...in which the most ubiquitous singer of the past decade plays a reluctant Mack the Knife, but this time the line forms on the left, babe, as that's where her all her boyfriend's possessions are...except for Beyonce. She's kicking him to the curb, man, and if he can't take his stuff, then he better call Tyrone, 'cause she's empowered now.
The strain of pain and vulnerability linger just beneath the newfound independence, though, and it's that uneasiness in Beyonce's vocals here, that shaky quality that shows the protagonist is convincing herself to be confident, that tells the tale and sells the song to anyone who ever had to face his or her fears and set out solo into an unforgiving world. Beyonce's vocals turn this song of female empowerment (whose lyrics were written by Ne-Yo...a man!) into something much more than the lyric entails, making it into a character study rather than an "I Am Woman"-type manifesto, and all the better for it, for Beyonce strikes at the heart, at the fears and the hurt, and that humanism makes us rally for her all the more.
This song cuts across musical genres as well as genders, as not only did it hit the top ten in the pop, hip-hop/R&B, adult contemporary, dance, and Latin charts, but it also garnered airplay on country radio stations (!) as well (much credit should be given to Ne-Yo for the latter, if simply for strumming the acoustic guitar). When's the last time a record struck in all those markets? Dunno, but it's been a long time...maybe since either Ray Charles or Elvis or the Everly Brothers.
BTW...you know why she's leaving, don't you, why she's kicked her man out da house? She found his porn stash.
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