Jealous (Beyoncé song)
The song was written by Beyoncé, Detail, Andre Eric Proctor, Brian Soko, Lyrica Anderson and its additional producers Rasool Diaz and Boots.
Lyrically, "Jealous" is a self-referential song discussing feelings of jealousy, suspicion, and revenge directed at a present love interest.
A music video for the song was directed by Beyoncé along with Francesco Carrozzini and Todd Tours and filmed in New York City in November 2013.
The visual was shot as a sequel to the previous song on the album, "Partition" and it shows Beyoncé in different sets — alone at home waiting for her partner to come to dinner, at a party, and out in the streets in search for him.
Beyoncé performed "Jealous" live at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards during a medley consisting of songs from her self-titled album.
The audio engineering was finished by Ramon Rivas and Rob Suchecki with assistance by Carlos Perezdeanda, while the mixing was done by Tony Maserati at Mirrorball Studios, North Hollywood, California.
[8] "Jealous" further displays "genre diversity, vocal range and a penchant of musical experimentation" while exploring a brooding beat by mixing different tones and styles throughout.
[9][10] Billboard writers Andrew Hampp and Erika Ramirez found the vibe of the song reminiscent to works by Lana Del Rey, Jeff Bhasker, and Emile Haynie due to its brooding beat.
[10] Michael Cragg from The Guardian also compared "Jealous" and its lyrics portraying romance with materials by Del Rey noting that it showed the singer as a "spurned lover".
Finney argued she adopted that style to convey "unmediated spontaneity or truth-telling", particularly during the "rueful admission" in the lines, "I know that I'm being hateful but that ain't nothin'.
[23] The Atlantic editor Nolan Feeney felt that these lines showcased many of the singer's recurring themes present on her other albums — "the empowerment that comes with being a strong, independent woman, and the fulfillment that comes with love and marriage".
[28] Similarly, James Montgomery writing for MTV News, felt that the song offered a view of the same states, adding, "she is not always perfect, a point she drives home on tracks like...
[29] A writer from the website Fuse concluded that the feeling of jealousy expressed in the song were rare for the singer, and added "we didn't even know [it] was an emotion she experienced".
[25] Claire Lobenfeld of Complex felt "Jealous" took the album from its risqué nature to a "softer side", further describing it as a "grown-up sequel to 'Freakum Dress'".
[20] Erika Ramirez and Andrew Hampp of Billboard felt that the song mixed "uncanny" styles and noted that as the chorus starts, listeners "can see Beyonce singing this from the stage surrounded by smoke machines.
"[10] USA Today writer Elysa Gardner wrote that in "Jealous" along with "Haunted", the singer "embodies success and privilege on the surface, but there is a sense that her contentment is fragile".
[7] Jody Rosen of Vulture, lauded the line "freakum dress out my closet", but noted, "I want more of a melody from a wronged-woman's-revenge anthem, but I suspect it's a grower".
[37] Philadelphia Media Network writer Dan DeLuca gave a more mixed review for the song writing that it was part of the slower material of the album which showed Beyoncé was not flawless.
An image of Beyoncé while filming the video surfaced online the same month, showing her wearing a red leather trench coat with a matching lipstick and silver stiletto heels.
[50] A writer of the website Fuse praised the concept of the video, noting that "instead of crying into the steak she just made for her date, she puts on a leather trench coat and hits the town.
[51] Michael Zelenko from The Fader wrote that it served as a follow-up to "Partition" noting that in "Jealous", "Bey's lingering needs are transformed into a burning suspicion of infidelity".
[43] Similar sentiments were offered by Brenna Ehrlich of MTV News who felt that the man's role in the video was a neglectful and possibly cheating lover.
Ehrlich went on to describe the mansion seen in the beginning of the video as Versailles-esque and felt that the singer unveiled her new alter ego, Yoncé, while seen at the party in a bar, flirting with other people.
[42] John Walker, writing for the same publication, noted the singer managed to show real madness and jealousy, while "smashing up her home out of insecurity".
"[54] During the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, Beyoncé performed "Jealous" live during a medley consisting of songs from her self-titled album.
[56] Writing for Fuse, Hilary Hughes concluded that the rendition of the song was "enough to halt all conversation, silence all phones and pause the internet for a moment, as she got real right off the bat".
