Genre Hip hop
R&B Label Columbia | Length 3:30 | |
 | ||
Released December 13, 2005 (2005-12-13) Format Digital download
CD single
12" single Recorded 2005; Sony Music Studios
(New York City, New York)
The Jim Henson Company
(Hollywood, Los Angeles, California) | ||
"Check on It" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé, featuring American rappers Bun B and Slim Thug. It was composed by Beyoncé, Swizz Beatz, Sean Garrett, Angela Beyincé and Slim Thug. Initially recorded by Beyoncé only, the song was supposed to be featured on the soundtrack album for 2006 film The Pink Panther, in which she co-stars. As it was ultimately not included on its soundtrack album, the song with additional vocals from Slim Thug was placed on the 2005 Destiny's Child's greatest hits album #1's. Columbia Records released "Check on It" in the United States on December 13, 2005. The official single version of the song includes vocals from American rapper Bun B.
Contents
- Background and release
- Composition
- Critical reception
- Chart performance
- Music video
- Live performances
- Official Versions
- Personnel
- References
The song's development was motivated by the phrase 'Check on It' which Beyoncé and her management jokingly used before they decided to turn it into a song. "Check on It" is an R&B and hip hop song, which is instrumentally complete with a heavy bassline, strings, and wind instrument. Lyrically, it takes place in a club, where Beyoncé is letting the male patrons know that they are welcome to come and look at her sexually attractive body when she is dancing. The song consists of two verse-raps by Slim Thug. "Check on It" was well received by contemporary music critics, who universally complimented Beyoncé's vocals, and the assertiveness with which she sings her lines.
"Check on It" was not originally lined up for a release as a single from the album #1's. However, it received heavy rotation on US radio stations, following the release of the first single, "Stand Up for Love" (2005), which performed poorly on the charts. Eventually, "Check on It" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 2005, before its official release date. The single peaked at number one for five consecutive weeks, becoming one of the two longest-running number-one single in 2006, and Beyoncé's third US number-one single as a solo artist. "Check on It" reached number one in New Zealand and the top ten on various singles chart in mainland Europe.
The music video for the song was directed by Hype Williams, and premiered on December 16, 2005 on MTV. The version of "Check on It" used in the clip features a remix of "The Pink Panther Theme" and a verse-rap from American rapper Bun B. Incorporating 1950s influences, the video was shot in pink to brand the relationship with The Pink Panther. It won the Best R&B Video at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, and was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2006 BET Awards. Although Beyoncé did not perform "Check on It" in any televised appearances, it was a part of her set list on The Beyoncé Experience (2007) and the I Am... Tour (2009–10).
Background and release
"Check on It" was written by Beyoncé, Slim Thug, Angela Beyincé and Sean Garrett. Production was handled by Swiss Beatz, who also co-wrote the song. Matt Hennessy, Dave Pensado, and Dexter Simmons mixed "Check on It" with assistance from Geoffrey Rice, and Matt Serrecchio. Beyoncé said that the song's title, "Check on It", was a phrase that she and her management jokingly used several times before they decided to turn it into a song. Originally recorded by Beyoncé only, the song was supposed to be included on the track-listing of the soundtrack album for the remake of The Pink Panther (2006), starring Steve Martin, Kevin Kline and Beyoncé. However, it was not used for the soundtrack album at the last minute, and the song with added vocals from Slim Thug, was then added on Beyoncé's former group Destiny's Child's greatest hits, #1's (2005). "Check on It" was nevertheless played during The Pink Panther's end credits.
"Check on It" was not initially intended for release as a single from the album #1's. However, it received heavy rotation from US radio stations after the release of the first single "Stand Up for Love" (2005), which recorded by all members of Destiny's Child was a commercial failure. Meanwhile, "Check on It" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in November 2005, that is, before its official release as it had amassed considerable listener impressions. A remix of the song featuring American rapper Bun B was recorded prior to its release. The task of remixing the song was undertaken by Maurice Joshua with further assistance from Junior Vasquez who helped in its production.
"Check on It" was first digitally released in the US on December 13, 2005. Remixes of the song were later made available on January 31, 2006 in both the United Kingdom and the US. "Check on It" was also released a CD Single in these two countries on February 28, 2006. It was serviced as a CD Single and a digital download on February 6, 2006, and February 7, 2006 respectively in European countries. "Check on It" was never released in Australia. It was included as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Beyoncé's second studio album, B'Day in European territories on April 3, 2007. Though the song was a commercial success worldwide, Beyoncé has revealed that she dislikes the song. She has said that she was surprised at the commercial reception of the "Check on It" as according to her, it is too simple, and not catchy like some of her previous singles.
Composition
"Check on It" is an midtempo R&B and hip hop song, which makes use of a heavy bassline, strings, wind instrument, and frequent "swinging pelvic taunts". According to the sheet music published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing at Musicnotes.com, the song is written in the key of G major, and is set in common time at 83 beats per minute. Beyoncé's vocal range spans from the low note A3 to the high note B5. According to Bill Lamb of About.com, Beyoncé adopts smooth and alluring vocals throughout "Check on It". Lyrically, the song takes place in a dance club, where the female protagonist is letting the male patrons know that they are welcome to come and look at her sexually attractive body when she is dancing. "Check on It" starts with a verse-rap from Slim Thug: "Good girls gotta get down with them gangstas / Go head girl put some back and some neck up on it...". The rapper sounds like a 1975 Mercury Cougar turning over as he growls in his burly purr, as written by Bret McCabe of Baltimore City Paper.
In the first verse, Beyoncé sings to the "sexual teasing" lyrics, which are addressed to the men looking at her: "I can be a tease, but I really wanna please you [...] Oohhh you watchin[g] me shake it, Ya can't take it, it’s blazin[g] ...". The chorus lines; "Dip it, pop it, twerk it, stop it, check on me tonight" are sung in a very quick and breathless manner by Beyoncé. Bret McCabe noted that her pace could be compared to that of American singer Donna Summer. Slim Thug appears again after the second verse to perform another different verse rap: "I’m checking on you boo, do what’chu do / And while you dance I’ma glance at this beautiful view / I’m keep my hands in my pants, I need to glue ’em with glue ...". Before the song ends, Beyoncé repeats the chorus lines four times as additional vocals of hers are played in the background.
Critical reception
Music critics received the song positively, complimenting Beyoncé's vocal performance, and the easiness as well as the confidence she displays while singing her lyrics. A reviewer from the UK website Contactmusic.com described "Check on It" as a "booty shaking anthem" and complimented Beyoncé for switching to a club song after "Stand Up for Love". Bret McCabe of Baltimore City Paper noted that the song is "less a DC joint than a Beyoncé sex-kitten solo". He praised the lyrics of the song and the easiness with which Beyoncé sings, highlighting her "million-selling R&B pipes". James Blake of BBC Music wrote that the lyrics are pleasantly aggressive and critical of women.
Jaime Gill of Yahoo! Music described "Check on It" as "sinuously brilliant". James Anthony of the British newspaper The Guardian wrote that the song "espouses a blissful disregard for traditional songwriting conventions. No Hova (Jay-Z) this time, but Houston rapper Slim Thug's lazy southern drawl suits the fractionally slower tempo." In the July 2006 issued copy of Spin magazine, Nick Duerden ranked the song at the seventh place on his list of The ten Beyoncé tracks you need to download, writing that "Check on It" is Beyoncé's sexiest song to date. "Check on It" was nominated in for Best Duet/Collaboration at the 2006 BET Awards, and for the Best Rap/Hip Hop Dance Track at the 2007 22nd Annual International Dance Music Awards in 2007. It also received a Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) Award for "Award-Winning Song".
Chart performance
"Check on It" debuted at number 72 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart issue dated November 19, 2005. After twelve weeks on the chart, the song received the airplay gainer title, and reached number one on the Hot 100 chart issue dated February 4, 2006, becoming Beyoncé's third Hot 100 number-one as a solo artist and Slim Thug's first Hot 100 single. For the same week ending, "Check on It" was also at the top of the US Hot Digital Songs and the US Pop 100 charts. The single remained at number-one for on the Hot 100 chart for five consecutive weeks, tying Beyoncé with Jennifer Lopez for having her first three number-one Hot 100 singles stay on top for five weeks or more. "Check on It" also tied with Canadian singer Daniel Powter's 2005 single "Bad Day" for the longest-running number-one single in 2006. "Check on It" spent a total of twenty-eight weeks on the Hot 100.
The song also topped the US Pop Songs, the US Hot Dance Club Play, the US Rhythmic Top 40, and the Hot 100 Airplay charts. It reached number three on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. According to Mediabase and Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, "Check on It" passed the 200 million audience impressions mark in on January 31, 2006. Another single of Beyoncé, "Irreplaceable" also passed this mark on December 11, 2006. Beyoncé thus became the second female singer to achieve this feat in the US after Mariah Carey's two singles "We Belong Together" and "Shake It Off" both passed the same mark within 2005. At the end of 2006, "Check on It" emerged as the tenth best selling, and fourth most played song on radio stations in the US. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of over 500,000 copies. As of October 2012, it has sold 1,438,000 paid digital downloads in the US.
"Check on It" debuted at number four on the UK Singles Chart on January 28, 2006. The following week, it peaked at number three and charted for twelve weeks in the top 75 positions of the UK Singles Chart. "Check on It" debuted at number 35 on the New Zealand Singles Chart on January 30, 2006, and reached number one for two consecutive weeks. In mainland Europe, "Check on It" reached the top five in Norway and the Netherlands, the top 10 in Switzerland, Denmark, and Austria, and the top 20 in Germany and Sweden.
Music video
When demand was growing for the song, Beyoncé decided to make a music video for it, serving as promotion for both #1's and The Pink Panther. It was directed by Hype Williams. The version of "Check on It" used in the clip features a remix of "The Pink Panther Theme" and a verse-rap from Bun B. The video premiered on December 12, 2005 on MTV, and was included on the DVD of The Pink Panther. The video was shot in 12 hours and features Beyoncé in 12 different set-ups and outfits. It incorporates 1950s influences. Hype Williams told Margeaux Watson of Entertainment Weekly that the concept was to make everything pink to brand the relationship with The Pink Panther. He added that the pink sails reflect the wind instrument sound of the string section. Speaking about the video to MTV, Beyoncé said:
['Check on It'] is so fun, it makes you feel like a child again and we wanted to put some of that in the choreography and the feel of the video. It's all about checking on yourself and making sure you're moving tight and your man admiring how you move. It's simple."
In the video, Beyoncé is seen mostly in all pink, and the dancers wear PVC jackets and dance around rippling satin sheets. She occasionally bends over and grabs her behind. The video cuts to Beyoncé wearing a polka dot corset against a hot magenta polka-dotted wall, wearing a pink wig and pink lipstick. Where black bars normally appear on a 4:3 (full screen) television showing a widescreen production, footage is displayed of curtains moving in the background. This was a trend in the videos directed by Williams during that year, with the effect being used in Ne-Yo's 2006 single "So Sick" and Jamie Foxx's 2005 single "Unpredictable". "Check on It" won the Best R&B Video at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. It was also nominated for Video of the Year at the 2006 BET Awards.
Live performances
Although Beyoncé did not perform "Check on It" on televised appearances, it was a part of her set list on The Beyoncé Experience at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and I Am... Tour during various stops. In Los Angeles, Beyoncé performed segments of the song, dressed in a golden, translucent slip and golden, sparkling panties. It was executed without backup dancers or live instrumentation, only backup singers toward the performance's conclusion. When Beyoncé performed the song in Sunrise, Florida on June 29, 2009, she was wearing a glittery gold leotard. As she sang, animated graphics of turntables, faders and other club equipment were projected behind Beyoncé, her dancers and musicians. "Check on It" was subsequently included as the sixteenth track and the twentieth track on her live albums The Beyoncé Experience Live (2007), and I Am... World Tour (2010) respectively.
Official Versions
Personnel
Credits for the song, adapted from Allmusic
Additionally, the remixes also credit the following people: