Ya Ya (Beyoncé Song)

"Ya Ya" is a song by American singer Beyoncé. It is the twentieth track on her eighth studio album, ''Cowboy Carter'' (2024), released through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. The song was written by Beyoncé, The-Dream, Jay-Z, Arlo Parks, Cadenza, Harry Edwards, and Klara Mkhatshwa Munk-Hansen, and produced by Beyoncé, The-Dream, Harry Edwards and Cadenza. The track interpolates Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (1966) written by Lee Hazlewood and The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" (1966) written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love.

Characterized as a multi-genre song spanning across rock and roll, psychedelic soul, funk, rockabilly, and roots rock, "Ya Ya" focuses on Beyoncé's family history within the US in the context of economic, racial and social inequality. The song was widely lauded by critics as the best track on ''Cowboy Carter'', with particular praise for its high-energy production and Beyoncé's wide-ranging vocal performance. The song was nominated for Best Americana Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.

Background and composition

An early version of "Ya Ya", originally called "Ya Ya Ya", was recorded in 2010-2011 during the creation of Beyoncé's fourth studio album, '' 4'' (2011). The track did not make the final tracklist for ''4'' but was returned to and reworked for ''Cowboy Carter''. Elements of "Ya Ya Ya" were kept in the final song, including the chorus melody and backing vocal melodies.

"Ya Ya" was written by Beyoncé, The-Dream, Jay-Z, Arlo Parks, Cadenza, Harry Edwards, and Klara Mkhatshwa Munk-Hansen, and produced by Beyoncé and The-Dream. The song interpolates Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (1966) and The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" (1966). Nancy Sinatra commented on the interpolation following the song's release, writing: "To have a little piece of one of my records in a Beyoncé song is very meaningful to me because I love her. She represents what is great about today’s music and I’m delighted to be a tiny part of it. This may be the best sample of “Boots” yet!"

"Ya Ya" traverses several genres, including psychedelic soul, rock and roll, funk, rockabilly, and roots rock. The song is preceded by the interlude "The Linda Martell Show" on the album, in which Linda Martell (the first Black woman to achieve commercial success in the country genre) introduces the song as a "tune that stretches across a range of genres, and that’s what makes it a unique listening experience".

Lyrically, the song explores Beyoncé's family's struggles in the context of American economic, racial and social inequalities, and promotes defiance, freedom and joy in the face of adversity. The song also evokes the Chitlin’ Circuit, which were a collection of venues that embraced and employed Black musicians during the Jim Crow era.

Release and commercial performance

"Ya Ya" features as the twentieth track on Beyoncé's eighth studio album, ''Cowboy Carter'', which was released on 29 March 2024, through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. After the release of the album, Ya Ya" debuted at number 39 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and number 33 on the UK Official Singles Charts.

Reception

Critical response

"Ya Ya" received widespread acclaim from music critics, with several publications declaring it the best song on ''Cowboy Carter'', including ''Rolling Stone'', ''Billboard,'' ''Stereogum,'' ''USA Today,'' ''Elle,'' ''Slant,'' and ''The'' ''Daily Beast''.

Many music critics praised Beyoncé's vocal performance on the track, noting how Beyoncé explored her full range of vocal abilities, ranging from "girlish" and "bouncy" to "explosive" and "rampaging". Lauding "Ya Ya" as a "world-rocking tour de force", Kyle Denis of ''Billboard'' wrote that Beyoncé "pushes herself vocally in ways that she never has before", adding: "This might be the closest a studio recording has gotten to capturing just how bombastic Beyoncé’s live vocals are." Kevin Fallon of ''The Daily Beast'' likened Beyoncé's voice to "a flame torch on the track", described the chorus as "irresistible" with its "cheeky directives", and concluded: "The thought of Beyoncé performing it live is so thrilling, I’m not sure I’d be able to handle it."

Critics also praised the "high-energy", "playful", "passionate", and "unapologetically brash" nature of the track. ''Rolling Stone'' lauded "Ya Ya" as the "sonically adventurous and combustible peak of ''Cowboy Carter''", in which Beyoncé evokes her musical inspirations to present her "wide-open idea of American music". Several critics compared Beyoncé's delivery and the song's structure to Tina Turner's 1960s revue performances, which ''NME'''s Jenessa Williams said was a "full-circle moment" that Beyoncé has been "building up to for years". Other publications likened Beyoncé's delivery on the track to that of Chuck Berry, Betty Davis, Elvis Presley, James Brown, Billy Preston, Little Richard, Koko Taylor, and Big Mama Thornton. Brittany Spanos of ''Rolling Stone'' described this as "fantasy-fulfillment", whereby Beyoncé transforms into the type of performers she was raised on and that she has often cited in her work.

Critics praised the lyrics of the song as inspiring "defiance", "resistance", "freedom" and "joy" in listeners. ''Billboard'''s Kyle Denis characterized the song as an "ode to the incomparable energy and verve of the Black South", while ''The Independent'''s Helen Brown described it as "Beyoncé's claim to life in America". In an article for ''Elle'', Keyaira Kelly wrote that the track "paints a picture of Beyoncé's ideal America" as an inclusive, joyous hoedown.

Recognition

At the 67th Annual Grammy Awards the song was nominated for Best Americana Performance, becoming Beyoncé's first nomination in the category.

"Ya Ya" was included in various year-end lists of the best songs of 2024. ''Esquire'' ranked the song 4th, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it 11th and ''Pitchfork'' readers ranked it 29th. ''Variety'' included it in their unranked list. In July 2024 it was included in ''The Guardian'' list of 2024's songs of the summer.

Live performances and usage in media

On July 27, 2024, NBC released a video in which Beyoncé performs a new version of "Ya Ya" as she introduces Team USA for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Michelle Obama quoted "Ya Ya" in a social media post encouraging Americans to vote.

On December 25, 2024, Beyoncé debuted "Ya Ya" live as part of her 2024 NFL Halftime Show set list. Beyoncé performed a mash-up of "Ya Ya" and " Why Don't You Love Me" as part of the setlist of the 2025 Cowboy Carter Tour.

"Ya Ya" was performed by drag queens Arrietty and Jewels Sparkles in the "lip-sync for your life" segment on the tenth episode of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' seventeenth season. Jewels Sparkles won the lip-sync and Arrietty was eliminated.

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Beyoncé songs

2024 songs
Beyoncé songs
Roots rock songs
Songs written by Beyoncé
Songs written by The-Dream
Songs written by Jay-Z
Song recordings produced by Beyoncé
Song recordings produced by The-Dream
American funk songs