Featuring a sample of "Uhh Ahh" by Boyz II Men, "Countdown" incorporates aspects of hip hop, funk, reggae and world music.

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.

[10] Concerning the development "Countdown" and the reason for using the sample, Beyoncé stated: I wanted to do something refreshing and different, so I mixed genres and drew inspiration from touring, traveling, watching rock bands, and attending festivals… I was like a mad scientist, putting lots of different songs together.

[17] "Countdown", which samples "Uhh Ahh" performed by American group Boyz II Men, was considered to be "everywhere on the genre map" by Consequence of Sound's Chris Coplan.

[32] Built on a stepping beat,[24] "Countdown" features video-game bleeps reminiscent of Knowles' previous alter ego, Sasha Fierce, as stated by Jocelyn Vena of MTV News.

"[19] Similarly, Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone wrote that "Countdown" is a "playful [and] inventive jam", in tradition of "Get Me Bodied" (2007), adding the former "revisits the "sassy spirit" of the latter.

"[18] According to Maura Johnston of The Village Voice, the verses of "Countdown" contain lyrics about "twinned boasts of self-worth and proclamations of fidelity into a tight knot of romantic ideals".

"[38] In the second verse, Knowles continues to boast of all the ways her man is lucky to have her,[41] happily declaring her devotion to him,[17] and celebrates their "mature relationship", as stated by Spence D. of IGN.

[46] Echoing Reed's sentiments, Joanne Dorken of MTV UK wrote that "Countdown" is "faced-past, original and bound to be a massive tune in clubs across the globe".

[50] Charles Aaron of Spin magazine placed "Countdown" at number two on his list of the 20 Best Songs of 2011, writing: "'Countdown' is Beyoncé's gangsta throwdown as an artiste, bumping and grinding and skipping and skating and caressing and catcalling and bearing witness all over the beat like nobody since MJ [Michael Jackson] — full stop.

We dare anyone to resist falling under the spell of the chorus, ... the sing-along-ability, the bombastic nature, and the beat... Count it any way you want, this number’s a shining gem in Beyoncé's bangin[g] catalog.

[59] NPR's staff writers placed it on their list of 100 Favorite Songs Of 2011 writing that it was "An ode to married bliss that's also an exploding grab bag of sounds, from the Boyz II Men sample to a marching band.

[65] Selling 14,897 digital downloads, "Countdown" opened at number 40 on the South Korea Gaon International Singles Chart for the week ending July 2, 2011, following the release of 4.

[92] As stated by MTV Style, these accessories, alongside Knowles' "syncopated dancing in vibrant monochrome, wink back to that iconic Audrey Hepburn sequence in Funny Face".

[91] She also briefly references her film, Dreamgirls, more specifically the latter's inspiration, being Diana Ross, during a few brief scenes in which Knowles wears a short, sparkly dress and bob hairstyle.

[91] The clip then sequences from Fame to Flashdance with Knowles and her dancers in another open warehouse-like space sporting the iconic off-the-shoulder look from the 1983 drama starring Jennifer Beals.

[91] John Mitchell of MTV News praised Knowles' dance skills and sexiness in the video despite being pregnant, and called it "a feast for the eyes" and "a perfect mix of classic and modern, which seems to be what Beyoncé is aiming for in this era of her career".

"[95] Joe Marvilli of the same publication wrote that the retro horns in the song, match the 1960s "throwback visuals" as Knowles "sashes through a variety of classy outfits and energetic dance moves.

[96] Entertainment Weekly's Grady Smith compared Knowles with Nicki Minaj and called the video a "typical Beyoncé dance-fest featuring frenetic movement, flashing colors, and a whole lot of sexy outfits".

[101] Similarly, Matt Donnelly of the Los Angeles Times described the video as "so fantastic it borders on annoying" and added that it could be a miniature version of "Single Ladies".

It proves to her audience that even though Beyoncé is rapidly ascending the celebrity ladder to an almost untouchable height, she's just like any other girl who secretly wants to be Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face.

"[128] The director of the music video, Adria Petty, in an interview with MTV, stated that along with Knowles, had viewed some German modern dance clips as they were exploring cultural reference points, although she never mentioned De Keersmaeker specifically.

I was also paying tribute to the film, Funny Face with the legendary Audrey Hepburn [...] My biggest inspirations were the [19]60s, the [19]70s, Brigitte Bardot, Andy Warhol, Twiggy and Diana Ross.

[130] On June 30, 2011, Knowles made a surprise appearance at the Target store in Harlem, New York, where kids from the local Boys and Girls Club danced onstage to "Countdown".

[134] Referring to "Countdown" as an "experimental [and] framing an expression of artistic freedom", Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone wrote that the song "made [Knowles'] case.

"[135] Jozen Cummings of The Wall Street Journal commented that "when [Knowles] went up-tempo on songs like 'Countdown', her virtuosic ability to engage in crisp choreography without cracking her huge voice took center stage.

"[137] Jocelyn Vena of MTV News concluded that "it was [Knowles'] ability to throw a party during faster jams like 'Party', 'Countdown', 'End of Time' and 'Run the World (Girls)' that put on full display her range as a performer, dancing and singing live the entire night.

Obviously, a significant part of this song's appeal and ecstatic energy comes from the dizzying vocal performance and the mind-blowingly cool production work — elements and talents useless to even attempt replicating (especially not in my father in-law's basement).

"[150] His cover of the song contains his vocals and mild acoustic guitar strumming, which according to Andrew Martin of Prefix Magazine gives "an approach that puts the focus on the track's stellar songwriting".

[159] Aisha Harris from Slate magazine described the editing of the video as "far superior to that of the average YouTube user", adding that Do-Nguyen transformed makeshift performance spaces like his basement into venues for "visual splendor".