Listen (song)

"Listen" is a 2006 R&B;, soul song recorded by American singer Beyoncé. The song was written by Henry Krieger, Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, and Knowles, and produced by The Underdogs Matt Sullivan and Randy Spendlove for the soundtrack to the 2006 musical film Dreamgirls. "Listen" is one of four compositions written specifically for the Dreamgirls film. In the film, Knowles' character Deena Jones sings the song to assert independence over her controlling husband. The track was released as the lead single from on December 5, 2006 in the United States through Columbia Records. It also appeared as a hidden track on international editions, and on the deluxe edition of Knowles' second solo studio album, B'Day. The Spanish version of the song "Oye" was released on the EP Irreemplazable and on the second disc of the Spanish Deluxe Edition release of B'Day.

"Listen" is an R&B-;soul song whose lyrics make reference to tenacity, love, refusal to defer dreams and finally rise towards fame. The song was a critical success. Music critics complimented the strong and emotionally filled vocals of Knowles, and added that the lyrics perfectly elaborates on Deena Jones's life. "Listen" won Best Original Song at the 2007 Annual Critics' Choice Awards. It also garnered nominations in the same category at the 2006 International Press Academy Satellite Award and at the 2007 Golden Globe Awards. It was also nominated for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Song.

The song peaked at number sixty-one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and generally peaked inside the top twenty positions in European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. "Listen" faired much better in the United Kingdom where it reached number eight thanks to a live duet performance of Knowles and Alexandra Burke at The X Factor in December 2008. There, Burke emerged as the winner after having sung "Listen". The song was also covered by Charice for the American TV show Glee episode "Audition". The song has two accompanying music videos. The first one is performance version which was directed by Diane Martel, and was included on Knowles' B'Day Anthology Video Album. The second one, being Vogue Shoot Version, was directed by Matthew Rolston. "Listen" was also a part of her set list on The Beyoncé Experience and I Am... Tour.

Context

At the film's halfway point, Effie, who first had a relationship with their manager, discovers he is betraying her; Effie has her crescendo scene when she sings "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", a song popularized in 1982 by American singer-actress Jennifer Holliday. During the second half of the film, Curtis and Deena argue at dinner over Deena's desire to make her film debut in an urban film instead of the Cleopatra prequel that Curtis is producing. An angry Curtis asserts his creative and psychological control over his wife, informing Deena that he would not let anyone else "handle" her, because, in his words, "no one knows you the way I do". Contrasting her with Effie, Curtis tells Deena that he put Deena as lead singer of the Dreams because her voice "had no personality. No depth. Except for what [he] put in there". Used in the film as a last-minute recording by Deena before leaving Curtis "to find her own voice as a newly independent woman", co-writer Anne Preven called "Listen" a song which "Deena is exclaiming, 'You don't know who I am, and I know I do.'"

Composition

According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Music Publishing, "Listen" is an R&B;-soul song with ballad influences. Set in common time, the song is written in the key of B major with a moderately slow groove of 80 beats per minute. Knowles recorded an introduction to "Listen" entitled "Encore to the Fans", and the song and introduction are featured as bonus tracks on international editions of Knowles' second solo album B'Day. A Spanish version of the song, "Oye", was produced and released on the deluxe edition of B'Day. In the United States, "Listen" was released as a CD single on January 29, 2007, featuring its album and instrumental versions. It was also serviced as a CD Single in the United Kingdom, and several European, countries including, Belgium, Italy, amongst others on January 19, 2007. Describing the song as a "devastatingly beautiful ballad", Chuck Taylor of Billboard magazine writes, "Beyoncé delivers the performance of her career in 'Listen', another defining moment in the brilliant flick [besides Hudson's 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going']." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine noted that the song "adds grit and touching gravity to Deena". Jody Rosen's review for Entertainment Weekly was less impressed, describing "Listen" as "gloopy" and "an inspirational ballad about 'the song in my heart', which builds to an enormous schlock-opera climax". Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe wrote: "['Listen'] is a big, soppy ballad that will move some to tears and irk others as a stunning example of art imitating life imitating art without a shred of irony." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine said that "Listen" will undoubtedly be "the payoff for fans of Beyoncé's voice who sat through the first [thirty-eight] minutes of [B'Day] waiting for the cum shot."

Accolades

Chart performance

"Listen" was covered by Charice for the American TV show Glee episode "Audition", which aired on , 2010. This version was released as a single, debuted at number thirty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100, higher than Knowles version. It also charted at number fifty-one on the Canadian Hot 100 chart the same week. Charice's version also peaked at number eighty-seven on the Australian Singles Chart, at number thirty-three in Ireland, and at number fifty-one in the United Kingdom.

Music videos

;Performance Version This video, which was directed by Diane Martel, features Knowles walking through a performance hall in modern-day street clothes, performing the song. Once she arrives onstage and at the song's bridge, she appears in costume as Deena, dressed in a 1970s-era gown. Intercut into the video are scenes from Dreamgirls, most of which depict Deena's relationship with Curtis. These clips, however, were taken out in the director's cut version of the video; this version appeared on the B'Day Anthology Video Album. In her first outfit, Beyoncé is seen wearing a Wonder Woman t-shirt. Beyoncé has stated before that she would love to play Wonder Woman.

;Vogue Shoot Version The music video, directed by Matthew Rolston, features Knowles wearing a modern-day tank top, performing the song against a blank background which changes back forth from white and black. Interspersed are some scenes from a photo shoot within her film Dreamgirls. This version appears on the Dreamgirls DVD release. In the director's cut of this version, Knowles is seen posing for a photo shoot not featured in the film in which she wears very outlandish clothing. As the shoot progresses it becomes more and more evident that Knowles is not happy with the direction of the shoot and when she is handed a bird to pose with she becomes fed up, walks away and strips down to the black tank top and tights underneath. She then climbs the staircase of the building to the rooftop and finishes singing the song.

Live performances

Track listing

Europe CD single # "Listen" (From Dreamgirls) - 3:40 # "Irreplaceable" (Maurice Joshua Remix Edit) - 4:04

Ireland, Italy and Netherlands Remix Single

# "Listen" (Fraser T Smith Remix) - 3:39

Chart history

References

Category:2006 singles Category:2000s pop songs Category:Soul songs Category:Rhythm and blues ballads Category:Songs with feminist themes Category:Songs from Dreamgirls Category:Music videos directed by Diane Martel Category:Music videos directed by Matthew Rolston Category:Beyoncé Knowles songs Category:Songs written by Beyoncé Knowles Category:Songs written by Scott Cutler Category:English-language songs Category:Singles certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan Category:Songs written by Henry Krieger Category:Songs written by Anne Preven

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