"Ego" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé for the deluxe edition of her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008).

"Ego" was generally well received by music critics, many of whom praised the fact that Beyoncé opted to show some of her vocal limitations in a part of the song.

Critics also noted that "Ego" could even have been placed in either disc of I Am... Sasha Fierce as it combines elements of both sides of Beyoncé's split musical personality.

"Ego" became the fifth consecutive song from I Am... Sasha Fierce to reach the top 40 on US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at 39.

It reached number three on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

[1] "Ego" was additionally released on a digital EP as a B-side single to "Sweet Dreams" on July 31, 2009, in Germany.

[13] The song is built on a punchy beat[12] and its instrumentation includes a backing piano,[14] horns,[5] as well as trumpets and organs.

[6] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Hal Leonard Corporation, "Ego" is written in common time, composed in a moderate tempo, and is set in the key of D Major.

[6][14] Joey Guerra of Houston Chronicle described the song as a blend of "old-school soul riffs and double entendres".

[16] Lyrically, the song features Beyoncé as the female protagonist singing about her love for the "huge ego" of her lover.

[17] Jay Lustig of New Jersey On-Line further noted that the song may be an insight into Beyoncé's marriage to Jay-Z.

"[3] The song explores the restrained vocals of Beyoncé singing "I talk like this, cos I can back it up" and consists of a piano breakdown.

A writer for Billboard magazine gave the song a positive review, writing that "Ego" manages to combine elements of both sides of Beyoncé's musical personality.

[21] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph chose "Ego" as the standout track on I Am... Sasha Fierce, complimenting its lyrical content and calling it "playful boldness".

[13] Ann Powers of Los Angeles Times noted that in "Ego", Beyoncé shows the spunk she developed playing Etta James in Cadillac Records.

[12] The Village Voice's Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond described "Sasha Fierce" as "brassy, big-headed, confrontational, and witty" and wrote that all these adjectives suit "Ego".

[24] However, Jim Farber of Daily News commented that "'Ego' avoids expectations by celebrating a man's cockiness rather than her [Beyoncé's] own.

The song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),[31] and, as of October 6, 2010, has sold 357,000 downloads (excluding remix version) in the US.

[43] Beyoncé made her directorial debut on the video for "Ego" with the choreographer Frank Gatson Jr, who had been working with her for twelve years by then, as the creative director.

[45][46] Beyoncé let Gatson direct the video for "Ego" after he introduced her to a new choreographer, Sheryl Murakami.

"[48] Like the music videos for "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)", and "Diva", the one for "Ego" was shot in black and white.

[48][50] The video features Beyoncé and her two backup female dancers all dressed in silver leotards and performing similar choreography, which has reminiscence of that of "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)".

Later, Beyoncé sits on a white glittery chair in front of the same tiled background; she is wearing black coat and the two dancers are still dancing in unison around her.

A "bootlegged" version of the music video, featuring Sheryl Murakami performing the choreography, was leaked onto YouTube in early March 2009.

[51] She further wrote, "Anyway, while the '80s horns-and-organ vibe delivers some throwback flavor, I'm not feeling the circa-2002-Christina-Aguilera curly wig or the satin prom gloves.

[66] Eventually, the remix of "Ego" was included on Beyoncé's 2010 live album, I Am... World Tour as the fifteenth track.