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Irreplaceable
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Irreplaceable
| cover = Irreplaceable.png
| alt = A close-up image of a brunette woman who is looking forward. She wears soft make-up, which consists of black eyeliner, pink lipstick, and earrings. On the top, the words "Beyonc" and "Irreplaceable" are written in white letters.
| border = yes
| type = single
| artist = Beyonc
| album = B'Day
| released =
| recorded = April 2006
| studio = Sony Music, New York City
| venue =
| genre = *Pop
*R&B
| length =
| label = Columbia
| writer = *Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith
*Mikkel S. Eriksen
*Tor Erik Hermansen
*Espen Lind
*Amund Bjorklund
*Beyonc Knowles
| producer = *Stargate
*Beyonc Knowles
*Ne-Yo
| prev_title = Ring the Alarm
| prev_year = 2006
| next_title = Listen
| next_year = 2006
| misc = {{External music video|
|header=Music videos}}
}}
"'Irreplaceable'" is a song by American singer Beyonc for her second studio album, 'B'Day' (2006). The song was written by Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Espen Lind, Amund Bjrklund, Beyonc and produced by Stargate and Beyonc. "Irreplaceable" was originally a country record; it was re-arranged as a mid-tempo ballad with pop and R&B influences by modifying the vocal arrangements and instrumentation. During the production and recording sessions, Beyonc and Ne-Yo wanted to create a record which people of either gender could relate to. The song's lyrics are about the breakdown of a relationship with an unfaithful man and the song contains a message about female empowerment.
Following the moderate chart performances of "Dj Vu" and "Ring the Alarm", "Irreplaceable" was released internationally on October 23, 2006, as the album's second single, and the third in the United States on December 5, 2006. The single was released through Columbia Records. 'Pitchfork Media' and 'Rolling Stone' placed it on their lists of Best Songs of the 2000s. "Irreplaceable" won several awards, including Best R&B/Soul Single at the 2007 Soul Train Music Awards. It was nominated for the Record of the Year award at the 50th Grammy Awards.
The single became Beyonc's fourth number-one in the U.S., was 'B'Day's most successful release, and remained at the top of the U.S. 'Billboard' Hot 100 chart for ten consecutive weeks. "Irreplaceable" was the twenty-fifth most successful song of the 2000s (decade) in the U.S., and was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It became Beyonc's second single to achieve 200 million audience impressions in 2006. She is the second singer to achieve this feat in the U.S., the first having been Mariah Carey in 2005. "Irreplaceable" also peaked at number one in Australia, Hungary, Ireland, and New Zealand, at number four in the United Kingdom, and reached the top ten in several other European countries. "Irreplaceable" was the most successful song of 2007 in the US and 2007's tenth best-selling digital single with over 4.6 million copies sold worldwide. It also was the most downloaded female ringtone of the 2000s decade in the US.
The single's accompanying music video was directed by Anthony Mandler and served as the debut performance of Beyonc's all-female band, Suga Mama. The video was included on the 2007 'B'Day Anthology Video Album', and a video edit was produced for "Irreemplazable", the Spanish version of the song. It won the Video of the Year award at the 2007 Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards, and was nominated for the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year at the 2007 Awards. "Irreplaceable" has regularly featured in Beyonc's tours and live performances since 2006. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) recognized the song as one of the most performed of 2007 at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards.
Production
"Irreplaceable" was written for Chrisette Michele.Kellman, Andy. [ Chrisette Michele Epiphany]. AllMusic. Retrieved June 27, 2009 Production team Stargate and singer-songwriter Ne-Yo had written for Beyonc's second album 'B'Day', but Tor Erik Hermansen of Stargate said that they might not have gone in the direction they did on the song. The tune did not suit Beyonc's voice, and Ne-Yo wrote the lyrics from a male perspective, although it was not based upon his personal experiences. Ne-Yo wrote the song in the country style, thinking of country singers Shania Twain and Faith Hill during the sessions. When Ne-Yo heard them playing the song with a guitar, he thought it sounded like country music. But when the drums were incorporated into the music, it was brought to an R&B vibe, and Ne-Yo considered making an R&B-country western music song instead.
When the team worked with Ne-Yo, they recorded the song with a male vocalist. However, they thought a female vocalist would be more suitable, and Ne-Yo also thought that it was empowering for a woman to sing it. Eriksen of Stargate said it was an A&R person who suggested that the song would work better when sung by a woman. Two labels wanted the song. While Beyonc worked on material for 'B'Day', she was pleased with the demo of the "Irreplaceable" that was presented to her. However, "Irreplaceable" did not seem to fit on 'B'Day', which was supposed to be "a hard-hitting club album". Swizz Beatz, who was working on the album, declared that Beyonc would be crazy not to include the song on the record. Beyonc asked for changes to the song, including the addition of drums, vocal arrangements, and singing in a higher register than the demo. Espen Lind and Amund Bjrklund, from the Norwegian production team Espionage, wrote the chord structure and the guitar part. In an interview with MTV, Ne-Yo said, "Beyonc had some stuff that she wanted to get off her chest", while aiming to make a record that women could relate to, in keeping with the theme of the album.
wrote all the lyrics to the song
The recording was engineered by Jim Caruana and mixed by Jason Goldstein at Sony Music Studios in New York City. Goldstein was hired to mix 'B'Day'. He said: "This song was really simple to mix. It was produced by Stargate and the sounds are really good and they all made sense, and there was lots of room for all the instruments." Goldstein used a board equalizer for the drums' treatment. For the acoustic guitars, he used the analogue flanger of a TC 1210 spatial expander "to sweeten the sound" and to give them "a little bit more spread". Goldstein thought "Irreplaceable" sounded "a bit old-school"; an eighth note delay echo was placed on the song's lead vocal at 341ms, using the 'Echo Farm' plug-in software. For the backing vocals, Goldstein used 'Echo Farm' with a quarter note delay at 682ms and Sony's 'Oxford Dynamics' compressor/limiter in dual-mono mode.
The compressor was placed in Classic setting, to emulate the LA-2A leveling amplifier, and the Warmth button used to add harmonics. 'Oxford Dynamics' was used for the bass in a different setting. Goldstein passed the final mix through the 'Oxford EQ' and 'Inflator' plug-ins. Pro Tools software was used to print the aux track into a 44.1kHz/24-bit CD and then into a 24-bit CD master. After the sessions for "Irreplaceable" ended, Hermansen said that "everyone felt they had captured something special and that Beyonc had done the track justice", but there were still concerns that urban radio might not play the song as it featured acoustic guitars and had more of a pop appeal. "But then it became the biggest urban record ... ever," [Hermansen] said.
Songwriting controversy
A controversy arose over the writing credits on "Irreplaceable". Ne-Yo told MTV: "Apparently Beyonc was at a show somewhere and right before the song came on she said, 'I wrote this for all my ladies' and then the song came on ... The song is a co-write. I wrote the lyrics, I wrote all the lyrics. Beyonc helped me with the melodies and the harmonies and the vocal arrangement and that makes it a co-write. Meaning my contribution and her contribution made that song what it is." In 2011, Ne-Yo said that he wrote the song for himself, but thought that it would be better suited for Beyonc. Some of Beyonc's fans read Ne-Yo's remark as disrespectful towards her. However, he clarified his comment later through Twitter, writing, "I said I originally wrote the song for me. ... Once I realized how the song comes across if sung by a guy, that's when I decided to give it away."Composition
"Irreplaceable" is a mid-tempo ballad with pop and R&B influences. Written in the key of B major, the beat is set in common time and moves at a moderate 88 beats per minute.Sheet music for "Irreplaceable". Sony/ATV Music Publishing (2005). Beyonc's vocal range in the song spans nearly two and a half octaves, from B2 to E5. While most of the songs on the album are aggressive and uptempo, her voice on "Irreplaceable" is toned down. "Irreplaceable" uses a gently strummed acoustic guitar, following the B5F5Cm7E6/9 chord series. Hermansen and Eriksen combined the classic chord progression on an acoustic guitar, a modern-sounding 808 drum beat and cellos. Al Shipley of 'Stylus Magazine' noted that the guitar strum can be found in Rihanna's 2007 single "Hate That I Love You", a song co-produced by Stargate and Ne-Yo. Rob Sheffield of 'Rolling Stone' wrote that Chris Brown's 2007 single "With You", another Stargate-produced song, also features the same element. He wrote, "'With You' is the convincer, even if you can instantly tell that producer Stargate was just trying to roll out 'Irreplaceable' one more time." while 'Billboard' magazine wrote that it "leans a bit too heavily" to the song.
Jim DeRogatis of the 'Chicago Sun-Times' wrote that "Irreplaceable" resembles ballads sung by Whitney Houston. Spence D. of IGN wrote that the song was inspired by Aretha Franklin's work since "Irreplaceable" consists of several variations in gutturals and octave range. The lyrics of "Irreplaceable" concern the breakdown of a woman's relationship with her boyfriend after she discovers his infidelity, and the song "sounds a lot like a statement of independence". Sarah Rodman of 'The Boston Globe' wrote, "With a heretofore unknown grasp of nuance, Beyonce combines heartache, bravado, and anger as she tells a cad he's far from irreplaceableand that, in fact, her new man will be arriving momentarily." Hermansen said that "Irreplaceable" is a song that "people from all walks of life can enjoy". Beyonc said that the song is "a little honest", and, "... basically we can't forget our power and our worth. And sometimes you're so in love, you forget that. And sometimes you feel like you're not being appreciated. And sometimes they forget that they can be replaced."
The song's lyrics are constructed in the verse-pre-chorus-chorus form. It begins with guitar strumming, and Beyonc sings the hook-intro, "To the left, to the left: everything you own in a box to the left". In bar seven, she sings the first verse, arguing with her boyfriend about the indifference of their relationship, and tells him to walk away. The pre-chorus and chorus follow, "You must not know 'bout me ... I can have another you by tomorrow / I could have another you in a minute ... Don't you ever for a second get to thinking / You're irreplaceable". In the second verse, Beyonc recollects the moment she discovered her boyfriend's infidelity. The same pattern leads to the second chorus. Towards the end, Beyonc sings the bridge, where she tells her lover, "Replacing you is so easy". The song closes with an ad-libbed chorus. 'The Boston Globe' noted that Beyonc sings some parts of it in a higher register "that complements the lyrics' wounded sensibility".
Release
During the production of "Irreplaceable", Hermansen thought that the track would not receive radio play because of the acoustic guitars, and deemed the song too pop-oriented. Hermansen did not expect "Irreplaceable" to conform to any genre. Despite his prediction, the song became successful on urban charts. It was played in New York and on country radio stations. Shortly after the release of "Irreplaceable", Beyonc told MTV: "I love 'Irreplaceable'. I think it's important to have those songs. I've had so many people come up to me in tears, saying, 'I experienced my first breakup. If it wasn't for the song, I wouldn't be strong enough to not call. I wouldn't know how much I'm worth.' I'm happy to be a part of that."
"Irreplaceable" was released in the United Kingdom on October 23, 2006, as the second single there. In the US, "Irreplaceable" was the third single from 'B'Day'
Beyonc recorded a Spanish version of the song, called "Irreemplazable", with additional lyrical contributions from Rudy Prez and was included on the second disc of the deluxe edition of 'B'Day' released on June 12, 2007. An 'Irreemplazable' EP was released in the US on August 28, 2007, and on September 10, 2007, in the UK. The EP includes "Irreemplazable", the Nortea Remix of "Irreplaceable", "Amor Gitano", three versions of "Beautiful Liar", the Timbaland remix of "Get Me Bodied" featuring Voltio, and "Oye", the Spanish version of "Listen".
As a fundraiser for the victims of the 2011 Thoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, a compilation album that included "Irreplaceable", called 'Songs for Japan', was released on March 25, 2011.
Critical reception
Jody Rosen of 'Entertainment Weekly' noted "Irreplaceable" to be "a lilting tune unlike anything Beyonc has ever performed". Sarah Rodman of 'The Boston Globe' wrote that the song is "gentle but maddeningly hook-y". Spence Abbott of IGN wrote that "Irreplaceable" and "Resentment" go for "a much more traditional contemporary R&B vibe" than any of the previous tracks on 'B'Day', making them stand out as if they were recorded separately from the rest of the album.
Roger Friedman of Fox News Channel wrote that "Irreplaceable" is a "clever ballad" and the most memorable track on 'B'Day'. He added that it has the most potential of catching on with fans quickly, and that it is the only song on the album that "you might actually want to sing along to". Mike Joseph of PopMatters commented that "'Irreplaceable' tellingly, was co-written by Ne-Yo, who may not be the powerhouse vocalist Beyonce is, but has significantly stronger songwriting skills. It's the best song on the albumperhaps Ms. Knowles should take a hint." Tim Finney of 'Pitchfork Media', called "Irreplaceable" the best song on 'B'Day' and praised its overall production, writing:
Before, Beyonc's approach to heartbreak was always literal, her voice and her words declaiming her feelings with a studied earnestness that at times was difficult to believe, let alone connect with. 'Irreplaceable' is the first song in which Beyonc lies to herself, and the way her voice perfectly betrays that lie (revealing a giveaway tremble in the stiff upper lip of the lyrics) simultaneously renders it her most sophisticated and her most honest performance to date.
Recognition and accolades
Mark Edward Nero ranked it as the ninth best R&B song of 2006, and wrote, "This song has modern-day classic written all over it." 'The Village Voice' listed it 18 on their list of best songs of 2006. Staff members of 'Pitchfork Media' ranked the song on their list of The Top 100 Tracks of 2006 at number 45. Shaheem Reid, Jayson Rodriguez and Rahman Dukes of MTV News placed the song at number 3 on their year-end list of 27 Essential R&B Songs of 2007.In 2009, Ryan Schreiber ranked "Irreplaceable" at number 183 on his list of Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s (decade). Barry Schwartz of 'Stylus' Magazine wrote that "Irreplaceable" recaptured Beyonc's 2003 debut single "Crazy in Love"'s near-perfection, describing it as "gentle but defiant", and further wrote, "Through some breezy strums and a sweet plaintive melody Beyonce delivers her most genuinely emotional vocal to date, equal parts vulnerable, upset, pissed off, vindictive, resigned, and apathetic." 'Rolling Stone' ranked the song at number 60 on its list of 100 Best Songs of the 2000s. The RIAA recognized the song as the "Highest-certified Master Ringtone by a Female Artist" of the decade achieving three times multiplatinum certification
"Irreplaceable" won the award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female, at the 2007 Soul Train Music Award, and the 'Favorite Song' award at the 2007 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in the 2008 Grammy Awards, and Song of the Year at the VH1 Soul Vibe awards. "Irreplaceable" was recognized as one of the five most-performed songs of 2007 by the ASCAP Pop Music Awards.
Commercial performance
"Irreplaceable" entered various charts worldwide, and became the most successful single released from 'B'Day'. The single debuted on the US 'Billboard' Hot 100 chart on November 4, 2006, at number eighty-seven. It climbed the charts rapidly because of its radio airplay, and it was the "Greatest Airplay Gainer" for six consecutive weeks by early December 2006. Three weeks after the release of "Irreplaceable", 'B'Day' re-entered the top ten on the US 'Billboard' 200. "Irreplaceable" reached number one on December 16, becoming Beyonc's fourth number one single as a solo artist, and her second in 2006, following "Check on It" (2005). The single spent ten consecutive weeks at number one and was replaced by Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right" (2006) on February 24, 2007. "Irreplaceable" outperformed "Baby Boy"'s nine weeks at number one. Beyonc's former group Destiny's Child's single "Independent Women Part I" (2000) remained at number one for eleven weeks in late 2000 and early 2001. "Irreplaceable" remained on the chart for thirty weeks, and as of December 2017, and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was additionally certified triple platinum in July 2007, denoting sales of three million master ringtones. "Irreplaceable" peaked atop the US Radio Songs, staying atop the chart for eleven consecutive weeks.
According to Mediabase, "Irreplaceable" passed the two hundred million audience impressions mark on December 11, 2006. Another Beyonc's single "Check on It" previously passed this mark on January 31, 2006. Consequently, Beyonc became the second singer to achieve this in the United States, the first having been Mariah Carey whose two singles, "We Belong Together" (2005) and "Shake It Off" (2005), passed the same audience impressions mark in 2005. "Irreplaceable" was the best-performing single in the United States of 2007, topping the 'Billboard' Top Hot 100 Hits. "Irreplaceable" installed Beyonc at third place for most number one singles by a female songwriter, overtaking Janet Jackson and Carole King and tying Diane Warren for nine number-one singles. Beyonc received three songwriting credits in one year, the only woman to achieve this since King in 1971 and Carey in 1991. In February 2010, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) listed "Irreplaceable" as the highest certified master ringtone by a female solo artist of the 2000s.Lamy, Jonathan, Cara Duckworth and Liz Kennedy. (February 17, 2010). "[https://www.riaa.com/newsitem.php?id=C91C40E1-A65A-0F81-EBB3-8FE3B7C0ECEA RIAA Tallies the Decade's Top Gold and Platinum award Winners] ". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 25, 2011. By August 2011, the single had sold over three million digital downloads in the United States. Spanish version of the song "Irreemplazable" charted equally well, peaking at number four on the Hot Latin Songs. The extended play (EP) of the same title appeared on the US Latin Pop Albums at number two, Top Latin Albums at number three, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums at number forty-one and on the 'Billboard' 200 at number one-hundred-and-five.
"Irreplaceable" debuted at number eight on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, and peaked at number one, staying atop the chart for three consecutive weeks, becoming Beyonc's first and so far only number-one single in Australia. It was certified quintuple-platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of 350,000 copies. "Irreplaceable" appeared twice on the ARIA year-end charts, reaching number twenty-three in 2006, and number forty-two in 2007. "Irreplaceable" debuted at number three on the New Zealand Singles Chart on November 6, 2006, the song's highest debut on any chart. It peaked at number one, and remained on the chart for eighteen weeks. It was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ). "Irreplaceable" peaked atop the charts in Hungary and Ireland, as well; it also entered the top ten in Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Slovakia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Venezuela. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart, spending twelve weeks in the top twenty and twenty-five weeks on the chart in total. It was Beyonc's fifth longest-charting single in the United Kingdom, and spent more weeks on the chart than her number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Dj Vu" but slightly less than more recent hit singles "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Halo" and "Sweet Dreams". Due to Beyonc's performance of "Irreplaceable" at the Glastonbury Festival 2011 on June 26, 2011, the song re-entered the top forty of the UK Singles Chart at number thirty-three, and the live version appeared at number twenty-six on the UK Singles Chart Update. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), "Irreplaceable" was 2007's tenth best-selling digital single with over 4.6 million copies sold worldwide;
Music video
.|alt=An image describing two persons arguing. The man wears a white coat and holds a basketball trophy. The woman wears a floral dress and holds a nail filer with her right hand.
"Irreplaceable" was directed by Anthony Mandler, who co-directed the video of "Get Me Bodied". The video features the debut performance of Beyonc's all-female band, Suga Mama, who also appeared in the "Green Light" music video. Her acting-then-ex-boyfriend in the video is model Bobby Roache, who played police officer for the "Ring the Alarm" music video and warrior during Jay-Z and Beyonc's live performance at the 2006 Fashion Rocks show. The video was included on the 2007 'B'Day Anthology Video Album', and a video edit was produced for "Irreemplazable". Part of the video which shows Beyonc dancing in silhouette in front of a glass door is inspired by a James Bond movie. Late in January 2008, "Irreemplazable" premiered on the MiTRL, a video countdown show on the bilingual channel MTV Tr3s.
The music video follows the storyline of the song's lyrics. "She told me to pack up all my stuff, I'm getting kicked outthe video starts off like that", said Roache. It opens with Beyonc filing her nails in silence, as her ex-partner packs up his property, as Beyonc orders him to leave. Mid-way in the video, Beyonc follows her then-ex-boyfriend outside the house and leans on a 2007 Jaguar XK. She appears to be pretentiously caressing him; only for the audience to find out that she is repossessing things she bought for him. He leaves her and the car, about to ride off in a taxi. Between cuts, Beyonc manages herself in front of a mirror; putting on a lipstick, wearing huge curlers and a high-waisted skirt. There are additional beats mixed to the arrangement for the video version that can be heard, when Beyonc sings with her all-female band, Suga Mama, towards the end. It ends with Beyonc greeting her new boyfriend at the front door.
At the 2007 Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards, Beyonc won Video of the Year Award for "Irreplaceable", an award for which "Beautiful Liar" was also nominated. It was nominated for Video of the Year during the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, but it lost to Rihanna's single, "Umbrella" (2007). At the 2007 Soul Train Music Awards, the video was nominated for the Michael Jackson Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video, but lost to rapper (and husband) Jay-Z's "Show Me What You Got" video. The video received two nominations for Best Female Artist and Video of the Year at the 2007 MTV Australia Video Music Awards.
Live performances
Beyonc performed "Irreplaceable" during various public appearances, including the 2006 American Music Awards, 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show', the 'Today Show'.
The song was a part of Beyonc's set list for her tour The Beyonc Experience and I Am... World Tour. "Irreplaceable" was the closing song during her 2007 The Beyonc Experience world tour. It was performed late in the set on earlier tour dates, but when Beyonc embarked on the US leg, it was performed earlier in the show. Beyonc performed "Irreplaceable" during her Revel Presents: Beyonc Live revue.
Beyonc has performed "Irreplaceable" without backup dancers or live instrumentation, or in another case, Beyonc was accompanied by two drummers, two keyboardists, a percussionist, a horn section, three backup vocalists called the Mamas, and the lead guitarist, Bibi McGill. Footage of Beyonc's performance at the Staples Center, Los Angeles was included on 'The Beyonc Experience Live!' DVD (2007), and the deluxe edition of 'I Am... World Tour' (2010). According to 'NME', "'Irreplaceable' [at the Glastonbury Festival] sparked a mass singalong, with the crowd taking the lead on the entire first verse." Following the performance of "Irreplaceable" at the Glastonbury Festival, the song was digitally released in the UK and the US on June 27, 2011, as charity single to raise funds for Oxfam, WaterAid and Greenpeace. This version charted at number twenty-six on the UK Singles Chart Update.
Cover versions and usage in media
American band Sleigh Bells recorded an acoustic cover of the song during their Maida Vale sessions and released it Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show on March 6, 2012. A writer of 'Billboard' magazine commented that their cover was "ethereal". Ray Rahman of 'Entertainment Weekly' described the cover as "really good!... Krauss also has a teen-pop background thanks to her Rubyblue days, so it's actually not that surprising that she can find her away around a Top 40 single so well." However, Maura Johnston of 'The Village Voice' gave a negative review for the cover, saying: "Krauss sighs her way through the song, turning her voice into a mew that sounds like she was trying to sing along with the radio while not being heard by her roommates or anyone else outside of a six-inch radius... Also, some of the guitar chords are a bit off.... it's sorta disappointing."
In 2007, Gregory and the Hawk and Taylor Swift each covered the song. US country band Sugarland, who performed some of Beyonc's songs during their live shows, performed a country version of "Irreplaceable" with Beyonc at the 2007 American Music Awards, held on November 18. Kate Nash covered "Irreplaceable" in January 2008. In November 2009, Damon Thomas of The Underdogs sang the song. Kidz Bop covered "Irreplaceable" on their eleventh studio album 'Kidz Bop 11' (2007). A group named Faith, consisting of Michelle Delamor, Ashley Rodriguez and Charity Vance, sang "Irreplaceable" on the 'group night' episode of ninth season of 'American Idol' on February 10, 2010, In 2011, Canadian singer Maria Aragon, and South Korean singer G.NA, covered the song. Andy Grammer performed "Irreplaceable" on the radio station The Mix Lounge 104.1 and posted the video of his performance on his YouTube page in June 2011. During the finale of the tenth season of 'American Idol' on May 25, 2011, the lady contestants joined together onstage to perform "Irreplaceable" along with a medley of Beyonc's other singles. On August 26, 2013, singer Barry Southgate covered the song during the fifth season of 'The X Factor Australia'. Giles Hardie of 'The Sydney Morning Herald' rated his performance eight out of ten and wrote it was "a very clever song choice". In September 2013, Lily Allen covered "Irreplaceable" at a celebration party in Italy, and on June 30, 2014, Anja Nissen covered the song on the third series of 'The Voice Australia'. In May 2007, "Irreplaceable" was used in the final scene of "When the Chickens Come Home to Roost", the final episode of the first season of the television series 'The Game'. The series also used the song in the opening moments of its premiere episode for the second season. In 2017, Woman2Woman group from Cape Town, South Africa, did a parody on the breakfast show 'Expresso'. Felicity Kiran, Anray Amansure and Lauren-Lee Bock originally did it as promotional video. It went viral with around 40 million views worldwide.
Track listings and formats
* 'US Remixes EP"[https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/irreplaceable-remixes/id214734438 iTunes Store Beyonc Irreplaceable Remixes]". iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. January 4, 2011.
# "Irreplaceable" (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J Radio Mix) 4:08
# "Irreplaceable" (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J Club Mix) 8:51
# "Irreplaceable" (Ralphi Rosario Dub) 9:27
# "Irreplaceable" (Maurice Joshua Radio Mix) 4:05
# "Irreplaceable" (Maurice Joshua Club Mix) 7:06
# "Irreplaceable" (Featuring Ghostface Killah) 4:45
# "Irreplaceable" (DJ Speedy Remix) 4:20
* 'Australian EP'
# "Irreplaceable" (Album Version) 3:47
# "Dj Vu" (Freemasons Club Mix) 8:05
# "Dj Vu" (The Remix) 3:54
* 'German Basic single'"[https://itunes.apple.com/de/album/irreplaceable-single/id200775754 iTunes Store Beyonc Irreplaceable single]". iTunes Store (Germany). Apple Inc. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
# "Irreplaceable" (Album Version) 3:47
# "Ring the Alarm" (Freemasons Club Mix Radio Edit) 3:27
* 'German Premium CD-single'
# "Irreplaceable" (Album Version) 3:48
# "Ring the Alarm" (Freemasons Club Mix Radio Edit) 3:26
# "Ring the Alarm" (Karmatronic Remix) 3:10
# "Ring the Alarm" (Tranzformas Remix featuring Collie Buddz) 4:12
# "Ring the Alarm" (Enhanced Music Video)
Credits and personnel
Credits are taken from 'B'Day' liner notes.
* Vocals by Beyonc Knowles
* Written and composed by Ne-Yo, Beyonc (melodies and harmonies), Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Espen Lind and Amund Bjorklund
* Produced by Stargate and Beyonc
* Co-Produced by Ne-Yo
* A&R: Max Gousse (Music World Productions Inc.)
* Recording by Jim Caruana
** Assistant: Rob Kinelski
* Mixing by Jason Goldstein
* Guitars: Espen Lind
* All other instruments: Eriksen and Hermansen
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"|+ Weekly chart performance for "Irreplaceable"
! scope="col"| Chart (20062007)
! scope="col"| Peak
position
|-
!scope="row"
|-
!scope="row"
|-
!scope="row"
|-
!scope="row"
|-
!scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)
| 20
|-
!scope="row"
|-
!scope="row"
|-
!scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"| Canada (Hot Canadian Digital Songs)
| 3
|-
! scope="row"| Croatia (HRT)
| 7
|-
! scope="row"| Czech Republic (Rdio Top 100)
| 4
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"| European Hot 100 Singles ('Billboard')
| 7
|-
! scope="row"| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)
| 13
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"| France Airplay (SNEP)
| 3
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"| Germany (Official German Charts)
| 78
|-
!scope="row"|Global Dance Songs ('Billboard')
| 26
|-
! scope="row"| Greece (IFPI)
| 2
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"| Italy (FIMI)
| 3
|-
!scope="row"|Italy ('Musica e dischi') 'Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Titolo" field, search "Irreplaceable".'
| 8
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"| Poland (Polish Airplay Charts)
| 2
|-
! scope="row"| Romania (Romanian Top 100)
| 4
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"| US 'Billboard' Hot 100
| 1
|-
! scope="row"| US Adult Contemporary ('Billboard')
| 10
|-
! scope="row"| US Adult Top 40 ('Billboard')
| 15
|-
! scope="row"| US Dance Club Songs ('Billboard')
| 1
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"| US Hot Latin Songs ('Billboard')
| 4
|-
! scope="row"| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ('Billboard')
| 1
|-
! scope="row"| US Mainstream Top 40 ('Billboard')
| 1
|-
! scope="row"| US Pop 100 ('Billboard')
| 1
|-
! scope="row"
|-
! scope="row"| Venezuela Pop Rock (Record Report)
| 4
|}
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
All-time charts
Certifications
Release history
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Release dates and formats for "Irreplaceable"
! scope="col"| Region
! scope="col"| Date
! scope="col"| Format(s)
! scope="col"| Label(s)
! scope="col"|
|-
! scope="row"| United Kingdom
| October 23, 2006
| CD
| RCA
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"| Australia
| October 27, 2006
| Digital download
| Sony BMG
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"| United Kingdom
| October 30, 2006
| 12-inch vinyl
| RCA
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"| Germany
| November 3, 2006
| CD
| rowspan="2"| Sony BMG
|
|-
! scope="row"| Australia
| November 6, 2006
| Maxi CD
|
|-
! scope="row"| United States
| December 5, 2006
| CD
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"| France
| January 8, 2007
|
| Sony BMG
|
|-
! scope="row"| United States
| February 13, 2007
| Digital download
|
| align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"| Japan
| March 7, 2007
| CD+DVD
| Sony BMG
|
|}
See also
* List of number-one singles in Australia in 2006
* List of number-one singles of 2006 (Ireland)
* List of number-one singles from the 2000s (New Zealand)
* List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 2006
* List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 2007
* List of number-one R&B singles of 2006 (U.S.)
* List of number-one R&B singles of 2007 (U.S.)
* List of number-one dance singles of 2007 (U.S.)
Notes
References
Category:2006 singles
Category:2007 singles
Category:Beyonc songs
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
Category:Music videos directed by Anthony Mandler
Category:Number-one singles in Australia
Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand
Category:Number-one singles in Turkey
Category:Song recordings produced by Stargate (record producers)
Category:Songs written by Beyonc
Category:Songs written by Espen Lind
Category:Songs written by Amund Bjrklund
Category:Songs written by Ne-Yo
Category:Songs written by Tor Erik Hermansen
Category:Songs written by Mikkel Storleer Eriksen
Category:2000s ballads
Category:Pop ballads
Category:Contemporary R&B ballads
Category:Song recordings produced by Beyonc
Category:Songs about infidelity
Category:2006 songs
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