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"Countdown" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her fourth studio album, ''4'' (2011). The song was written by Knowles, Terius Nash, Shea Taylor, Ester Dean, Cainon Lamb, Julie Frost, Michael Bivins, Nathan Morris and Wanya Morris, and produced by Beyoncé, Taylor and Lamb. The song's conception was brought about by Knowles desiring to mix musical styles of the 1990s with the 1970s. It was sent to radio on October 4, 2011 as the fourth single from ''4''. Featuring a sample of "Uhh Ahh" by Boyz II Men, "Countdown" incorporates aspects of hip hop, funk, reggae and world music. According to the lyrics, the female protagonist delivers a message of monogamy for her lover, celebrating self-worthiness as well as appreciating him. The song was hugely acclaimed by critics, who were surprised by its maturity and compared it to Beyoncé's earlier solo work and with Destiny's Child. The song finished second in 2011's Pazz & Jop critics' poll and was included on the list of the year's best songs by various critics and publications including ''Spin'', ''Rolling Stone'' and ''The Guardian''. Following the leak of ''4'' in early June 2011, "Countdown" received minor rotation on radio that attributed to its debut at number 75 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it peaked at number 12. It also peaked at number 71 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. It has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). "Countdown" peaked at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart and number nine on the UK R&B Chart. Adria Petty directed the accompanying music video, which was recorded whilst Knowles was pregnant in August 2011. The music video sees Beyoncé incorporate a mix of classic and modern dances, with references to pieces like that of Audrey Hepburn's appearance in ''Funny Face''. Although well received by critics, the video faced controversy for the use of choreography from Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker's 1983 ballet ''Rosas danst Rosas''. Beyoncé performed "Countdown" on her 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé and Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live residency shows, and included it as a video interlude on The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. ==Background and release== "Countdown" was written by Beyoncé, Terius Nash, Shea Taylor, Ester Dean, Cainon Lamb, Julie Frost, Michael Bivins, Nathan Morris and Wanya Morris.〔 Production was handled by Beyoncé, Taylor and Lamb.〔 Bivins, Morris and Morris are credited as "Countdown" samples Boyz II Men's 1991 single, "Uhh Ahh".〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=BMI Repertoire Search – Uhh Ahh )〕 A private listening party for Knowles' fourth studio album was held on May 12, 2011 at the Sony offices in New York City, where one of the five songs previewed was "Countdown". While playing the song, Knowles commented: "() liked it. I do not think he was dissecting it, just thinking of what he could do to it as a rapper." On June 7, 2011, both "Party" and "Countdown" leaked online, followed by the whole album, three weeks prior to its official release date on June 28, 2011. This was followed by cease-and-desist notices from Beyoncé's legal team, who forced multiple media sites to remove download links to the songs.〔 Beginning on June 16 to June 27, 2011, the songs from ''4'' were available to listen to in full each day on Knowles' official website, paired with its accompanying photo spread from the album packaging and a quote. On June 24, 2011, "Countdown" was the ninth song to be chosen. The quote found Beyoncé elaborating on the song's inspiration: "I really liked mixing the 90s with the 70s. I put those two together and it was so much fun putting bridges back into songs, all the things in music that I love that I feel I just want to hear again."〔 (Note that you have to click on the cover art of "Countdown" to see the quote.)〕 She also referred to "Countdown" as "really experimental". Concerning the development "Countdown" and the reason for using the sample, Beyoncé stated:
On September 22, 2011, Columbia Records posted the cover art of "Countdown" on the official website of KZII-FM, most commonly known as "102.5 Kiss FM". It was the same photograph spread for "Countdown" in the album notes for ''4'' and it was taken by German photographer Ellen von Unwerth.〔 "Countdown" impacted both rhythmic and contemporary hit radio on October 4, 2011 in the United States〔〔 as the fourth single from ''4''.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Sneak Peak: Bey's 'Countdown' )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Countdown (Beyoncé song)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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