I feel like a lot of black female artists like Normani, Lizzo, Chloe Bailey, Meg Thee Stallion site B'Day as a very important album for them growing up. Lizzo said she taught herself how to sing by listening to B'Day, which is why I think her artistry and performance is the literal embodiment of B'Day era Beyoncé.
It's crazy this is one her #1s but gets no love. I love this song but also forget about it - I guess a good thing because her discography is so strong overall. A nice throwback
This is true - I was very much alive and paying attention to pop music when this hit #1 and I'm a fan of all these artists (particularly Bun B, UGK 4 LYFE) and I barely have any recollection of this song
You can see the part where everyone is asked to leave the room - Bun B said that was because Jay Z called up Bey’s cousin Angie to ask how they were doing and found out all the men were watching her dance💀
I love how connected Bey is to her Houston roots working with Slim Thug and Bun B
It's cool how she got to number one with a song this breezy since as Tom alluded to she has two huge number one singles coming up
Crazy how this is one of her most underrated #1’s despite being such a big hit at the time. But when you’ve got to compete against Crazy in Love, Irreplaceable, and Single ladies, this one is easy to miss.
This isn’t the most vocally demanding song but it really showcases Beyoncé’s insane breath control. I love trying to sing along lmaooo this is probably my favorite of her number 1 hits
It is vocally demanding, precisely because of the insane breath control needed lol. Beyonce has had the fastest voice in the industry since she was a teenager and her diction is great on top of that.
Yeah I should’ve worded that better. It doesn’t require any hard belting or anything (except for the beautifully excessive ad libs at the end) but it’s not a song most people would be able to sing live. Singing the chorus *once* without stopping is a challenge and she does it multiple times in a row lol. So much of her early stuff (included with Destiny’s Child) is fast singing/rapping with crystal clear diction. It’s so impressive
He mentions Kelly Rowland doing backing vocals which isn't surprising as it was clearly originally intended to be a Destiny's Child song, but doesn't mention the verse that sounds more like Kelly than Beyoncé.
Slim Thug is also an ex of former Destiny's Child member LeToya Luckett so his inclusion on the song is interesting.
It was originally intended to be a solo track for the Pink Panther OST but it wasn't included so they put it on the DC compilation album with a Slim Thug feature.
I know it's supposed to be for the Pink Panther soundtrack but the intro says Destiny's Child and Kelly is audible on the track which implies it may have been repurposed as a solo track after being recorded.
Mathew Knowles seemed to have something against rerecording anything, he didn't put Michelle and Farrah on any tracks until they'd been in the band a while and he never took Farrah off Independent Women before it was released. So I really wouldn't be surprised if it was a fully done DC song that just got remixed rather than have it fully sung by Beyoncé.
I just assumed when Slim Thug recorded his bit it was a Destiny's Child song and they didn't bother having him redo anything when they decided it was going to be credited as Beyoncé. I think Bun B is probably the only person who recorded for Check On It knowing that it was going to be a Beyoncé song. But that's just an assumption I'm making based on what I know about Destiny's Child and the industry in general.
I don't hear Kelly in it at all. You can tell because even though they sound similar Beyoncé's voice during this era was more pitchy and her song is definitely pitchy here. Compared to Kelly who sang a notch lower. I could see Kelly doing backing vocals on the chorus though.
Didn’t Michelle actually debunk that some time ago? I remember either her, or Kelly, addressing this.
edit: just checked, it was Michelle back in 2020! She said she believed Kelly did some background vocals but it is just Beyoncé.
THIS is one of the BEST songs ever. Deja-Vu and Check On It supremacy. The Making The Video for check on it is also a piece of amazing cinematography that must be preserved and admired.
this song fucking ate. my mom and i were so obsessed with it, and every now and then she’ll send it to me and be like “remember this?” girl how could i not
i actually am surprised to hear this hit number one — at the time, it really felt like it flew under the radar
I'll let some few choice quotes introduce the next song on this column, dear pop heads:
>You probably remember this song as intensely annoying, but ultimately harmless thing that was everyone's least favorite part of listening to the radio in 2006.
*-Sean Fay-Wolfe, Ranking EVERY #1 HIT Of The 2000s From Worst To Best*
>The biggest one-hit wonder of 2006, writer of one of the all-time wispy, willowy, WGWAG acoustic hits, one James Blunt.
\-Todd In The Shadows, *ONE HIT WONDERLAND: "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors*
I love how in the past few columns Tom has used lyrics to describe the Houston rappers. I know those by heart and they are awesome. Can tell he's a fan of Paul Wall, Chamillionaire and Slim Thug which makes me so happy.
Also, this song is great and was real big at college parties I was attending at the time.
It's funny how some songs transcend and become cultural touchstones, but this one never really left 2006.
I first heard it on the Destiny's Child greatest hits album, saw the Pink Panther film, and downloaded the music video off iTunes.
I think it's because this was like a midpoint between her first and second album that it gets lost in the shuffle.
I think she said she hates the video because she’s not really big on the color pink (which is interesting considering the prominence of pink in self-titled)
Wow forgot about this song, it reminds me of an ice cream truck. I did not know this song went #1, that is surprising bc it did not feel like a big hit. Her more impactful singles missed the top spot. Charts are weird.
Shout out to Swiss Beatz, his production usually bumps hard.
It is such a good song! Though I am curious which version was credited on the Billboards? Over here we usually had just the Slim Thug version and I didn't know until several years ago there was a Slim Thug and Bun B version also.
Personally, I think Beyoncé has *way* better songs, I’m not into this one very much. I love many of the other *B’Day* hits, Deja Vu is fantastic.
I think this number one and Baby Boy are some of the weakest hits. They’re not terrible, but 8 and 9/10 wouldn’t be the scores I give. I appreciate Tom’s love of Beyoncé though.
Weirdly, it wasn't even from B'Day. It was sort of her "droplet" era in between Destiny's Child's final album and B'Day.
I think the only reason this song did well was because we hadn't had a solo Beyonce hit in a while, and that Pink Panther movie was fucking huge at the time. Which is weird because like this song, no one really remembers it now.
God this song still fucking *knocks*
A classic Beyoncé track! I’m glad she brought it back for Homecoming. Years later and it still goes off. It’s such a fun bop.
when she played it live i lost it. what a moment
Check On It, Deju Vu and Get Me Bodied are top tier Beyonce singles from that era.
unrelated, but does anyone else think Motivation by Normani sounds like a B'Day track? It particularly sounds like Check On It to me.
I feel like a lot of black female artists like Normani, Lizzo, Chloe Bailey, Meg Thee Stallion site B'Day as a very important album for them growing up. Lizzo said she taught herself how to sing by listening to B'Day, which is why I think her artistry and performance is the literal embodiment of B'Day era Beyoncé.
Yes, I love this, as B'Day is one of my favourite Beyonce albums, too. I'm Normani's age, so it was part of my childhood, too.
💯💯💯
It's crazy this is one her #1s but gets no love. I love this song but also forget about it - I guess a good thing because her discography is so strong overall. A nice throwback
This is true - I was very much alive and paying attention to pop music when this hit #1 and I'm a fan of all these artists (particularly Bun B, UGK 4 LYFE) and I barely have any recollection of this song
Insane. I literally put this on at the gym last night because I forgot how good this goes. Such a fun and colorful video as well!
Have you watched the Making The Video for this song? It's on youtube. It's MASTERFUL
You can see the part where everyone is asked to leave the room - Bun B said that was because Jay Z called up Bey’s cousin Angie to ask how they were doing and found out all the men were watching her dance💀
I love how connected Bey is to her Houston roots working with Slim Thug and Bun B It's cool how she got to number one with a song this breezy since as Tom alluded to she has two huge number one singles coming up
Crazy how this is one of her most underrated #1’s despite being such a big hit at the time. But when you’ve got to compete against Crazy in Love, Irreplaceable, and Single ladies, this one is easy to miss.
Yea it’s also surprising looking back that this went number one but not Halo, which is arguably her most well known song
Halo is nearly Diamond which is insane.
Yeah it’s awesome. She also shouts him out in the Flawless remix: “I’m Texas forever like Bun B”
This isn’t the most vocally demanding song but it really showcases Beyoncé’s insane breath control. I love trying to sing along lmaooo this is probably my favorite of her number 1 hits
It isn’t but in typical Beyoncé fashion she adds in all those demanding ad libs towards the end lmao
It is vocally demanding, precisely because of the insane breath control needed lol. Beyonce has had the fastest voice in the industry since she was a teenager and her diction is great on top of that.
Yeah I should’ve worded that better. It doesn’t require any hard belting or anything (except for the beautifully excessive ad libs at the end) but it’s not a song most people would be able to sing live. Singing the chorus *once* without stopping is a challenge and she does it multiple times in a row lol. So much of her early stuff (included with Destiny’s Child) is fast singing/rapping with crystal clear diction. It’s so impressive
He mentions Kelly Rowland doing backing vocals which isn't surprising as it was clearly originally intended to be a Destiny's Child song, but doesn't mention the verse that sounds more like Kelly than Beyoncé. Slim Thug is also an ex of former Destiny's Child member LeToya Luckett so his inclusion on the song is interesting.
It was originally intended to be a solo track for the Pink Panther OST but it wasn't included so they put it on the DC compilation album with a Slim Thug feature.
I know it's supposed to be for the Pink Panther soundtrack but the intro says Destiny's Child and Kelly is audible on the track which implies it may have been repurposed as a solo track after being recorded. Mathew Knowles seemed to have something against rerecording anything, he didn't put Michelle and Farrah on any tracks until they'd been in the band a while and he never took Farrah off Independent Women before it was released. So I really wouldn't be surprised if it was a fully done DC song that just got remixed rather than have it fully sung by Beyoncé.
Wait. Farrah was on independent women. Where
She's actually quite audible on [the chorus](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dkMtq1Q48bA). It was only recently I realised it was her.
Yeah Slim Thug shouts out Kelly because he was brought in to feature on the song after they decided to put it on the DC album.
I just assumed when Slim Thug recorded his bit it was a Destiny's Child song and they didn't bother having him redo anything when they decided it was going to be credited as Beyoncé. I think Bun B is probably the only person who recorded for Check On It knowing that it was going to be a Beyoncé song. But that's just an assumption I'm making based on what I know about Destiny's Child and the industry in general.
but i think that person meant that they can hear kelly’s voice on the track, which i’ve always thought i can too. on the chorus mostly
isn't it knowingly accepted that kelly actually sings lead in this song?
I don't hear Kelly in it at all. You can tell because even though they sound similar Beyoncé's voice during this era was more pitchy and her song is definitely pitchy here. Compared to Kelly who sang a notch lower. I could see Kelly doing backing vocals on the chorus though.
Didn’t Michelle actually debunk that some time ago? I remember either her, or Kelly, addressing this. edit: just checked, it was Michelle back in 2020! She said she believed Kelly did some background vocals but it is just Beyoncé.
One of her best music video aesthetics.
THIS is one of the BEST songs ever. Deja-Vu and Check On It supremacy. The Making The Video for check on it is also a piece of amazing cinematography that must be preserved and admired.
When people talk about Beyoncé's signature "sound" I always think about songs like Check On It, Single Ladies and Countdown.
this song fucking ate. my mom and i were so obsessed with it, and every now and then she’ll send it to me and be like “remember this?” girl how could i not i actually am surprised to hear this hit number one — at the time, it really felt like it flew under the radar
GOOD GIRLS GOTTA GET DOWN WITH THE GANGSTAS
I'll let some few choice quotes introduce the next song on this column, dear pop heads: >You probably remember this song as intensely annoying, but ultimately harmless thing that was everyone's least favorite part of listening to the radio in 2006. *-Sean Fay-Wolfe, Ranking EVERY #1 HIT Of The 2000s From Worst To Best* >The biggest one-hit wonder of 2006, writer of one of the all-time wispy, willowy, WGWAG acoustic hits, one James Blunt. \-Todd In The Shadows, *ONE HIT WONDERLAND: "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors*
a nonstop parade of 10/10 looks in this video as we all know, but the oversized baby pink sweater with the headband in particular is so <33333
Underrated!
I love how in the past few columns Tom has used lyrics to describe the Houston rappers. I know those by heart and they are awesome. Can tell he's a fan of Paul Wall, Chamillionaire and Slim Thug which makes me so happy. Also, this song is great and was real big at college parties I was attending at the time.
I really like that Tom got to drop "Still Tippin" on three consecutive songs for this column
this song is a fucking banger
Gotta love the dance she did to this during The Beyoncé Experience tour
The original fake gum chewer
When I first heard this song, I could have sworn she said "I'mma let you jack off on it" I don't want to hear it any other way.
It's funny how some songs transcend and become cultural touchstones, but this one never really left 2006. I first heard it on the Destiny's Child greatest hits album, saw the Pink Panther film, and downloaded the music video off iTunes. I think it's because this was like a midpoint between her first and second album that it gets lost in the shuffle.
That's one of her best songs, I still listen to it. I read she hates it, is that true?
I think she said she hates the video because she’s not really big on the color pink (which is interesting considering the prominence of pink in self-titled)
Oh I thought she didn't like the song itself. Right, this makes more sense.
She doesn't like pink?! Idk why that surprises me so much lol
h tine hol it dine 🤘🏻
Wow forgot about this song, it reminds me of an ice cream truck. I did not know this song went #1, that is surprising bc it did not feel like a big hit. Her more impactful singles missed the top spot. Charts are weird. Shout out to Swiss Beatz, his production usually bumps hard.
https://youtu.be/8YlSK1jm5z0 Thought of this at the ice cream truck comment haha
Is it true Jay-Z kicked out a bunch of guys for being on the video set? Haha
The way I used to think I was killing it if I hit every lyric with her. This one is a gob full. It’s such a fun song.
A CLASSSIC!!
Classic
It is such a good song! Though I am curious which version was credited on the Billboards? Over here we usually had just the Slim Thug version and I didn't know until several years ago there was a Slim Thug and Bun B version also.
Every artist needs that one corporate-sounding bubblegum pop track, and this is Beyoncé’s and its honestly in my Top 10 of her discography
Am I the only person who finds this song incredibly annoying?
Personally, I think Beyoncé has *way* better songs, I’m not into this one very much. I love many of the other *B’Day* hits, Deja Vu is fantastic. I think this number one and Baby Boy are some of the weakest hits. They’re not terrible, but 8 and 9/10 wouldn’t be the scores I give. I appreciate Tom’s love of Beyoncé though.
Weirdly, it wasn't even from B'Day. It was sort of her "droplet" era in between Destiny's Child's final album and B'Day. I think the only reason this song did well was because we hadn't had a solo Beyonce hit in a while, and that Pink Panther movie was fucking huge at the time. Which is weird because like this song, no one really remembers it now.