Beyonce - Countdown

After much confusion, it would seem as though this will be Beyonce's next single. Beyonce has been floundering behind the other major divas this year. "Run the World" was an epic failure, and "Best Thing I Never Had" was just plain boring. "Countdown" is anything but boring, but it still might not be what Beyonce needs.

Beyonce seems to have realized that she can't rely on the same sound over and over again, so "Countdown" is something completely different. It's a very speedy song that's more dancehall than actual dance. It's definitely interesting on the first listen, maybe even overwhelming. Once you get into it, it's got a good beat and is a pretty fun song.

The real problem with "Countdown" is that she's gone a little too far. With so many background instruments, electronic counting, and Beyonce smashing her way through the lyrics all at the same time, it can be a bit much. It tends to clash at points which throw off the overall- beat and rhythm. And as for the lyrics, I can't make any sense of them, so let's just not go there.

This song will certainly catch people's attention, and that may give Beyonce a boost (that along with her pregnancy.) But I still don't think that it's going to be the big hit Beyonce's no doubt been hoping for. As Lady Gaga's "Judas" showed us, even if a song is incredibly surprising the first listen, that's not enough to carry it to the top. We might be coming up to a hiatus from Beyonce with her upcoming baby, so it might be a while if she ever releases another album. If that time does come, hopefully she'll be able to reclaim the glory that has recently evaded her.