"Sorry" is a song by American singer
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
from her sixth studio album, ''
Lemonade
Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored drink.
There are many varieties of lemonade found throughout the world.
In some parts of the world, lemonade refers to an un-carbonated, traditionally, homemade drink, using lemon juice, water, and a sw ...
'' (2016). It was written and produced by Beyoncé,
Diana Gordon, and
MeLo-X.
and
Parkwood Entertainment released the song to radio as the album's second single on May 3, 2016. "Sorry" is an
electro-
R&B song with a thumping rhythm created by
drum beat
A drum beat or drum pattern is a rhythmic pattern, or repeated rhythm establishing the meter and groove through the pulse and subdivision, played on drum kits and other percussion instruments. As such a "beat" consists of multiple drum strokes ...
s,
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
s, and
bell
A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...
s. The song's lyrics revolve around the protagonist dealing with the betrayal of a partner with another woman.
The song's music video is part of Beyoncé's 2016 film ''
Lemonade
Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored drink.
There are many varieties of lemonade found throughout the world.
In some parts of the world, lemonade refers to an un-carbonated, traditionally, homemade drink, using lemon juice, water, and a sw ...
'', aired on
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
alongside the album's release.
Due to the numerous allegations featured in the song, media linked it to the singer and her husband,
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
. Music critics generally praised the theme and tone of "Sorry" as unapologetic and self-empowering, and its sound as
catchy
Catchiness is how easy it is for a song, tune, or phrase to be recalled. It is often taken into account when writing songs, catchphrases, advertising slogans, jingles etc. Alternatively, it can be defined as how difficult it is for one to forget i ...
. "Sorry" debuted and peaked at number eleven on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100. It was certified triple 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 ...
for selling over three million copies in the country.
The song's
music video
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
is part of a one-hour film with the same title as its parent album, ''Lemonade'', which originally aired on
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
on April 23, 2016. It was later released to
Vevo
Vevo LLC ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized in all caps until 2013) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available ...
on June 22, 2016, as the first standalone clip from the album. It features a spoken word poetry by Somali-English poet
Warsan Shire, Beyoncé dancing along with a group of female dancers with painted bodies and a cameo appearance by tennis player
Serena Williams
Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players, world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WT ...
. Beyoncé performed "Sorry" live during
The Formation World Tour
The Formation World Tour was the seventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé in support of her sixth studio album, ''Lemonade'' (2016). The all-stadium tour was announced following her guest appearance at the Super Bowl 50 halfti ...
(2016), at the
2018 Coachella festival and as part of the set list of her co-headlining tour with Jay Z, the
On the Run II Tour
The On the Run II Tour (stylized as OTR II) was the second co-headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé and rapper Jay-Z, also known as The Carters. The all-stadium concert tour began on June 6, 2018, in Cardiff, Wales and co ...
.
Background and recording
"Sorry" was written and produced by
Diana Gordon,
MeLo-X, and Beyoncé.
Hit-Boy
Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr. (born May 21, 1987), known professionally as Hit-Boy, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He first signed with fellow producer Polow da Don in 2007 as in-house production staff for his l ...
served as the track's co-producer, Stuart White handled the additional production and Beyoncé was responsible for the vocal production. It was recorded with the guidance of Stuart White at the Beehive Studios in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. White also handled the song's
audio mixing
Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more audio channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated or enhanced. This practical, aest ...
and
mix engineering. The
mastering of "Sorry" was finished by Dave Kutch at two studios: The Mastering Palace NYC and Pacifique Recording Studios located in North Hollywood.
Crissy Collins provides
backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
throughout the song.
Beyoncé first heard of MeLo-X after he had released an
EP titled ''Yoncé-X'' (2014) consisting of unauthorized remixes of songs from her
fifth self-titled studio album. She invited him to collaborate on various projects, including
On the Run, her co-headliner tour with
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
.
The following year, MeLo-X was invited to work with the singer during the sessions for her sixth studio album, ''
Lemonade
Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored drink.
There are many varieties of lemonade found throughout the world.
In some parts of the world, lemonade refers to an un-carbonated, traditionally, homemade drink, using lemon juice, water, and a sw ...
''; two of the tracks he worked on, "Hold Up" and "Sorry" were included on its final track listing. During an interview with ''
''Pitchfork'''', he elaborated about his work on "Sorry", recalling that it was written in mid-2015.
While conceiving the track, MeLo-X tried to incorporate
dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...
influences, something that was part of his culture as a Jamaican. He described the idea behind "Sorry" as "pretty simple": "It was just some cool keys, drum patterns, and we started putting down vocal ideas and lyric ideas".
Later, Hit-Boy contributed to the song, adding various sounds and layers. MeLo-X further pointed out that "Sorry" was a "vital point" on the record due to "all these different emotions and different sounds and different layers".
"Sorry" was sent to
rhythmic contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 20, Rhythmic Top 30, Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and upbeat R&B hit ...
radio in the United States on May 3, 2016, as the album's second single.
It was also serviced to
contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...
stations in Italy and the United States on May 6 and 10, 2016, respectively.
Composition and lyrical analysis
"Sorry" is an up-tempo
electro-
R&B and
electropop
Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
track with a thumping and bleeping beat.
''
Drowned in Sound'' writer Giuseppe Zevolli called it an emulation of early 2000s
R&B.
The 405's Samantha O'Connor described it as an "electro-infused" track.
It is instrumentally complete with shattering
drum beat
A drum beat or drum pattern is a rhythmic pattern, or repeated rhythm establishing the meter and groove through the pulse and subdivision, played on drum kits and other percussion instruments. As such a "beat" consists of multiple drum strokes ...
s,
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
s and
bell
A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...
s, the latter instruments prominent throughout the chorus.
''
The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 185 ...
'' writer Spencer Kornhaber likened the electronic layers of "Sorry" to the
2015 song of the same name by
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
. He further found its chorus similar to
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...
music, but with a "glassy-eyed distance to the song, a purposeful malaise". Mike Wass of the website
Idolator felt that "Sorry" was intended as a female response to "
IDFWU" (2014) by
Big Sean
Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. He met Kanye West as a teenager, and signed with his record label GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2007. He gained popul ...
and further found similar phrases.
The song's lyrics revolve around the protagonist's cheating lover and her way of coping with the
adultery
Adultery is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal consequences, the concept ...
. Following the release of ''Lemonade'' speculations arose about the singer's husband
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
's alleged infidelity with a mistress referred to as "Becky".
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles (born 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' pointed out that many of the accusations were "aimed specifically and recognizably" at him.
Similarly, Rob Sheffield of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine noted the lines "Suck on my balls, I've had enough" were an "unmistakable hint" that the lyrics revolve around Jay Z."
Alexis Petridis
Alexis Petridis (born 13 September 1971) is an English journalist. He is the head Rock music, rock and pop music critic for ''The Guardian'', and a regular contributor for ''GQ''. In addition to his music journalism for the paper, he has written ...
from ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' also interpreted the lines as Beyoncé declaring she was prepared to abandon him and take their daughter along. He also found the lyrics "Big homie better grow up" as a reference of the self-given title by Jay-Z during his guest appearance on their past collaboration "
Crazy in Love
"Crazy in Love" is a song by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé featuring guest vocals from American rapper Jay-Z. It was written by Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Rich Harrison, and produced by the last two. "Crazy in Love" is a pop, hip hop, and ...
" (2003). ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' writer Larry Bartleet was of the opinion that the singer was "thrillingly honest sucker-punch" on the song's lyrics aimed at Jay-Z.
On the other hand, Lindsay Mannering from ''
Bustle
A bustle is a padded undergarment or wire frame used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skir ...
'' magazine felt that it was hard to determine whether the lyrics were inspired by the pair's private life due to the prominent usage of
innuendo
An innuendo is a wikt:hint, hint, wikt:insinuation, insinuation or wikt:intimation, intimation about a person or thing, especially of a denigrating or derogatory nature. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called in ...
s. However, she later clarified that although the song may not necessarily be autobiographical, "Beyonce has a tendency to reveal her truth through music... so it's possible that 'Sorry' references her emotions after Jay allegedly cheated on her".
"Sorry" has been described as a defiant, spiteful song exemplified in the lyrics, "Looking at my watch, he shoulda been home". The song opens with the lyrics of the
hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
"Sorry, I ain't sorry", with the protagonist seemingly apologizing for something, but as it turns out later, she adopts an unapologetic stance realizing she was the victim.
It features the lyrics "Boy bye" and urges listeners to put their middle fingers up; the singer finds personal empowerment in those lines.
The protagonist talk-sings the lines "Today I regret the night I put that ring on" in which she expresses regret over the decision of marrying her husband.
She also tells her love interest that she wrote a "
Dear John-type letter" for him. During one part, she sings about putting her deuces up which clarifies that she is over the relationship. Andre Grant of ''
HipHopDX
''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of Hip hop music, hip hop music criticism and news. ''HipHopDX'' has over 3.5M monthly readers, the website encompassing hip hop news, interviews, music, and reviews. The website's founder and CEO is Sharath C ...
'' noted how the song was a proof of the fast-shifting emotions the protagonist feels throughout "Sorry" as seen in the lines "I ain't sorry / Boy, bye", "He only want me when I'm not there / He better call Becky with the
good hair
''Good Hair'' is a 2009 American documentary film directed by Jeff Stilson and produced by Chris Rock Productions and HBO Films, starring and narrated by comedian Chris Rock. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2009, ''Good ...
" and "Let's take a toast to the good life / Suicide before you see this tear fall down my eye".
Zevolli also opined that the song's second part is "by far one of the most surprising mood-swings on the record".
Critical reception
"Sorry" was highly acclaimed by music critics. Corinne Heller of ''E! Online'' dubbed "Sorry" as the "most controversial song" on ''Lemonade'' due to the alleged infidelity and "Becky with the good hair" mistress discussed in the lyrics.
Amy Zimmerman, writing for ''
The Daily Beast
''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc.
It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
'' deemed "Sorry" by far the most iconic single and coined it as the song which "introduced the world to Jay Z's most infamous alleged mistress, 'Becky with the good hair'". She also felt that the "incredibly shade-laden line" was similar to "Drake's iconic 'Courtney from Hooters on Peachtree' reference".
''
Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles
* Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'' journalist Greg Tate credited the line mentioning Becky for "breaking the Internet" and praised the fact that it was potent enough to promote the new material by the singer with "few dollops of viral poesy and self-inflicted gossip-mongering". Comparing "Sorry" to Beyoncé's own "style-banger" "
7/11", Jillian Mapes in a review for ''
''Pitchfork'''' noted how "she turns his side-chicks into memes, which will inevitably become 'better call Becky with the good hair' sweatshirts that Beyoncé can sell for $60 a pop". Vulture's Dee Lockett deemed the song to be a "surefire club" hit from the album with an "instant-quotable line". Ray Rahman from ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' called it a "middle fingers up anthem" which was "sure to be sung by spurned lovers for as long as there are Beckys with good hair". ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' writer Evan Sawdey opined that "the middle-finger anthem 'Sorry'... come
from a new place, one that is distinct, palpable, and yes, relatable". ''NME'' writer Larry Bartleet wrote that the singer expresses a "sorry, not sorry" stance in the song and noted how in the lyrics "suck on my balls", "the sense of release is palpable".
Emily Blake from the website
Mashable
Mashable is a Online newspaper, news website, digital media platform and entertainment company founded by Pete Cashmore in 2005.
History
Mashable was founded by Pete Cashmore while living in Aberdeen, Scotland, in July 2004. Early iterations o ...
called the song "the fiercest kissoff we've seen from Bey so far".
A ''
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 ...
'' writer deemed the "Boy, bye" line as one of the album's catchiest lyrics. Kitty Empire of ''The Observer'' called it "electrifying". Shahzaib Hussain from ''
Clash'' magazine dubbed "Sorry" as "another dazzling feminist club anthem, but with a grittier underbelly, the production off-kilter but no less invigorating".
Pretty Much Amazing's Peter Tabakis wrote that the tracks "Sorry" and "6 Inch" on ''Lemonade'' were "the equivalent of a post-bloodbath hair flip and door slam". Another writer of the same publication named "Sorry" the album's "zeitgeist-capturing single".
Rob Sheffield
Robert James Sheffield (born February 2, 1966) is an American music journalist and author.
He is a long time contributing editor at ''Rolling Stone'', writing about music, TV, and pop culture. Previously, he was a contributing editor at '' Blen ...
of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' was highly positive of the singer's voice capabilities, saying they were "the most astounding sound... as she pushes to her bluesiest extremes, like the hilariously nasty way she sneers, 'He's always got them fucking ex-cuuuu-ses.'
''
Now
Now most commonly refers
to the present time.
Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to:
Organizations
* Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization
* National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization
* Na ...
''s Kevin Ritchi, noted how by the time the story line of ''Lemonade'' comes to the anthemic "Sorry, "
e poison darts become sharper... and so do her vocals". ''HipHopDX''s Andre Grant emphasized "Sorry" for being "particularly ear worming" with its "softly chiming" bells.
Jon Pareles from ''The New York Times'' summarized it as "twitchy, flippant song that's by no means an apology" but "a combative, unglossy track on an album full of them" instead.
Writing in The 405, Samantha O'Connor classified "Sorry" as "flippant and fierce".
''Drowned in Sound'' writer Zevolli called it a "standout" on ''Lemonade''.
Maeve McDermott of ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' opined in his review that although the song was not the most meaningful one by the singer, "it's a breezy, beautiful kiss-off that's enough to tell every below-average person in your life, 'Boy, bye.'" A more mixed review came from
Idolator's Mike Wass who felt that the track felt "safe" and concluded, "It's a bouncy, infinitely-quotable bop with an infectious, radio-friendly chorus, but the lyrics let it down." However, Wass went on to write that it "makes up for
ts lack in finessein bluster and called the Becky line "an overnight pop culture phenomenon".
Recognition and accolades
''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
'' named "Sorry" the 41st best song of 2016, while ''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' and ''
Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles
* Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'', the 12th best. In the annual ''
Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Ma ...
s Pazz & Jop mass critics poll of the year's best in music in 2016, "Sorry" was ranked at number 15. ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' ranked "Sorry" at number two on their "100 Best Pop Songs of 2016" list: "Between "Tell 'em boy bye" memes and the "Becky with the good hair" witchhunt, Beyonce's "Sorry" ignited more online chatter than most non-
Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
political campaigns this year. But more importantly, Beyonce executes one miraculous vocal tonal shift after another on "Sorry," going from pissed-off exasperation to dignity at any cost ("Suicide before you see this tear"), to small-voiced vulnerability at the very end. On "Sorry," Beyonce proves your life doesn't have to be perfect for you to remain flawless."
Commercial performance
After the release of ''Lemonade'', "Sorry" managed to appear on several international music charts. It debuted on the US ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...
chart at number 11 on May 2, 2016, becoming Beyoncé's second best debut on the chart above her singles "
Ring the Alarm" (2006) and "
Drunk in Love
"Drunk in Love" is a song by Beyoncé featuring American rapper Jay-Z. The duo wrote the song with the help of its producers Detail, Andre Eric Proctor, Rasool Diaz, Brian Soko, Timbaland, J-Roc and Boots. The song was one of the two lead s ...
" (2013). It was only surpassed by "
Formation", which entered the chart at number 10 in the same week.
In its second week, the song held its peak position, being the only track of the album to do so.
"Sorry" also entered on the
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 at number 7, becoming Beyoncé's twenty-fifth top-ten single on the chart and climbed up to number four the following week.
According to streaming service
Tidal, "Sorry" was streamed 14.2 million times in five days in the US.
As of September 2016, "Sorry" has sold 808,787 downloads in the United States. 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 ...
awarded the single a triple platinum certification for sales and streams of 3,000,000 units in the country.
In Canada, the song debuted and peaked at a position of 40 on the
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007 as the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart ...
for the week ending of May 14, 2016.
On the
UK Singles Chart, "Sorry" debuted at number 33 on May 5, 2016. The following week, it remained in the same position and then moved to the position of 99, before falling off on May 19, 2016, after three consecutive weeks of charting.
On the
UK R&B Singles chart it peaked at number nine in its second week of charting.
In Australia, the single peaked at number 74 on the
ARIA Singles Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
on May 7, 2016.
On the component Urban Singles chart in the same country, the song attained a peak position of eight.
Elsewhere, it charted at number 62 in France and 82 in Ireland and Sweden.
Music video
Development and synopsis
A
music video
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for the song, directed by
Kahlil Joseph and Beyoncé herself, was included on the parent visual album as part of a one-hour film which premiered on
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
on April 23, 2016. It was later released through Beyoncé's official
Vevo
Vevo LLC ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized in all caps until 2013) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available ...
account on June 22, 2016, as the first standalone clip to be released from ''Lemonade'' following its release in April. It is filmed in
black and white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...
and features a cameo appearance by tennis player
Serena Williams
Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players, world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WT ...
. Williams was asked to keep her appearance secret prior to the release of the clip.
Beyoncé wanted to include her in the video due to the "personification of strength" she represented; she was approached by the director and Beyoncé who were both interested in her contribution to that particular song. While filming, Beyoncé told Williams "just be really free and just dance like nobody's looking and go all out".
In the context of the album's main storyline which follows a woman dealing with her love interest's cheating affair, "Sorry" is placed in the middle, during the stage called "apathy"; the clips opens with that word written across the screen.
Beyoncé is then heard reciting a spoken-word poem about infidelity written by
Warsan Shire over the slow melody of a jewelry box playing a theme from
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popula ...
's ballet ''
Swan Lake
''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoje ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, links=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failu ...
''.
The poem included the lines "So what are you gonna say at my funeral, now that you've killed me?" and "Ashes to ashes, dust to side chicks", the latter text referencing verses from the
Bible
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
.
As the song begins, the visual moves to scenes showing the singer with braided hair dancing along with women dressed in tribal costumes and with painted faces and bodies in a Southern mansion and a city bus emblazoned with the words "Boy Bye"; bopping and putting their middle fingers up is a part of their dance choreography in line with the song's lyrics.
Adelle Platon of ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' noted that the dancers' body paint was inspired by
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people ( ; , , ) are a West African ethnic group who inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, which are collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute more than 50 million people in Africa, are over a million outsid ...
. The body painting was called "Sacred Art of the Ori" by Nigerian artist
Laolu Senbanjo. Chris Kelly from ''
Fact
A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...
'' pointed out how it served as "part of a web of connections between Beyoncé and her lover, Africa and America, pop music and classical". Williams is also seen in numerous scenes moving around the mansion dressed in a black bodysuit and
twerking
Twerking (; possibly from 'to work') is a type of African-American dance, dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving Pelvic thrusting, throwing or thrusting the hips back or shaking the buttocks, often in a Partial squat, ...
next to Beyoncé who is sitting on a chair resembling a throne. The final scenes see Beyoncé dancing on and in front of the bus, before she closes the clip singing the infamous line "He better call Becky with the good hair".
Reception
Writing for ''Rolling Stone'', Brittany Spanos summarized that Beyoncé and Williams "dance away heartbreak" in the "stark" clip.
Chris Mench of ''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' magazine felt the clip was a "tour-de-force of everything fans love about Bey".
''
Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Internationalism
* World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship
* Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community
* Cosmopolitan ...
''s Gina Mei noted how the fact that Beyoncé was surrounded by "gorgeous, powerful, and independent women" throughout the video made it "a tour de force, and it's all kinds of empowering". Similarly, Zimmer from ''The Daily Beast'' noted how the singer was accompanied by "crews of beautiful black women everywhere she goes" in the "good old-fashioned girls rule, boys drool banger".
Emily Blake from Mashable.com described the video as "the most epic, middle-finger filled girls-only party this great nation has seen".
''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. ...
'' journalist Andrea Waguespack described the visual as "
avy with African influences" and its opening as "chilling".
Similarly, Alyssa Bailey in a review for ''
Elle
Elle may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication
** Elle Style Awards
* Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition
* Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film
* ''Elle: ...
'', called the opening monologue "chilling" and pointed out how it becomes "a mesmerizing dance number, flawlessly executed by Beyoncé" afterwards. Carl Williott, writing for Idolator noted how the opening monologue and Williams's cameo were "intact" to the "kiss-off". Alexis Rhiannon from ''
Bustle
A bustle is a padded undergarment or wire frame used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skir ...
'' praised the fact that Beyoncé decided to release "Sorry" as a standalone video in the same form as it appeared on ''Lemonade''. Sarah Murphy of ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
'' called the clip "already-iconic" when it was released to Vevo.
Joi-Marie McKenzie from
ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to:
* ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
* ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company
ABC News may a ...
felt that Beyoncé was "having the time of her life" while dancing her worries away with the group of females.
''
InStyle
''InStyle'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine founded in 1994. It was published in the United States by Dotdash Meredith, and started originally as a brand extension of ''People (magazine), People'' before carving out its own ide ...
'' Kelsey Glein felt that the video's best part was Williams's cameo appearance.
PopSugar
PopSugar Inc. is an American media and technology company that is the parent to the media property PopSugar (stylized POPSUGAR) and a monthly subscription business PopSugar Must Have. The company was founded in 2006 by married couple Brian and Lis ...
journalist Quin Keaney wrote that it features "memorable cameo and dance session" with Williams.
Refinery29
Refinery29 (R29) is an American multinational digital media and entertainment website focused on young women. It is owned by Sundial Media Group.
History
Justin Stefano, Philippe von Borries, Piera Gelardi, and Christene Barberich co-founded Ref ...
writer Carolyn L. Todd described the tennis player's dancing as "free and beautiful". Caroline Framke of the website ''
Vox'' was positive of Williams's cameo appearance and defiant dancing to the song's beat. She noted how its best part was the opening poem which was used to introduce the song in the corresponding film and felt that the lines she recited successfully showed that "she ain't sorry".
Nate Jones of
Vulture.com
''Vulture'' is an American entertainment news website. It is the standalone pop culture section of ''New York'' magazine. Its tagline is "Devouring Culture".
History
''Vulture'' debuted in April 2007 as an entertainment blog on nymag.com, the w ...
felt her dancing should be "marveled" at. Carey O'Donnell from
''Paper'' magazine summarized the clip as a "raucous, fierce ladies night, featuring fellow icon Serena Williams, in all her twerking glory". Sophie Hirsh from Mashable pointed out "Sorry" as an album highlight and praised the "endless fierceness" of Beyoncé and Williams. ''Clash'' magazine's Shahzaib Hussain felt that the clip for "Sorry" appeared during the album's "feverish" moments. Hussain further summarized the clip as "Queen of the sporting world Serena Williams twerking up a storm while Beyoncé looks on like a Madam, proud of her creation".
The video was nominated for
Best Choreography at the
2016 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2016 MTV Video Music Awards were held on Sunday night, August 28, 2016 at 9:00–11:54pm EDT at Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan, Manhattan, New York City. Adele's " Hello" was the most nominated video with seven categories. This ...
, but lost to "Formation".
Live performances

"Sorry" was part of the
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 ...
of
The Formation World Tour
The Formation World Tour was the seventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé in support of her sixth studio album, ''Lemonade'' (2016). The all-stadium tour was announced following her guest appearance at the Super Bowl 50 halfti ...
(2016) with the first performance taking place in Miami at the
Marlins Park
LoanDepot Park (officially stylized as loanDepot park, and named Marlins Park until 2021) is a retractable roof stadium located in Miami, Florida, United States. It is the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins. It is located on on ...
on April 27. The song was performed second during the concerts and the singer appeared on stage alone for the beginning of the performance. She was then joined by female back-up dancers who performed a choreography in line with the song's lyrics, which included putting their middle fingers up.
Dee Lockett, writing for Vulture, felt that the inclusion of "Formation" and "Sorry" as the first two songs on the concerts was a "no-brainer opening". Michael Cerio of
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
classified the performance as "fiery".
''
The Sun Chronicle
''The Sun Chronicle'' (formerly ''The Attleboro Sun'' and the ''Evening Chronicle'') is a daily newspaper in Attleboro, Massachusetts, United States. Most of its readers are in Attleboro and North Attleborough, Massachusetts, but it also covers n ...
'' reviewer Lauren Carter chose the performance of "Sorry" as one of the show's highlights. ''The Guardian'' writer Caroline Sullivan noted how during the performance of "the bitterest songs" of ''Lemonade'', "Sorry" and "Don't Hurt Yourself", "she's a pillar of rage".
In 2018, the singer performed the song as part of her headline show at
Coachella
Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...
. For the performance, she was backed by a horn section and mid-way through the song she asked of her back-up male dancers to make her laugh. Then she performed a dance break with her female dancers during which the lines "suck on my balls" were repeated. An excerpt of "
Me, Myself and I" (2003) was also included as part of the self-empowering message. The same performance was featured during the first shows of Beyoncé's co-headlining
On the Run II Tour
The On the Run II Tour (stylized as OTR II) was the second co-headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé and rapper Jay-Z, also known as The Carters. The all-stadium concert tour began on June 6, 2018, in Cardiff, Wales and co ...
with her husband
Jay Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named the greatest rapper of all time by ''Billboard'' and '' Vibe'' i ...
. While singing the song, she repeatedly asks the females in the audience if they have "had enough". Writing for ''The Guardian'', Rachel Aroesti called it a "faintly chilling haka-style refrain". According to Ed Masley of ''
The Arizona Republic
''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain.
History
Early years
The newspap ...
'', the performance was a "suitably bitter rendition" with a "withering delivery of the final payoff, 'He better call Becky with the good hair'". ''
Metro Weekly
''Metro Weekly'' is a free weekly magazine for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) community in Washington, D.C., United States. It was first published on May 5, 1994. ''Metro Weekly'' includes national and local news, intervi ...
''s André Hereford noted that "Sorry" was the peak of a run of dance-heavy hits on the show.
On May 2, 2016,
Yuna covered the song during a concert at The Sinclair in Massachusetts. French singer
Christine and the Queens
Rahim Claude Redcar (sometimes shortened to Chris or Redcar; born Héloïse Adélaïde Letissier; 1 June 1988) is a French singer and songwriter, best known under the pseudonym of Christine and the Queens. Born and raised in Nantes, he started ...
also performed the song on BBC's Radio 1's Live Lounge.
Personnel
Credits adapted from ''Lemonade''
liner notes
Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards.
Origin
Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
.
Song credits
*
Writing
Writing is the act of creating a persistent representation of language. A writing system includes a particular set of symbols called a ''script'', as well as the rules by which they encode a particular spoken language. Every written language ...
–
Diana "Wynter" Gordon,
MeLo-X,
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most culturally significant figu ...
*
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 ...
– MeLo-X, Knowles, Gordon,
*Co-producer –
Hit-Boy
Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr. (born May 21, 1987), known professionally as Hit-Boy, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He first signed with fellow producer Polow da Don in 2007 as in-house production staff for his l ...
*Additional production – Stuart White
*Vocal production – Beyoncé
*Additional programming – B.Carr
*Recording – Stuart White; The Beehive, Los Angeles, California
*Second
engineering
Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
– Ramon Rivas
*
Backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
– Crissy Collins
*
Audio mixing
Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more audio channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated or enhanced. This practical, aest ...
– Stuart White; Pacifique Recording Studios; North Hollywood, California
*
Mix engineering – Stuart White, John Cranfield
(assistant)
*
Mastering – Dave Kutch; The Mastering Palace NYC, Pacifique Recording Studios, North Hollywood, California
;Video credits
*
Director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''D ...
– Kahlil Joseph, Beyoncé Knowles Carter
*Producer – Onye Anyanwu
*Editor – Bill Yukich
*
Production designer
In film and television, a production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Work ...
– Hannah Beachler
*Stylist – Marni Senofonte
*Poetry film adaptation – Warsan Shire
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
References
Further reading
*
*
*
{{Authority control
2016 singles
2016 songs
Beyoncé songs
Electropop songs
Song recordings produced by Beyoncé
Songs about infidelity
Songs written by Beyoncé
Black-and-white music videos
Breakup songs
Music videos directed by Beyoncé