| "Befour" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Promotional single byZayn | |
| from the albumMind of Mine | |
| Released | 17 March 2016 |
| Recorded | August 2015 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:28 |
| Label | RCA |
| Songwriters |
|
| Producer | Malay |
"Befour" (stylised as "BeFoUr") is a song recorded by English singer-songwriterZayn for his debut solo studio album,Mind of Mine (2016). It was written by Zayn Malik,James Ho,Harold Lilly and Terrence "Scar" Smith, and produced byMalay. It was released as the third promotional single from the album on 17 March 2016 byRCA Records. "Befour" is a smoothR&B andsynth-pop song, which incorporates musical elements of disco and soul music. It features four-on-the-floor beats, mellow synths, and a grinding guitar loop in its instrumentation. The song is also noted for Malik's high-reaching falsetto during the song's middle eight section.
Lyrically, the song talks about the story of a man who has finally broken out on his own, and also addresses critics of his career with his former bandOne Direction, and how he felt frustrated and suffocated during the time he was with the band. The song's music video was released on 25 March 2016 (same day as the album's release), and it focuses on youth culture around theNorth of England, splitting scenes between Malik hanging with friends to images of young people boxing, drinking and dancing.
Prior to his departure from the bandOne Direction, Zayn Malik started working on his debut solo album. Initially, he was seen in the studio with UK producerNaughty Boy, however there had a public falling-out later and parted ways. Shortly after, Malik's management team reached out to record producerMalay Ho because Zayn was a fan of his work with artists such asJohn Legend,Alicia Keys andFrank Ocean.[1] Later, on 22 July 2015, it was announced that Zayn was recording new music with the producer, after he posted a photo with the singer on his Instagram account.[2] The producer first heard "Pillowtalk" and "Fool for You" before accepting to produce for the album, and after being impressed by Malik's vocals, he accepted.[1]
"Befour" is among the tracks they worked together for the album, and was conceived in August 2015, when Malik, Malay, and a group of friends were partying at Drai's, a club overlooking theLas Vegas strip. As they were watching American rapperBig Sean performing, "[they] were sitting backstage in a VIP area and [Malik] was just telling [Malay], ‘It’s crazy being here in Vegas. I’ve literally been all over the world withOne Direction. I’ve done this before, but not like this. Not by myself, not this way, not here with the intention of working on my own music.’"[1] Malay later encouraged Malik to continue the thought and claimed that the phrase "I’ve done this before, but not like this" was already lines of the song.[1] Therefore, they went into the studio the same night and started creating the song. The producer continued: "He was in the booth singing melodies and we just stuck with those lyrics, and that was the foundation. We took it back to L.A. and did some more writing and working on it but the song was literally almost done when we left Vegas that night."[1]
"Befour" was first previewed in the behind-the-scenes video for Zayn'sFader cover in November 2015.[3] During the session, he showed a few tracks, and claimed: "I don’t feel like people really know what I’m going to give them, musically. And once they hear it, I feel like they will understand me a little bit more, and they’ll understand why I did what I did, and why I left the band, and why I had to write this shit down. Because for five—not even for five years, for ten years, this album has been in my brain, and it’s just been there, sat with me, needing to be out."[3] Later, on 17 March 2016, "Befour" was released as the third promotional single from the album, being instantly available to fans who pre-order the album on iTunes in advance of the album's release, on 25 March 2016.[4]
"Befour" was written byZayn Malik,James Ho,Harold Lilly and Terrence "Scar" Smith. It was produced byMalay, who was also responsible for guitar, programming, recording, keyboard and bass. It was recorded at Larabee Studios, North Hollywood, California, and at Germano Studios, New York City.[5] "Befour" is a smoothR&B andsynth-pop song,[6][7][8] which incorporates musical elements of disco and soul music.[8] It features four-on-the-floor beats, mellow synths, and a grinding guitar loop in its instrumentation.[9] During the middle eight section, Zayn provides a high-reaching falsetto run.[6][10] Lyrically, the song tells the story of a man who has finally broken out on his own.[8] In the chorus, Zayn sings, "So say what you wanna say, what you want / Shame is you won’t say that to my face," which made critics believe that the song also addresses critics of his career with his former bandOne Direction, and possibly the band itself, due to its title, "Befour", which includes the number four, which is also the current number of the band members.[11][12] "Time for me to move up / So many hours have gone / Heart beats the pump of my blood / No strings for you to pull on / You've got your tongue in your cheek / So pardon if I don't speak," he sings in the song's second verse.[8] The lines "No strings for you to pull on… can’t tune my chords into your song" was interpreted as "[h]is frustration with the suffocating One Direction regime."[13]
Billboard's Erin Strecker thought that Zayn "channels his innerJustin Timberlake" on the track, which according to him, "it wouldn't be a stretch to assume this is Zayn's musical response to a year of rumors, in fighting, and big changes with his former boy band."[14] Similarly, Tim Sendra ofAllMusic, defined it as "a nice midtempo disco-influenced track that sounds like something Justin Timberlake might have done at one point."[15] Brittany Spanos, writing forRolling Stone praised his falsetto, noting that it "hark[s] back to his memorable contributions to One Direction songs like 'You & I'."[6] Robbie Daw ofIdolator declared that the song was "easily the best of the bunch, to-date, and it has Zayn coming off as he should at this point: Like a true Pop Star."[7] Maeve McDermott ofUSA Today agreed, enjoying "its shadowy beats andMiguel-channeling vocals deliver like nothing we've heard from him before. Added bonus: some classic Zayn falsetto."[16] Leah Greenblatt ofEntertainment Weekly picked it as one of the album's best tracks, defining it as a "disco-kissed venture into light-fantastic funk."[17]
Alexa Camp ofSlant Magazine declared that the "production is the star on 'BeFour,' on which Malik's supple falsetto rides a smooth, sleek groove."[18] Lewis Corner ofDigital Spy opined about its lyrics, claiming that they are "direct, but calm and collected just like his real-life demeanour."[19] Kate Solomon ofDrowned in Sound simply called it a "grower",[20] while Mikael Wood, writing forLos Angeles Times found inspiration onPrince, noting that "it's perceived on "Zayn's falsetto to his stylized renderings of song titles."[21] Michael Cragg ofThe Guardian noticed that "'Befour''s pulsating electro-throb there’s a head-spinning vocal performance you don’t tend to get from a former boyband members."[22] Andrew Unterberger ofSpin gave praise to Malay's production on the track, calling it a "highlight", stating: "There’s no reason why 'BeFoUr' — with a tension more palpable and cinematic than anything onBeauty Behind the Madness, and a narrative hook of maybe being about Malik’s old 1D mates — shouldn’t be one of the most vivid pop songs of the year, his 'Cry Me a River' or even his 'How Do You Sleep?'."[23]
The song's accompanying music video was released on 25 March 2016.[24] The video was directed by Ryan Hope,[25] shot inManchester'sMiles Platting district, and dramatises what Malik'sworking class teenage life was like inNorthern England.[26] It includes scenes at aboxing club, where Malik used to do boxing before his music career, restaurant/pool hall, barber shop, parking lot, and afish and chips shop.[27][28]
Recording
Personnel
|
Credits adapted from the liner notes ofMind of Mine,RCA Records.[5]
| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[29] | 86 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[30] | 61 |
| France (SNEP)[31] | 164 |
| Italy (FIMI)[32] | 98 |
| Portugal (AFP)[33] | 51 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[34] | 74 |
| Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[35] | 7 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[36] | 85 |
| UK Asian (OCC)[37] | 2 |
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[38] | 16 |
| USBubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard)[39] | 4 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[40] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
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