Beyonce’s ‘I Am… Sasha Fierce’ Turns 5: Stan & Deliver

Disc 2:

Name: Jason Smith | Location: Perth, Australia | Twitter: @jsmith189

1. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)

One of Bey’s biggest hits, and arguably one of the biggest tracks of the past 10 years, “Single Ladies” not only stormed the charts, but possibly every TV, phone and computer screen across the globe.

The cultural phenomenon set the standard not only for Beyonce but for the music industry generally, with everyone being forced to take a back seat and ride the Beyonce wave for the rest of 2008 and well into 2009. With good reason. After all, if such an iconic video with no real storyline and no substantial budget can be created in the back of a dance studio and slay everyone like it did, the others really have no excuse.

While the Tricky and The-Dream produced beat was quite obviously contagious, it was the Queen’s striking vocals, obnoxiously catchy hooks (there were multiple) and very simple message that had everyone going crazy for the opening track of the Sasha Fierce half of the album — solidifying her as not only pop royalty but also as public enemy number one for straight men around the world.

In your face lyrics forcing women to step back and take a look at their ain’t-shit-ass men created both outrage and a surge of independence for fans and non-fans alike. Hate it or love it, “Single Ladies” was everywhere you turned and, much like “Crazy In Love”, will be around for a long time to come.