"Poison" is a song by American recording artist
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 is included on the 2009 deluxe edition of her third studio album, ''
I Am… Sasha Fierce
''I Am... Sasha Fierce'' is the third studio album by American singer Beyoncé. It was released on November 12, 2008, by Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment. In its original release, the album was formatted as a double album, inten ...
'' (2008) and the
EP titled ''I Am...Sasha Fierce – The Bonus Tracks'' (2009). It was written by
Johntá Austin,
Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen of the production team Stargate and Beyoncé while the
production was handled by the later two. The song
leaked online in August 2009 prior to the release of the deluxe edition of ''I Am… Sasha Fierce''. During that month, it was included on a
mixtape
A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...
by DJ Haze titled ''Big R&B Ego''.
"Poison" is a slow-
tempo song in which the female protagonist talks about a bad relationship that she cannot abandon. It received mostly positive reviews from critics who noted that although the song was cut out of the track-listing of the standard edition of the album, it was a solid track. Following the release of the EP ''I Am... Sasha Fierce – The Bonus Tracks'' in Korea, the song peaked at number one on the
South Korea Gaon International Chart during the week ending February 7, 2010.
Background
"Poison" was written by
Johntá Austin,
Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen of the production team Stargate and
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 ...
for her third studio album ''
I Am… Sasha Fierce
''I Am... Sasha Fierce'' is the third studio album by American singer Beyoncé. It was released on November 12, 2008, by Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment. In its original release, the album was formatted as a double album, inten ...
'' (2008). It was produced by Stargate and Beyoncé while the
audio mixing was done by Carlos Otanedel and Damien Lewis at Soapbox Studios in Atlanta. The
instrumentation of the song was provided by Stargate at the Roc the Mic studio in New York and the recording was done by Mikkel S. Eriksen. Jim Caruana also worked on the recording of the song.
Prior to the official premiere of the song on ''I Am... Sasha Fierce'', "Poison" was included on a
mixtape
A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...
by DJ Haze which was called ''Big R&B Ego''.
This version was
leaked
A leak is a way (usually an opening) for fluid to escape a container or fluid-containing system, such as a tank or a ship's hull, through which the contents of the container can escape or outside matter can enter the container. Leaks are usuall ...
on the Internet in August 2009.
"Poison" was not included on the track-listing of the standard version of ''I Am... Sasha Fierce''; it was included on a re-issue of the deluxe edition of the album instead, which was released on November 23, 2009. An
extended play (EP) titled ''I Am...Sasha Fierce – The Bonus Tracks'' was also released on the same date in several countries featuring new songs including "Poison", "
Why Don't You Love Me" and a remix of "
Video Phone" featuring
Lady Gaga.
"Poison" later became an
A-side to the European single release of "
Broken-Hearted Girl
"Broken-Hearted Girl" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her third studio album '' I Am... Sasha Fierce'' (2008). Written by Beyoncé, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and production duo Stargate, it was initially a classic rhythm a ...
" and an EP release of "Video Phone" both in 2009.
Composition and critical reception
According to the sheet music published by
EMI Music Publishing on the website Musicnotes.com, "Poison" is a slow-
tempo song with hundred
beats per minute. It was composed using
common time in the
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
of
G major. Beyoncé's vocals range from the low note of
G3 to the high note of
D5. In the song, Beyoncé sings about a relationship that she knows is not good for her, but still one that she cannot give up. "Poison" is complete with stuttering beats coupled with the singer's "liquidy" voice as stated by Sonya Eskridge of ''
Sister 2 Sister
''Sister 2 Sister'' was a monthly U.S. four-color women's magazine devoted to the world of African-American entertainment. It was in circulation between 1988 and 2014.
History and profile
''Sister 2 Sister'' was established in 1988. Jamie Foster ...
'' magazine.
A writer of ''
Rap-Up
''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...
'' magazine noted that the remix of the song which was featured on the mixtape ''Big R&B Ego'' was "potent, but not quite fatal".
Eskridge of ''Sister 2 Sister'' wrote in her review of the song that "we can't help but wonder why it would have been cut".
Matthew Richardson of ''Prefix Magazine'' noted, "As far as songs that got left in the studio, 'Poison' actually isn't that bad. The song's production isn't loud enough for this to be a single, but Beyonce sounds fine here." Nia Beckwith of the website
AllHipHop gave a positive review about the song, saying that it was "the most noteworthy" track she heard during the week of its premiere. She wrote,
The overall theme of the song puts me in the mind of a hit from R&B group Bell Biv Devoe circa 1990 that was also titled Poison
Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...
, but doesn't fair the potential to be a number one song like it did close to 20 years ago. Even though the song doesn't seem like it would be a chart topper it does seem album worthy. It's something most can relate to if you've ever been in a relationship. Beyonce sings about a failed relationship that's no good, but yet is so hard to walk away from and ends up being just like Poison.
Recording artist
Nicki Minaj discussed the song during an interview with ''Rap-Up'' magazine, saying "When I tell you it gives me life, like, it gives me life. Her voice is effortless. It's badass, like, 'I know I'm the best.' I love the melody, I love the cadence. It's playful, but it's just so in-your-face. It's dope and it's creative."
Credits and personnel
Credits are taken from the
liner notes of the re-issue of the deluxe edition of ''I Am... Sasha Fierce''.
*Written by
Beyoncé Knowles,
Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen
*
Produced
Producer or producers may refer to:
Occupations
*Producer (agriculture), a farm operator
*A stakeholder of economic production
*Film producer, supervises the making of films
**Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
by Stargate and Beyoncé
*All instruments by Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen
*Recorded by Mikkel S. Eriksen at Roc the Mic, New York
*Additional vocals recorded by Jim Caruana at Roc the Mic, New York
*
Mixed by Phil Tan assisted by Josh Houghkirk
*
Audio engineer
An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...
ing by Carlos Oyanedel and Damien Lewis at Soapbox Studios, Atlanta
Charts
After the release of ''I Am... Sasha Fierce – The Bonus Tracks'', "Poison" became very popular in Korea and reached the top position of the
South Korea Gaon International Chart during the week ending February 7, 2010.
It was the ninety-eighth best-selling track of 2010 selling 128,009 units.
References
External links
Beyoncé's official website Parkwood Entertainment
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poison (Beyonce Knowles song)
2009 songs
Beyoncé songs
Songs written by Beyoncé
Songs written by Johntá Austin
Songs written by Mikkel Storleer Eriksen
Song recordings produced by Beyoncé
Song recordings produced by Stargate (record producers)
Songs written by Tor Erik Hermansen