Daddy (Beyoncé song)
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"Daddy" 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 ...
for her debut studio album, ''
Dangerously in Love ''Dangerously in Love'' is the debut solo studio album by American singer Beyoncé. It was released on June 20, 2003, by Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment. During the recording of Destiny's Child's third studio album '' Survivor'' ( ...
'' (2003). It was composed by Beyoncé and
Mark Batson Mark Batson is an American producer, musician and songwriter. He has worked on albums by artists including Alicia Keys, Dave Matthews Band, LeAnn Rimes, Anthony Hamilton, Eminem, India Arie, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Maroon 5, Skylar Grey, Grace Pott ...
. The song was not originally intended to be featured on the final track listing of the album. Beyoncé was able to record the song as the release date of her debut album had been postponed. "Daddy" was released to US
iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
as a digital single on June 3, 2003, through
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 ...
. Beyoncé explained that the song's development was motivated by the devotion and the loyalty her father/
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...
,
Mathew Knowles Mathew Knowles (born January 9, 1952)Knowles in is an American record executive, businessman and university lecturer. He is best known for being the manager of Destiny's Child. He also once managed the solo careers of his daughters Beyoncé an ...
has towards his family members. Many of the songs on the album examine aspects of relationships. However, "Daddy" was considered to be an element analyzing the kinship ties between a father and his offspring from a different and more powerful perspective. Music critics, who generally received the song with positive reception, commented that the song was a way for Beyoncé to pay tribute to her father.


Background and development

"Daddy" was written by Beyoncé and
Mark Batson Mark Batson is an American producer, musician and songwriter. He has worked on albums by artists including Alicia Keys, Dave Matthews Band, LeAnn Rimes, Anthony Hamilton, Eminem, India Arie, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Maroon 5, Skylar Grey, Grace Pott ...
. It is the final song on ''
Dangerously in Love ''Dangerously in Love'' is the debut solo studio album by American singer Beyoncé. It was released on June 20, 2003, by Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment. During the recording of Destiny's Child's third studio album '' Survivor'' ( ...
'', and is a
hidden track In the field of recorded music, a hidden track (sometimes called a ghost track, secret track or unlisted track) is a song or a piece of audio that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, LP record, or other recorded medium, in such a way as t ...
on some copies. Beyoncé initially was not going to include the song on the album, however after undergoing multiple push-backs, she was able to work on extra material for the album which included "Daddy". Over forty-three songs were recorded for ''Dangerously in Love'', all of which were overseen by father Mathew, however Beyoncé secretly planted the song on the album as a hidden track which left Mathew speechless out of shock and appreciation. He later revealed during an interview with ''
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'' magazine in 2009: "My favorite songs is... 'Daddy'... It basically says 'Thank you for all you've given me and when I marry a man, it will be like my daddy'". Preceding the album's release, the song was released to
iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
exclusively in the United States on June 23, 2003, through
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 ...
. It is also featured on the soundtrack of
Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of the Madea character, a tough elderly woman. Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmmak ...
's ''
Daddy's Little Girls ''Daddy's Little Girls'' is a 2007 American film written and directed by Tyler Perry and produced by Perry and Reuben Cannon. The film stars Idris Elba, Gabrielle Union, Louis Gossett Jr., and Tracee Ellis Ross. It tells the story of a lawyer who ...
'' (2007). Concerning the conception of "Daddy", Beyoncé told
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:


Composition

"Daddy" is a nearly five-minute long R&B song. The first verse of the song begins with Beyoncé reminiscing about the times she and her father/
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...
,
Mathew Knowles Mathew Knowles (born January 9, 1952)Knowles in is an American record executive, businessman and university lecturer. He is best known for being the manager of Destiny's Child. He also once managed the solo careers of his daughters Beyoncé an ...
shared as a child and through her adolescence. She sings about wanting to be with a man and a child who has similar qualities as her father. This is illustrated in the lyrics: "I treasure every irreplaceable memory and that's why I want my unborn son to be like my daddy, I want my husband to be like my daddy, there is no one else like my daddy." According to Marc Anthony Neal of the
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, fi ...
, Beyoncé also confidently embraces her womanhood in the song. In a way, Beyoncé pays tribute to her father through this song.


Critical reception

Mark Edward Nero of
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stated that "Daddy" was probably written specifically for the
soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...
of ''
Daddy's Little Girls ''Daddy's Little Girls'' is a 2007 American film written and directed by Tyler Perry and produced by Perry and Reuben Cannon. The film stars Idris Elba, Gabrielle Union, Louis Gossett Jr., and Tracee Ellis Ross. It tells the story of a lawyer who ...
'' and that it may even "play a part in a pivotal scene." Making reference to Beyoncé long-time relationship with Jay-Z and then recent rumors about them possibly getting married, Nero added that the song might leave several numerous fans wondering what could happen next. Marc Anthony Neal of the international
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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, fi ...
considered "Daddy" to be the "most affecting song on ''Dangerously in Love''." He went on writing that the song is an extraordinary tribute to her father Mathew Knowles, stating that Beyoncé "embraces ..the man that has helped take the kind of artistic leap that ''Dangerously in Love'' represents." He ended up by adding that "By the time listeners get to the fifteenth and final track, they will have been so pleasantly surprised and impressed by Beyoncé's performance throughout, that 'Daddy' seems less corny" but it is in this song that she finally accepts the state of being a woman, rather than a girl. Erika Ramirez of ''Billboard'' magazine described the song as an ode dedicated to the man that "instilled perseverance". Anthony DeCurtis of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' commented that the album, which starts with " cauldron of energy" on "
Crazy in Love "Crazy in Love" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé, featuring a rap verse and ad-libs from her future husband Jay-Z from her debut solo studio album '' Dangerously in Love'' (2003). The song was released as her official debut single ...
" (2003), ends by contrast with "Daddy" which he described as a five-minute tribute to her manager-father, and considered to be "an anthology of vocal and lyrical cliches."
MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
wrote that "Daddy" is different from the other relationship songs on ''Dangerously in Love'', and added that it has a powerful message. By contrast, Allison Stewart of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' and Kelefa Sanneh of ''
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'' both called "Daddy" a "creepy bonus track".Stewart, Allison.
Review: ''Dangerously in Love''
. ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
''.: C.05. June 25, 2003. Retrieved on March 1, 2011. (Transcription of original review at
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Similarly, Spence D., writing for
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stated that "Daddy" is not really worth uncovering, as it follows suit in terms of being "a by-the-books contempo R&B rendition", and he commented that "there is something oddly eerie about an attractive woman such as Beyoncé crooning the words 'I want my husband to be like my Daddy.'" Mike Wass of the website
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called the song one of the "duds" on the album and added that it was a "best forgotten ode to the superstar's father complete with stomach-churning lyrics like 'I want my husband to be like my daddy'". In 2014, Louis Virtel of the website ''
HitFix HitFix, or HitFix.com, was an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information, and reviews and critiques of film, music, and television. In mid-2010 HitFix crossed the 1,00 ...
'' reviewed the song negatively, calling it the worst on ''Dangerously in Love'' and describing its lyrics as "seriously simplistic". "Daddy" peaked at number 26 on the ''Billboard''
Hot RingMasters The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...
charts in the United States in 2014.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Daddy (Beyonce Knowles song) 2003 songs Beyoncé songs Songs written by Beyoncé Song recordings produced by Mark Batson Songs written by Mark Batson Song recordings produced by Beyoncé Contemporary R&B ballads Songs about fathers American contemporary R&B songs