Music Review: Beyonce "Irreplaceable"

 Beyonce

Irreplaceable

Album: B’Day

Year: 2006

Beyonce kicks her cheating boyfriend out of her house in the fuming  “Irreplaceable.”

       A weary guitar opens the single, setting a fatigued tone.  Beyonce’s ex has stopped by her house at 4 pm, like they discussed on the phone earlier. She points to a cardboard box filled with his clothes, music and tolietries. She catches him in the closet, poking through the clothes. She tells him to quit going through her stuff. Since she spent her own money on it, it’s her. He retorts that it was just checking she had everything that was his. She says he can continue act foolish and calls him an idiot who can’t manage a decent lie. He grabs his keys to the car and she snatches them back. She says her name on the title of the car and she owns it. She tells him to take his boxes out of the trunk. On her phone, she calls a taxi for him to take him wherever he’s living now.  (“To the left, to the left/To the left, to the left/To the left, to the left/Everything you own in the box to the left/In the closet that's my stuff, yes/If I bought it please don't touch/And keep talking that mess, that's fine/But could you walk and talk at the same time?/And it's my mine name that is on that tag/So remove your bags let me call you a cab.”)

          In the pre-chorus, he’s arguing that she’s the dumb one who just a good guy get away. No one will care as much for her as he did. She shakes her head. (“Standing in the front yard telling me/How I'm such a fool, talking about/How I'll never ever find a man like you/You got me twisted.”)

       In the chorus, she laughs, telling him she’ll do fine. Guys have been hitting on her constantly since they found out she became single. All she has to do to let the guy know she’s ready for another relationship. He’s not the grand prize he thinks he is. (“You must not know 'bout me/You must not know 'bout me/I could have another you in a minute/Matter fact he'll be here in a minute, baby/You must not know 'bout me/You must not know 'bout me/I can have another you by tomorrow/So don't you ever for a second get to thinking you're irreplaceable.”)

        He’s been shouting at her for the last ten minutes about what an awesome guy he is. She rolls her eyes and tells him to give his other girlfriend a call. He shuts up right away and she smirks. She found out through some text messages he left open on his phone.. It’s the reason she’s kicking him out. He’s stunned she knew everything. She looks at the ground and tells him her keys are on the driveway. His taxi is going to be at her house soon and he’s going to have to get out. (“So go ahead and get gone/And call up that chick and see if she's home/Oops, I bet ya thought that I didn't know/What did you think I was putting you out for?/Because you was untrue/Rolling her around in the car that I bought you/Baby you dropped them keys/Hurry up before your taxi leaves.”)

         The pre-chorus is sung again.

       The chorus is sung again.

       In the bridge, the taxi has arrived at her house. Before he leaves, she stands close to him and tells him he treated her like she was disposable. She prefers to not ever hear from him again. He apologizes, saying it was mistake. He didn’t mean it. She says it’s too late. She doesn’t feel sorry for him at all. His poor treatment of her and insults have made it moving on from him effortless. (“So since I’m not your everything/How about I'll be nothing, nothing at all to you/Baby I won't shed a tear for you, I won't lose a wink of sleep/'Cause the truth of the matter is replacing you is so easy/To the left, to the left/To the left, to the left/To the left, to the left/Everything you own in the box to the left/To the left, to the left/Don't you ever for a second get to thinking you're irreplaceable.”)

          The chorus is sung again.

        In the final chorus, while he’s putting his bags in the taxi, she tells him they are over. He caused all the trouble and now he has to deal with the consquences. (“ You must not know 'bout me…matter fact he'll be here in a minute/You could pack all your things, we're finished (You must not know 'bout me)/'Cause you made your bed, now lay in it(You must not know 'bout me)/I can have another you by tomorrow/Don't you ever for a second get to thinking you're irreplaceable.”)

      Beyonce’s bitter, wounded vocals puncture with a slow twist. She believed he was a good person. She paid for his college courses, his car, whatever he needed until he could manage on his own. She rearranged her schedule for him. She found him his job. However, he took advantage of her and thought he could better.

         The resentful “Irreplaceable” pulls listeners into the drama, holding tightly until the last note.