7. Crazy In Love Beyoncé
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViwtNLUqkMY Amidst all the media saturation of Beyoncé and Jay Z it's easy to forget just how good they are and making ground-breaking music, and more specifically, how wonderful this song actually is, which is without doubt the best thing they've ever produced. One of the many reasons that this song is so fantastic is the sheer energy it has - musically it mirrors the rush of wide eyed lust, passion and desire. But it's not just about the first flush of love, this could be sung at any stage during a love affair because it says that each other has happily met their match. 'Crazy in love' borrows from a huge array of genres, the chatter with the girls sounds like 'The Leader of the Pack', the disco beat sounds like prime time 70's disco and the rhythm is pure NWA, but the message is spectacularly singular, it's about being drenched, no, drowned in love, and they want the world to know about it. Jay Z's rap over the top is a nice touch, yes; they're showing off, but not about their musical prowess, but about their love for each other. This is classic tale of love delivered in a truly thrilling and modern style.
Ed Nash
Contributor
What makes music fantastic? Star quality, amazing music, breathtaking lyrics and the ability to bring something new to the table, even if that means a new take on the classics. That's what I love to listen to and write about.
As well as writing for What Culture, I occasionally write a blog http://tedney.blogspot.co.uk and sometimes use Twitter, but sparingly @TedneyNash
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Ed