "Sasha Fierce" disc of her album where she does not don her robot-glove, as in "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Diva".

Other versions

The remix music video, which features a cameo appearance of Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

, was included on the Above and Beyoncé DVD. It premiered on the June 15, 2009, episode of BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...

's Access Granted
Access Granted
Access Granted is an American television series that features an in depth look at the planning and production of R&B and hip hop music videos. Each week, a different artist and their new music video are featured, with the video premiering at the end of the episode. The series began airing in 2001...

. In the remix video, Kanye West begins his rap in an empty room next to a follow spot
Followspot
A followspot, sometimes known as a spot light, is a powerful stage lighting instrument which projects a bright beam of light onto a performance space. Followspots are controlled by a spotlight operator who follows actors around the stage...

. At the end of his rap, he points the light towards the camera and the shot fades in white to Knowles' scenes. The rest of the video is nearly identical to the original video. The remix's video ranked at number 38 on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...

's Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2009 countdown. A fan-exclusive version of "Ego" was included on Above and Beyoncé, in which only Knowles appears. The whole video is a continuous double-angled scene where Knowles is seated on the throne chair previously seen in the original video.

Live performances

Knowles performed "Ego" on her latest world tour, the "I Am... Tour". When she performed the song live in Seattle before the release of the song as a single, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

 joined her onstage and rapped: "I got a big, ha ha ha, ego / She love my big, ha ha ha, ego / She stroke my big, ha ha ha, ego...". West later made a surprise appearance at Knowles' concert in London on November 14, 2010, where he again rapped his verse. Eventually, the remix of "Ego" was included on Knowles' live album, "I Am... World Tour
I Am... World Tour
I Am... World Tour is a live DVD/CD concert film by American R&B recording artist Beyoncé Knowles who also produced, directed and edited the concert film for her own Parkwood Pictures. The DVD was filmed in presence of more than a million of fans during her worldwide I Am... Tour, running from...

" as the fifteenth track.

Track listing

  • US Singles & Dance Mixes

  1. "Ego" - 3:57
  2. "Ego" (DJ Escape & Johnny Vicious Club Remix) - 8:22
  3. "Ego" (Slang "Big Ego" Club Remix) - 6:18
  4. "Sweet Dreams
    Sweet Dreams (Beyoncé Knowles song)
    "Sweet Dreams" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce . Originally titled "Beautiful Nightmare", the song leaked in March 2008, eight months prior to the album's release. Written and produced by Knowles, James Scheffer, Wayne Wilkins, and...

    " - 3:29
  5. "Sweet Dreams" (OK DAC Club Remix) - 5:14
  6. "Sweet Dreams" (Karmatronic Club Remix) - 6:36


  • Germany Digital EP
  1. "Sweet Dreams" - 3:29
  2. "Sweet Dreams" (Groove Police Remix) - 3:10
  3. "Ego" - 3:57
  4. "Ego" (Remix) [feat. Kanye West] - 4:43
  5. "Sweet Dreams" (Music Video) - 4:00
  6. "Ego" (Remix) [feat. Kanye West] (Music Video) - 4:52


Credits and personnel

  • Beyoncé Knowles – vocals
    Singing
    Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

    , producer, writer
    Writing
    Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...

  • Jim Caruana – vocals recorder
  • Matt Green – mixer
    Mix engineer
    A mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"...

     assistant
  • Donald Hayes – saxophone
    Saxophone
    The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...

  • Elvis Lee – publisher
  • Harold Lilly – producer, writer

  • Philip Margiziotis – horns
    Horn (instrument)
    The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....

  • Mark "Spike" Stent
    Mark Stent
    Mark 'Spike' Stent is a British record producer, and audio engineer who has worked with The KLF, Björk, Keane, Depeche Mode, Muse, Erasure, Hard-Fi, Massive Attack, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Marilyn Manson, Pet Shop Boys, Dave Matthews, No Doubt/Gwen Stefani, CSS, Beth Orton,...

     – mixer
  • Elvis "BlacElvis" Williams – producer, writer
  • Dontae Winslow – trumpet
    Trumpet
    The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...

  • Mack Woodard – recorder
  • Jeremy "JaRe" Dishman - mixer

Source:

Weekly charts

> > > > > >
Chart (2009) Peak
position
Brazil Billboard
Billboard Brasil
Billboard Brasil is a monthly Brazilian magazine launched on October 10, 2009, with a print-run of over 40,000 copies. It is distributed nationwide by Brazil's biggest distributor Dinap...

Hot 100 Airplay
Brasil Hot 100 Airplay
Brasil Hot 100 Airplay is the official music singles charts in Brazil. It has been compiled by Crowley Broadcast Analysis and published monthly by Billboard Brasil since the release of the magazine, in October 2009....

4
Brazil Billboard
Billboard Brasil
Billboard Brasil is a monthly Brazilian magazine launched on October 10, 2009, with a print-run of over 40,000 copies. It is distributed nationwide by Brazil's biggest distributor Dinap...

Hot Pop Songs
2
Dutch Tip Parade
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...

2
Chart (2010) Peak
position


Year-end charts

Chart (2009) Position
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

14
US Hot 100 Airplay 96

Certifications

Country Provider Certifications
(sales thresholds)
New Zealand RIANZ
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...

Gold
United States RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...

Gold


Radio adds

Radio add dates and formats
Country Date Format
United States May 19, 2009 Urban
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...

June 2, 2009 Rhythmic
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...



Purchasable release

Release dates, record label and format details
Country Date Format Label
Canada August 17, 2009 Dance remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....

es
Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...

Mexico
United States


External links

  • "Ego" music video at YouTube
    YouTube
    YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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