| "Don't Hurt Yourself" | |
|---|---|
| Song byBeyoncé featuringJack White | |
| from the albumLemonade | |
| Released | April 22, 2016 |
| Studio | Jungle Studios,New York City |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:54 |
| Label | |
| Songwriters | |
| Producers |
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| Audio | |
| "Don't Hurt Yourself" onYouTube | |
"Don't Hurt Yourself" is a song by American singerBeyoncé featuring American musicianJack White. It is the third track on her sixth studio album,Lemonade (2016), released throughParkwood Entertainment andColumbia Records. The song's music video is part of Beyoncé's 2016 filmLemonade, aired onHBO alongside the album's release.[1]
Theblues rock,[2]hard rock,[3] andpsychedelic rock[4] song was produced by Jack White, Beyoncé, andDerek Dixie, and written by White, Beyoncé, andDiana Gordon. The song contains samples of "When the Levee Breaks" written byJimmy Page,Robert Plant,John Paul Jones, andJohn Bonham, and performed byLed Zeppelin. Some critics compared the song to Beyoncé's "Ring the Alarm" (2006).[5][6] The song received a nomination for the59th Annual Grammy Awards in the category ofBest Rock Performance.Billboard ranked "Don't Hurt Yourself" at number 61 on their "Billboard's 100 Best Pop Songs of 2016" list.[7]
Jack White said of the song's origin in anNPR interview:
"You know, I just talked to her and she said, "I wanna be in a band with you." [Laughs.] I said, "Really? Well, I'd love to do something." I've always loved her voice — I mean, I think she has the kind ofsoul singing voice of the days ofBetty Davis orAretha Franklin. She took just sort of a sketch of a lyrical outline and turned into the most bodacious, vicious, incredible song. I don't even know what you'd classify it as — soul,rock and roll, whatever. "Don't Hurt Yourself" is incredibly intense; I'm so amazed at what she did with it."[8]
The song's music video is part of aone-hour film with the same title as its parent album, which originally aired onHBO.
Writing forPitchfork, Jillian Mapes argues that Beyoncé is "giving the world a modern-day 'Respect' in 'Don't Hurt Yourself'". Mapes continues, writing "Even on an album stacked with some of Beyoncé's best recorded vocal performances to date, 'Don't Hurt Yourself' has her belting to a whole other dimension—specifically, that ofJanis Joplin and late-'60sTina Turner".[9] Amber Mackie ofRevolt stresses that the song follows "Hold Up" narration with "no nonsense lyrics", with "energy and power" from "propulsive rhythms and fills of the drums".[10]
In 2021Alexis Petridis ranking the "Beyoncé's 30 greatest songs" placed the song at 28, describing it as "rock/funk hybrid aboutLemonade’s most aggressive track" and stressing that theHomecoming: The Live Album version "amps things up even further".[11]
After the release ofLemonade, "Don't Hurt Yourself" debuted on theBillboardHot 100 chart at number 28[12] and theHot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart at number 16.[12] As featured artist on the song, Jack White notched his first solo top 40 Hot 100 hit. In a prior appearance as a soloist, White reached number 81 in 2008 with the duet "Another Way to Die" withAlicia Keys, thetheme from theJames Bond filmQuantum of Solace.[13]
"Don't Hurt Yourself" was part of the set list forThe Formation World Tour with the first performance taking place inMiami atMarlins Park on April 27, 2016. Beyoncé also performed this as part of her medley at the2016 MTV VMA.[14] Writing forThe Guardian, Caroline Sullivan noted how during the performance of "the bitterest songs" offLemonade, "Sorry" and "Don't Hurt Yourself", "she's a pillar of rage".[15] Beyoncé also performed the song on her setlist for her2018 Coachella performance, as well as co-headliningOn the Run II Tour withJay-Z. Jack White opened his October 10, 2020 performance onSaturday Night Live with a portion of "Don't Hurt Yourself" as part of a medley.[16]
| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[17] | 93 |
| Australia Urban Singles (ARIA)[18] | 10 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[19] | 53 |
| France (SNEP)[20] | 47 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[21] | 30 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[22] | 77 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[23] | 36 |
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[24] | 12 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[25] | 28 |
| USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[26] | 16 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[27] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[28] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
