"Check on It" is a song recorded by American singer

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

. It was written by her,

Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the a ...

Sean Garrett Garrett Robin Hamler, known professionally as Sean Garrett, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is responsible for a series of chart-topping compositions, most notably Usher's " Yeah!" which ranks second on the ''Billboa ...

, Angela Beyincé and Slim Thug, and produced by Swizz Beatz. Initially recorded solely by Beyoncé, the song was supposed to be featured on the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...

for 2006 film ''

The Pink Panther ''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the classic film '' The Pin ...

'', in which she co-starred as Xania. As it was ultimately not included on the soundtrack, the version with additional vocals from Slim Thug was placed on the 2005

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...

's greatest hits album '' #1's''.

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

released a remix version of "Check on It" featuring both Slim Thug and Bun B as the second single from ''#1's'' on December 13, 2005. The song's development was motivated by the phrase "Check on It", which Beyoncé and her management jokingly used before they decided to turn it into a song. "Check on It" is an R&B and hip hop song, which is instrumentally complete with a heavy

bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, dub and electronic, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played (in jazz and som ...

, strings, and

wind instrument A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator (usually a tube) in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into (or over) a mouthpiece set at or near the end of the resonator. The pitch ...

. Lyrically, it takes place in a club, where Beyoncé is letting the male patrons know that they are welcome to come and look at her body when she is dancing. The song consists of two verse-raps by Slim Thug. "Check on It" was well received by contemporary music critics, who universally complimented Beyoncé's vocals, as well as her assertive delivery. "Check on It" was not originally intended as a single from ''#1's''. However, it received heavy rotation on US radio stations, following the release of the first single " Stand Up for Love" (2005), which failed to chart. Eventually, "Check on It" debuted on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in November 2005, before its official release date. The song peaked at number one for five consecutive weeks, becoming one of the two longest-running number-one singles of 2006, and Beyoncé's third US number-one single as a solo artist. Internationally, it reached number one in New Zealand and the top ten in Canada and numerous European countries. The accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for "Check on It" was directed by Hype Williams, and premiered on December 16, 2005, on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a d ...

. The version of the song used in the video features a remix of " The Pink Panther Theme". Incorporating 1950s influences, the video was shot in pink to brand the relationship with ''The Pink Panther''. It won Best R&B Video at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, and was nominated for Video of the Year at the BET Awards 2006. Although Beyoncé did not perform "Check on It" in any televised appearances, it was a part of her

set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...

on The Beyoncé Experience (2007), I Am... World Tour (2009–2010) and her Coachella performance (2018).

Background and release

"Check on It" was written by Beyoncé, Slim Thug, Angela Beyincé and

. Production was handled by Swiss Beatz, who also co-wrote the song. Matt Hennessy, Dave Pensado, and Dexter Simmons mixed "Check on It" with assistance from Geoffrey Rice, and Matt Serrecchio. Beyoncé said that the song's title, "Check on It", was a phrase that she and her management jokingly used several times before they decided to turn it into a song. Originally recorded by Beyoncé only, the song was supposed to be included on the track-listing of the soundtrack album for the remake of ''

'' (2006), starring Steve Martin,

Kevin Kline Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24, 1947) is an American actor. He is the recipient of an Academy Award and three Tony Awards. In addition, he has received nominations for two British Academy Film Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and five ...

and Beyoncé. However, it was never used for the soundtrack album at the last minute,Beck, C. (2003). ''The Pink Panther'' CD. Studio City: Varese Sarabande. Retrieved January 7, 2011 and the song with added vocals from Slim Thug, was then added on Beyoncé's former group

's greatest hits, '' #1's'' (2005). "Check on It" was nevertheless played during ''The Pink Panther''s end credits and used in TV spots to promote the film. "Check on It" was not originally intended for release as a single from the album ''#1's''. However, it received heavy

rotation Rotation, or spin, is the circular movement of an object around a '' central axis''. A two-dimensional rotating object has only one possible central axis and can rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. A three-dimensional ...

from US radio stations after the release of the first single " Stand Up for Love" (2005), which recorded by all members of

was a commercial failure. Meanwhile, "Check on It" debuted on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in November 2005, that is, before its official release as it had amassed considerable listener impressions. A remix of the song featuring hip-hop rapper Bun B was recorded prior to its release. The task of remixing the song was undertaken by Maurice Joshua with further assistance from Junior Vasquez who helped in its production. "Check on It" was first digitally released in the US on December 13, 2005. In the United Kingdom, a CD single was issued on January 16, 2006. "Check on It" was never released in Australia but charted as a digital track. The song was included as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Beyoncé's second studio album, '' B'Day'' in European countries on April 3, 2007. Though the song was a commercial success worldwide, Beyoncé has revealed that she dislikes the song. She has explained that she was surprised at the commercial reception of the "Check on It" as according to her, it is too simple, and not catchy like some of her previous singles.

Composition

"Check on It" is a midtempo R&B and hip hop song, which makes use of a heavy

, strings,

, and frequent "swinging pelvic taunts". According to the sheet music published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing at Musicnotes.com, the song is written in the key of G major and is set in

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure ( bar), and which note val ...

at 166 beats per minute. Beyoncé's vocal range spans from the low note A₃ to the high note B₄. According to Bill Lamb of About.com, Beyoncé adopts smooth and alluring vocals throughout "Check on It". Lyrically, the song takes place in a dance club, where the female protagonist is letting the male patrons know that they are welcome to come and look at her body when she is dancing. "Check on It" starts with a verse-rap from Slim Thug: "Good girls gotta get down with them gangstas / Go head girl put some back and some neck up on it..." The rapper sounds like a 1975 Mercury Cougar turning over as he growls in his burly purr, as written by Bret McCabe of '' Baltimore City Paper''. In the first

verse Verse may refer to: Poetry * Verse, an occasional synonym for poetry * Verse, a metrical structure, a stanza * Blank verse, a type of poetry having regular meter but no rhyme * Free verse, a type of poetry written without the use of strict ...

, Beyoncé sings to the "sexual teasing" lyrics, which are addressed to the men looking at her: "I can be a tease, but I really wanna please you ..Oohhh you watchin me shake it, Ya can't take it, it’s blazin ...". The chorus lines; "Dip it, pop it, twerk it, stop it, check on me tonight" are sung in a very quick and breathless manner by Beyoncé. Bret McCabe noted that her pace could be compared to that of R&B singer

Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her musi ...

. Slim Thug appears again after the second verse to perform another different verse rap: "I’m checking on you boo, do what’chu do / And while you dance I’ma glance at this beautiful view / I’m keep my hands in my pants, I need to glue ’em with glue ...". Before the song ends, Beyoncé repeats the chorus lines four times as additional vocals of hers are played in the background.

Critical reception

Music critics received the song positively, complimenting Beyoncé's vocal performance, and the easiness as well as the confidence she displays while singing her lyrics. A reviewer from the UK website Contactmusic.com described "Check on It" as a "booty shaking anthem" and complimented Beyoncé for switching to a club song after "Stand Up for Love". Bret McCabe of ''Baltimore City Paper'' noted that the song is "less a DC joint than a Beyoncé sex-kitten solo". He praised the lyrics of the song and the easiness with which Beyoncé sings, highlighting her "million-selling R&B pipes". James Blake of BBC Music wrote that the lyrics are pleasantly aggressive and critical of women. Jaime Gill of

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described "Check on It" as "sinuously brilliant". James Anthony of the British newspaper ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' wrote that the song "espouses a blissful disregard for traditional songwriting conventions. No Hova ( Jay-Z) this time, but Houston rapper Slim Thug's lazy southern drawl suits the fractionally slower tempo." In the July 2006 issued copy of '' Spin'' magazine, Nick Duerden ranked the song at the seventh place on his list of The ten Beyoncé tracks you need to download, writing that "Check on It" is Beyoncé's sexiest song to date. "Check on It" was nominated in for Best Duet/Collaboration at the 2006 BET Awards, and for the Best Rap/Hip Hop Dance Track at the 2007 22nd Annual International Dance Music Awards in 2007. It also received a Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) Award for "Award-Winning Song".

Chart performance

"Check on It" debuted at number 72 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart issue dated November 19, 2005. After 12 weeks on the chart, the song received the airplay gainer title, and reached number one on the Hot 100 chart issue dated February 4, 2006, becoming Beyoncé's third Hot 100 number-one as a solo artist and Slim Thug's first Hot 100 single. For the same week ending, "Check on It" was also at the top of the US

Hot Digital Songs The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally starte ...

and the US Pop 100 charts. The single remained at number-one for on the Hot 100 chart for five consecutive weeks before being unseated by "

You're Beautiful "You're Beautiful" is a song by English singer-songwriter James Blunt. It was written by Blunt, Sacha Skarbek and Amanda Ghost for Blunt's debut album, '' Back to Bedlam'' (2004). It was released as the third single of the album in 2005. In ...

" by James Blunt. tying Beyoncé with Jennifer Lopez for having her first three number-one Hot 100 singles stay on top for five weeks or more. "Check on It" also tied with Canadian singer Daniel Powter's single " Bad Day" for the longest-running number-one single in 2006. "Check on It" spent a total of 28 weeks on the Hot 100. The song also topped the US Pop Songs, the US Hot Dance Club Play, the US Rhythmic Top 40, and the

Hot 100 Airplay The Radio Songs chart (previously named Hot 100 Airplay until 2014 and Top 40 Radio Monitor until 1991) is released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and measures the airplay of songs being played on radio stations throughout the United States acro ...

charts. It reached number three on the US

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart. According to Mediabase and

Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems Broadcast Data Systems (also known as BDS or Luminate BDS), is a service that tracks radio, television and internet airplay of songs. The service, which is a unit of MRC Data, is a contributing factor to North American charts published by co-owne ...

, "Check on It" passed the 200 million audience impressions mark in on January 31, 2006. Another single of Beyoncé, "

Irreplaceable "Irreplaceable" is a song by American singer Beyoncé 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 Bjørklund, Beyoncé and produced b ...

" also passed this mark on December 11, 2006. Beyoncé thus became the second female singer to achieve this feat in the US after

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

's two singles " We Belong Together" and "

Shake It Off "Shake It Off" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her fifth studio album, '' 1989''. Swift wrote the lyrics and composed the melody with producers Max Martin and Shellback. An uptempo dance-pop song featuring a saxo ...

" both passed the same mark within 2005. At the end of 2006, "Check on It" emerged as the tenth best selling, and fourth most played song on radio stations in the US. It was certified double platinum by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA) for sales and streams of over 2,000,000 units. As of October 2012, it has sold 1,438,000 paid digital downloads in the US. "Check on It" debuted at number four on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top ...

on January 28, 2006. The following week, it peaked at number three and charted for 12 weeks in the top 75 positions of the UK Singles Chart. "Check on It" debuted at number 35 on the

New Zealand Singles Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Mus ...

on January 30, 2006, and reached number one for two consecutive weeks. In mainland Europe, "Check on It" reached the top five in Norway and the Netherlands, the top 10 in Switzerland, Denmark, and Austria, and the top 20 in Germany and Sweden.

Music video

When demand was growing for the song, Beyoncé decided to make a

for it, serving as promotion for both ''#1's'' and ''The Pink Panther''. It was directed by Hype Williams. The version of "Check on It" used in the clip features a remix of " The Pink Panther Theme" and a verse-rap from Bun B. The video premiered on December 12, 2005, on

, and was included on the DVD of ''The Pink Panther''. The video was shot in 12 hours and features Beyoncé in 12 different set-ups and outfits. It incorporates 1950s influences. Hype Williams told Margeaux Watson of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cultu ...

'' that the concept was to make everything pink to brand the relationship with ''The Pink Panther''. He added that the pink sails reflect the wind instrument sound of the string section. Speaking about the video to

, Beyoncé said:

Check on It'is so fun, it makes you feel like a child again and we wanted to put some of that in the choreography and the feel of the video. It's all about checking on yourself and making sure you're moving tight and your man admiring how you move. It's simple."

In the video, Beyoncé is seen mostly in all pink, and the dancers wear PVC jackets and dance around rippling satin sheets. She occasionally bends over and grabs her behind. The video cuts to Beyoncé wearing a polka dot corset against a hot pink polka-dotted wall, wearing a pink wig and pink lipstick. Where black bars normally appear on a 4:3 (full screen) television showing a

widescreen Widescreen images are displayed within a set of aspect ratios (relationship of image width to height) used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than t ...

production, footage is displayed of curtains moving in the background. This was a trend in the videos directed by Williams during that year, with the effect being used in

Ne-Yo Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He gained fame for his songwriting abilities when he penned Mario's 2004 hit " Let Me Love You ...

's 2006 single "

So Sick "So Sick" is a song by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo, written alongside Norwegian production duo Stargate for Ne-Yo's debut studio album, ''In My Own Words'' (2006). The song was released as the second single from the album on November 21, 20 ...

" and

Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film '' Ray'', for which he won the ...

's 2005 single "

Unpredictable Unpredictable may refer to: Film and TV * "Unpredictable" (''Eureka''), an episode of ''Eureka'' Music Albums * ''Unpredictable'' (Classified album), 2000 * ''Unpredictable'' (Jamie Foxx album), 2005 * ''Unpredictable'' (Malik B. album), 2015 ...

". "Check on It" won the Best R&B Video at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. It was also nominated for Video of the Year at the 2006 BET Awards.

Live performances

Although Beyoncé did not perform "Check on It" on televised appearances, it was a part of her

on The Beyoncé Experience at the

Staples Center Crypto.com Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. The arena opened on October 17, 1999; it was ...

in Los Angeles and I Am... World Tour during various stops. In Los Angeles, Beyoncé performed segments of the song, dressed in a golden, translucent slip and golden, sparkling panties. It was executed without backup dancers or live instrumentation, only backup singers toward the performance's conclusion. When Beyoncé performed the song in

Sunrise, Florida Sunrise is a city in central-western Broward County, Florida, United States, and is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 97,335. Sunrise was incorporated in 1961 and founded ...

on June 29, 2009, she was wearing a glittery, golden leotard. As she sang, animated graphics of turntables, faders and other club equipment were projected behind Beyoncé, her dancers and musicians. "Check on It" was subsequently included as the sixteenth track and the twentieth track on her live albums '' The Beyoncé Experience Live'' (2007), and '' I Am... World Tour'' (2010) respectively. Beyoncé also performed the song as part of her acclaimed performance at Coachella in April 2018.

Formats and track listing

* International remixes EP (feat. Bun B & Slim Thug) # "Check on It" – 3:30 # "Check on It" (Junior Vasquez Club Mix) – 8:31 # "Check on It" (Maurice's Nu Soul Mix) – 5:59 # "Check on It" (King Klub Mix) – 6:48 # "Check on It" ( Bama Boyz Remix) – 3:54 * Canada and Europe single (feat. Slim Thug) # "Check on It" – 3:31 # "Check on It" (No Rap Version) – 3:08 * US single (feat. Voltio) # "Check on It" (Bama Boyz Reggaeton Remix) – 3:28 # "Check on It" (Bama Boyz Reggaeton Remix Instrumental) – 3:28

Personnel

Credits are lifted from the official booklet of ''#1's'' and ''B'Day''. * Vocals –

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the g ...

Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

, Slim Thug, Bun B, * Songwriting – Beyoncé Knowles, Angela Beyince,

, Slim Thug *

Production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...

– Beyoncé Knowles, Swizz Beatz * Vocal production – Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams * Recording engineers – Jim Caruana, Nathan Jenkins ** Assistance – Geoffrey Rice, Matt Serrecchio * Mix engineering – Dave Pensado, Dexter Simmons

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Check On It 2006 songs 2006 singles Beyoncé songs The Pink Panther Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Music videos directed by Hype Williams Number-one singles in New Zealand Slim Thug songs Julio Voltio songs Songs about dancing Songs written for films Song recordings produced by Swizz Beatz Songs written by Sean Garrett Songs written by Beyoncé Songs written by Swizz Beatz Reggaeton songs Song recordings produced by Beyoncé Columbia Records singles