Listen closely for the single snare behind the song and you should be able to catch what makes this song's beat so strange-and so catchy. On top of the unusual back beat, if you listen closely, you can hear a snare drum on the last count of every measure (the last "and" if you count one-and-two-and-three-and-four-AND). As one music commentator points out, this emphasis "is reinforced by the dancing in the music video, in which the choreography consists largely of Beyoncé jolting around on every beat." This has the effect of putting an equal emphasis on each of the four beats in the measure. That's what all the upbeat clatter is, and it is basically the only percussion in the song. In "Single Ladies," instead of a back beat, we hear a consistent clap on every single 8th note (that's twice every beat).
Nothing strange there, but most pop songs in 4/4 have a "back beat"-a clap, snap or snare drumming out the beat on every other note (usually the 2nd and 4th, which has the effect of emphasizing the 1st and 3rd notes listen to Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' "Empire State of Mind" for an example). "Single Ladies" was produced by Beyoncé along with the same dynamic duo ("Tricky" and "The-Dream") who produced Rihanna's 2008 hit "Umbrella." Compared to most other pop songs, there are a couple of weird things about the song's sparse, simple arrangement. We can tell there's something brilliant about the song, but what exactly is it about the beat and the harmony that inspires everyone from tiny babies to Justin Timberlake to get their dance on? Whether "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" is a meaningful song, or just a fun one, it's definitely a fun one.
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