[28] The instrumentation includes a bass drum,[30] a keyboard[31] and spaced out synthesizers that occasionally zoom in and out; one commentator, Sarah Liss of CBC News, noted that their arrangement surprisingly comes as light, instead of dense.

[3] Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times saw the song's theme of female empowerment as an extension of that of "Irreplaceable" (2006),[35] and Daniel Brockman of The Phoenix noted that its usage of "blurry pronouns" such as "it" resembles Beyoncé's 2005 single "Check on It".

[36] Liss commented that the beat of the "Single Ladies" evokes African gumboot dancing and schoolyard Double Dutch chants,[28] a view shared by Douglas Wolf of Time magazine.

[50] Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times was also impressed with the overall production of the song, specifically the chorus, adding "More than most female singers, Beyoncé understands the funky art of singing rhythmically, and this is a prime example.

[42] Daniel Brockman of The Phoenix complimented the song's use of the word "it", and wrote that the technique "sums up her divided musical persona far more effectively than the [album's] two-disc split-personality gimmick.

[47] Sarah Liss of CBC News wrote that "Single Ladies" represents Beyoncé at her best, describing it as "an instantly addictive [and] a bouncy featherweight dance-pop track".

[28] Douglas Wolf of Time magazine added that "Single Ladies" is a sing-along which allows Beyoncé to demonstrate her virtuosity and "a focused, commanding display of individuality that speaks for every raised hand without a ring on it".

[23] Spence D. of IGN Music described the song as a "Caribbean flair and booty shaking jubilation that should get even the most staid of listeners snapping their necks and gyrating joyfully".

[22] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly magazine wrote that "Single Ladies" is a "giddy, high-stepping hybrid of lyrical kiss-off and fizzy jump-rope jam".

[27] Describing the song as a "winning high-stepping" one, Adam Mazmanian of The Washington Times wrote that "Single Ladies" is designed to get the women out on the dance floor as Beyoncé sings it with "a genuinely defiant, independent voice".

[64] Sarah Rodman, writing for The Boston Globe, named "Single Ladies" the fourth most irresistible song of the decade, and stated, "[Beyoncé] combined leotards with crass engagement-bling baiting into one delicious sexy-yet-antiquated package.

[67] Jody Rosen of The New Yorker credited the melodies that float and dart over the thump for creating a new sound in music that didn't exist in the world before Beyoncé.

[101] On January 24, 2009, its ninth charting week, it moved to its peak spot at number two,[102] and was subsequently certified double-platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for sales of over 160,000 copies.

[120] Beyoncé wanted to attempt a similar dance and eventually, the choreography of "Single Ladies" was liberally adapted from "Mexican Breakfast": I saw a video on YouTube.

[114] Nava deliberately used lengthy shots so that viewers "would connect with the human endeavor of Beyoncé's awe-inspiring dance",[114] with all the changes in looks, angles, and lighting executed live on-camera because he wanted to keep the feel "very organic and un-gimmicky".

[114] In the video Beyoncé wears a titanium roboglove designed by her long-time jeweler, Lorraine Schwartz, to complement her alter ego Sasha Fierce.

[121][126] The video features Beyoncé and her two companions dancing inside an infinity cove, which alternates between black and white and places the focus on the complex choreography.

[114] In an interview with Chandler Levack for Eye Weekly, Toronto director Scott Cudmore stated that the Internet age has impacted the way music videos are made, as well as perceived by an audience.

[40] MTV News' James Montgomery wrote that "it appears like [the music video] was custom-made for the YouTube generation, which probably explains why making homages became a worldwide phenomenon.

[180] A video showing Cory Elliott, a baby boy from New Zealand, performing the dance while watching Beyoncé on television, gained significant coverage from several media outlets.

[181] Time magazine's critic Dan Fletcher ranked it as the fourth best viral video of 2009 and wrote, "Young children love songs with good rhythm and repetition, and 'Single Ladies' certainly has both.

[182] In a video filmed by singer John Legend, US President Barack Obama appears with his wife Michelle performing part of the "Single Ladies" routine.

[179] In other media, issue 33 of comic book series The Brave and the Bold features a scene in which Wonder Woman, Zatanna, and Barbara Gordon sing a karaoke version of the song while at a club.

[199] The same year, elementary school group PS22 chorus covered "Single Ladies" and "Halo" (2009) during Billboard's annual Women In Music luncheon held at The Pierre in New York City.

[200] In her short-lived Broadway revue "All About Me" in March 2010, Dame Edna Everage performed a version of the song with backup dancers Gregory Butler and Jon-Paul Mateo.

[203] According to Simon Vozick-Levinson of Entertainment Weekly, Tweedy sang only a few bars; he gave "Single Ladies" an acoustic feel and recited the rest of the song's lyrics.

[204] Inspired by the avant-garde Dogme 95 movement in cinema, Conte began to record songs on video as a quick way to create "organic and raw" music.

[204] During a concert at New York's Madison Square Garden, Prince performed a mash-up of his 1984 songs "Pop Life" and "I Would Die 4 U", incorporating a sample of "Single Ladies".

[208] As stated by a critic writing for the magazine, Bareilles put "a piano-pop" twist on "Single Ladies" and turned it "into a slow, jazzy track, complete with creeping bassline and vocal harmonies".

[208] American rock band A Rocket to the Moon covered "Single Ladies" and placed it on their EP, The Rainy Day Sessions, which was released in October 2010.