"Why Don't You Love Me" is a song by Beyoncé for the platinum edition of her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was written by Beyoncé, Angela Beyincé, Solange Knowles and the Bama Boyz.
Background and composition[]
"Why Don't You Love Me" is an R&B and dance-pop song that is set in a retro style. According to its lyrics, Knowles questions her love interest about why he does not value her fabulousness. Jonathan Wells of Bama Boyz said that they decided to try something different from what they usually do, by mixing several genres for "Why Don't You Love Me". The song's inspiration came from the time they spent in London at the end of Beyoncé's The Beyoncé Experience tour in promotion of her second studio album B'Day (2006). The writing and production of the song began in London and was finished stateside in early 2008. They admitted that the song's structure was unusual, however they were happy that it ended up in the Knowles' hands.
The track was a part of Beyoncé's set list for the 2011 Glastonbury Festival, the Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live revue, The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour and the On the Run Tour.
Release[]
Originally released as a pre-order bonus track on the deluxe edition of I Am... Sasha Fierce, the song was later released as a new song on the platinum edition of the album, and finally as a bonus track along with "Poison" and a remixed version of "Video Phone" featuring Lady Gaga on a digital EP titled I Am... Sasha Fierce – The Bonus Tracks. On July 2, 2010, "Why Don't You Love Me" was digitally released in Germany while its music video was included on a separate digital EP that went on sale the same date. Two remixes of the song were later made available for download in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2009.
Music video[]
Filming and concept[]
The music video for the song was directed by long-time collaborator Melina Matsoukas and Beyoncé under the alias Bee-Z.
The video took two to three weeks of preparation and one day to film in Los Angeles on Mount Olympus. The main set of the video was a house owned by a wealthy 95-year-old man who allowed Beyoncé and Matsoukas to use his house and collectible cars for the video shoot. In an interview with People magazine in August 2010, Beyoncé explained: "I came up with the concept for that video because lately I decided to take a break, and I’ve been home, being a wife. I figured it could be nice to give a little wink toward the things that I’ve been doing, so that’s why I’m a housewife in the video."
However, she explained that the video is "an exaggerated, over-the-top version" of what she was doing right then, just living her life, being a woman at home, relaxing and trying to enjoy her life other than performing and creating music. For instance, dusting off her Grammys and getting under the hood of a car while wearing six-inch heels are not regular occurrences for Beyoncé.
Release[]
"Why Don't You Love Me" is the ninth video to be lifted from Knowles' I Am... Sasha Fierce era. On May 1, 2010, a forty-second clip starring Knowles as B.B. Homemaker, was posted on Vimeo. In the sneak peek, she is seen wearing an unbuttoned blue shirt with a pair of short denim shorts and a red handkerchief on her head while trying to fix a broken-car. The complete video premiered on May 4, 2010, and it is nearly five minutes long. The music video was officially released to iTunes Stores in the United States on May 18, 2010, two weeks after its original premiere.
Live performances[]
Beyoncé performed "Why Don't You Love Me" live for the first time the 2011 Glastonbury Festival on June 26, 2011. During the performance she danced with her male backup dancers and the official video of the song was played on a screen behind them. Later, in May 2012, Beyoncé performed a funky version of the song as a part of her revue show Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live in Atlantic City, New Jersey at Revel. While reviewing the show, Ben Ratliff of The New York Times wrote: "Then she makes some of the most thorough and gold-plated declarations of self-worth ever rendered in pop. 'There’s nothing not to love about me,' she sang... without needing to make a joke out of it." Maura Johnston of The Village Voice was also positive about the performance of the song, saying, "Live, she threw herself into the track, from tsk-tsk-tsk opening to impassioned ending; after that, the song's frenetic beat got transformed into an extended outro that showcased her band's prowess in such a convincing way, she took off her shoes to dance along with it." "Why Don't You Love Me" was included in the set list of Beyoncé's The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013-2014) and the On the Run Tour (2014).
Personnel[]
Credits are taken from I Am... Sasha Fierce liner notes.
- Vocals - Beyoncé Knowles
- Producers and recorded by – Bama Boyz, Beyoncé Knowles
- Vocal production – Beyoncé Knowles
- Writers – Beyoncé Knowles, Solange Knowles, Angela Beyincé, Eddie Smith III, Jesse Rankins and Jonathan Wells