BOOF BOOF RIDIN’

Beyoncé “Countdown”

A lot of songs have a “best part” that grabs you, that compels you to rewind to hear it again right away. “Countdown” is a track comprised entirely of these moments. It’s so densely packed with hooks and interesting flourishes that it’s actually sort of amazing that it holds together so well as a composition. The construction is very clever and dynamic — it’s overwhelming, but not overbearing or incoherent. It’s an expertly crafted pleasure delivery system.

Or, more accurately, it’s a Beyoncé delivery system. I cannot imagine anyone else singing this song. So much of what is exciting here is specific to the sound of her voice and the force of her character: “Me and my BOOF and my BOOF BOOF ridin’ / all up in the black with his chick right beside him.” Can you imagine anyone else singing that with the same charm and authority? And that’s just a small portion of this song! I’ve spent a lot of time just focusing on this loop of the BOOF BOOF part; I feel like I could spend just as much time obsessing over other bits in isolation: “London speed it up, Houston ROCK IT!,” “Griiiiind up on it, girl, show him how you ride it!,” “My girls can’t tell me nothing, I’m gone in the brain!,” the countdown sequence with the Boyz II Men sample. And that’s just the vocal stuff — the drum fills, horns and keyboard parts are just as worthy of focused attention.

But really, as much as each part is thrilling, what makes this one of the best pop songs of the past several years is the way these thrills are strung together, and how it breezes from highlight to highlight so quickly that it kinda zooms right by you. It’s like being on a roller coaster, but you don’t have to wait in line to get back on and relive the thrill. You can just put it on repeat.

Buy it from Amazon.