October 8, 201113 yr Am I the only one who finds it funny when that girl starts running at the end :lol:
October 9, 201113 yr Not the video the song deserved... you can tell it was done on the cheap and it's basically a mish mash of all the videos from the B'Day video anthology. I suppose there's plenty of variation in sets and stuff to keep the interest at least.
October 11, 201113 yr Author Interview with Adria Petty, referring to the controversy in the video. GQ: German modern dance inspirations also came into play. Adria Petty: Well, I have some friends working with [artist collective] Yemenwed in downtown New York that did a multimedia art performance called "No Image" and I asked them what inspired it and they turned me on to this choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. Her work blew my mind and I researched all her material out of curiosity at the time and I held on to some of the references because I knew Beyoncé would find it really inspiring if we ended up working together on this album. I always keep cool things I think she might like. Because she has such a keen mind for fresh and interesting stuff. GQ: There have been reports that Keersmaeker's choreography was included without her consent. Adria Petty: In the end very little of Keersmaeker's actual choreography inspired the finished result, but what did remain in there was going to be credited along with the amazingly talented Frank Gatson Jr. who does all of Beyoncé's choreography. It was always meant to be a straight homage. I see there is a lot of fuss about it, but it is pretty silly. Of course, ultimately I'm disappointed that she wasn't credited on the video because I know it was everyone's intention from the get-go. But I'm assuming that's because they were still finishing it the day that it launched and stuff, it was basically an oversight, you know? Usually, like with "Single Ladies", Bob Fosse got credited. But I know from an interview she did, that Keersmaeker is not mad about it. And the hope from my end was that this would put her work out there in front of a lot of people who wouldn't have discovered it otherwise. So I think it is a beautiful thing that Beyoncé embraced something so creative and left of center and brought Keersmaeker some attention in a mainstream audience. She is obviously worthy of a lot of acclaim. She is a super talent. I am obviously a huge fan. GQ: It's helpful to know the backstory. Adria Petty: From all I understand, she's not upset about it. I go to blogs that said that she was happy with it. And what happens in something like this, which is what I was hoping for, because this really wasn't intentional to steal somebody's work—it was more to put it in the lexicon as an homage and to bring it to people's attention than to—say "Hey, I came up with this." I think it was more the intention of all of us to say "Hey, this is cool. You should check it out." Hopefully that's what will happen. And I think Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker is aware of that.
October 19, 201113 yr Not the video the song deserved... you can tell it was done on the cheap and it's basically a mish mash of all the videos from the B'Day video anthology. I suppose there's plenty of variation in sets and stuff to keep the interest at least. my thoughts exactly :(
October 30, 201113 yr Third top forty from '4' in the UK :D Hopefully it'll continue to climb - it's too good not to ^_^
November 12, 201113 yr This has been quite a flop hasn't it??? :o I wonder if she will be able to manage another top ten hit from the album??
November 12, 201113 yr Author Apparently the release was cancelled, which is why it was yanked off the Radio 1 playlist so quickly. They seem to have moved on to "Love on Top". The handling of this era is incredibly bizarre.
November 14, 201113 yr Apparently the release was cancelled, which is why it was yanked off the Radio 1 playlist so quickly. They seem to have moved on to "Love on Top". The handling of this era is incredibly bizarre. God what a mess :drama: Love on Top will struggle to go top thirty too unless she performs it on x factor or something, but with the pregnancy that is doubtful -_-
November 14, 201113 yr God what a mess :drama: Love on Top will struggle to go top thirty too unless she performs it on x factor or something, but with the pregnancy that is doubtful -_- Maybe she'll perform and then announce that she's expecting twins and then she'll get a hit :lol:
December 10, 201113 yr Author SPIN's 20 Best Songs of 2011 2. BEYONCÉ, "Countdown" The sort of aggressively and joyously avant pop production that rearranges your sense of time and space with an effortless hair flip (which is obviously the product of Olympian training and skill). "Countdown" is Beyoncé's gangsta throwdown as an artiste, bumping and grinding and skipping and skating and caressing and catcalling and bearing witness all over the beat like nobody since MJ — full stop. The Afro brass blasts, the minimalist synth boop boop, the jazzy Boyz II Men breakdown, the syncopated shiftiness back-to-front. A masterpiece, with legs for days.http://www.spin.com/articles/spins-20-best...011?page=0%2C18Consequence of Sound: Top 50 Songs of 2011 #4 BEYONCÉ – "COUNTDOWN" At this point in her exceptional career, Beyoncé has transcended the traditional confines of pop diva status. Her latest album, 4, is full of the finest cuts of her career, be it for their infectious, poppy nature or for their demonstration of real, relatable emotional displays. And one could easily say "Countdown" is the best song on that album and leave it at that. To do so, however, is to discredit a track that is not only great, but a step above on a record whose primary notion is of stepping further into sonic grace. From the initial wail of Bey's voice to the marching band vibe, the track is the heart and soul, the lifeblood of a record that is a dynamo of R&B gold, both new and old. Queen B has built an empire of love songs and tributes to her boo(s), but none, be it on this album or the three before, come off as easily and thoroughly as they do here. We dare anyone to resist falling under the spell of the chorus where, like a Gucci-wearing version of The Count, Beyoncé counts down the ways in which she loves her man. It's everything we love about Beyoncé: the sing-along-ability, the bombastic nature, and the beat that digs its nails into your hips to make them shimmy all night. Count it any way you want, this number's a shining gem in Beyoncé's bangin' catalog. - Chris Coplan Consequence of Sound: Top 25 Videos of 2011 #4 BEYONCÉ – "COUNTDOWN" With the video for "Countdown", Beyoncé proves once again that even though she's beyond successful in life, love, and career, it's impossible to hate her. The flawless makeup and choreography coupled (yes, that was intentional) with calculatedly goofy facial expressions and dancing maintain the tenuous balance between idol Sasha Fierce and Bey, the girl next door. It proves to her audience that even though Beyoncé is rapidly ascending the celebrity ladder to an almost untouchable height, she's just like any other girl who secretly wants to be Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face. Furthermore, "Countdown"'s brightly colored American Apparel wardrobe and hip warehouse space—which are constantly advertised on our televisions, billboards, and Internet windows—along with the recently released Live at Roseland DVD package Beyoncé as an affordable lifestyle choice. And it works because you're too busy trying to peep Bey's baby bump to pay attention to the video's subliminal advertising. - Harley Brown
January 10, 201213 yr Why have I only just heard this? It's amazing! Probably my favourite track of hers to date.
January 12, 201213 yr How is "Love On Top" doing better than this? Everytime I turn the TV channels on (and they play a Beyonce track), this is the one I get.
January 12, 201213 yr How is "Love On Top" doing better than this? Everytime I turn the TV channels on (and they play a Beyonce track), this is the one I get. Plus, 'Countdown' is so much stronger! I do love 'Love on Top', but it's nothing compared to this! Seriously don't understand how it flopped, especially with 'Love on Top' looking like it'll be top 10 maybe next week?!
January 13, 201213 yr 'Love On Top' has the 59p reduction to thank, doesn't it? Did 'Countdown' ever get reduced? Hopefully LOT doing this well, means 'End of Time' will become the major smash it deserves to be!
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