We Don’t Talk About Beyoncé’s ‘4’ Bonus Tracks Enough
Today marks the 9th anniversary of 4. While Self-Titled is more ambitious and Lemonade hits harder thematically, 4 is still my favorite Beyoncé album. Vocally it cannot be beaten and there isn’t a single less-than-excellent song — let alone filler. In fact, the weakest cut is probably the lead single and “Run The World (Girls)” is now recognized as one of the seminal female empowerment anthems of the 2010s. There’s another reason why 4 will always have my heart, however, and that is the incredible bonus tracks.
As was common when people still bought physical copies, 4 was released in two versions. The standard album and a deluxe edition with three additional songs. Usually, artists cram in dreary leftovers or remixes (or, even worse, demos). Beyoncé, being the mysterious queen that she is, decided to give us three perfect bops that elevated the entire project. “Dance For You” — the sexiest song on the album — was eventually released as single, while the Prince-channeling “Schoolin’ Life” is a firm fan favorite.
And then there’s “Lay Up Under Me,” an upbeat, retro-R&B anthem that was co-written with Stargate and co-produced with Switch. This irresistible banger would have been a lead single for any other artist, but it was casually relegated to the shadowy corners of Bey’s discography. However, the fate of “Dreaming” is even more galling. This exquisite, Babyface-produced ballad boasts one of the game-changing icon’s best-ever vocals and has the kind of chorus that could have soundtracked a million weddings. Sadly, it ended up as a Japanese exclusive.
Revisit Beyoncé’s magical 4 bonus tracks below and listen to the Expanded Edition (a re-release with “Dance For You” and “Schoolin’ Life”) here. Perhaps, Bey could add the other bonus tracks to Spotify, Apple Music and TIDAL to celebrate the album’s 10th anniversary next year? Fingers crossed.
“Dance For You”:
“Schoolin’ Life”:
“Lay Up Under Me”:
“Dreaming”:
What’s your favorite bonus track? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!
