"Déjà Vu" is a song by American singerBeyoncé featuring American rapperJay-Z. It was produced byRodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, 808-Ray,Jon Jon Traxx, and Beyoncé for her second solo album,B'Day (2006). "Déjà Vu" is an R&B song, which incorporates elements of 1970sfunk andsoul music. Its music is largely based on live instrumentation, includingbass guitar,hi-hat andhorns, except theRoland TR-808drum machine, which is a non-live instrument. The song's title and lyrics refer to a woman being constantly reminded of a past lover.
"Déjà Vu" was released as the album'slead single to US radio stations on June 24, 2006. The song received generally mixed critical reviews. Many critics noted the similarities of "Déjà Vu" with Beyoncé's own 2003 song "Crazy in Love". Critics commended the assertiveness and the sensuality with which Beyoncé sings the lyrics and compared her vocal delivery to that ofTina Turner in the late 1980s. "Déjà Vu" and itsFreemasons club remix version received three nominations at the2007 Grammy Awards. It was recognized as the Best Song of 2006 at theMusic of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards.
Jay-Z (pictured) joined the production at a late stage
In 2005, American record producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and producerJon Jon Traxx "came up with the concept of doing an old-school track, a throwback with real bass and horns", to which the song's title is partly attributed.[1] Traxx with Jerkins, first recorded thebass sections, onto which thepercussion,horns and vocals were layered.[1] Production took place in Jerkins'New Jersey–based studio, andSony Music Studios inNew York City.[1]
Jerkins recorded ademo version of the song with vocals by American songwriterMakeba Riddick, who is credited as co-writer. Riddick’s demo version has the same lyrics as the final song.[2] They presented the demo to Beyoncé, who later approved of it and added melodies and handled the production alongside Jerkins and 808-Ray."Déjà Vu" also has lyrical contributions from songwritersDelisha Thomas andKeli Nicole Price, and Beyoncé's husband (then-boyfriend)Jay-Z.[1] He became involved at a late stage, when Beyoncé saw him trying to sing along to a recorded version of the track, and asked him to contribute. Jay-Z recordedrapverses for the song and hence appears as a featured guest.[3]
Concerning the production of "Déjà Vu", Beyoncé toldMTV News:
When I recorded 'Deja Vu' ... I knew that even before I started working on my album, I wanted to add live instruments to all of my songs. It's such a balance [of music on the song] [...] It's still young, still new and fresh, but it has the old soul groove. The energy is incredible. It's the summer anthem, I pray. I feel it. Rodney Jerkins is incredible, Jay of course is on it, he blessed the song, I'm happy with it.[4]
"Déjà Vu" takes its music from various live instrumentation, with the bass guitar as its foundation. Several music described "Déjà Vu" as a sequel to Beyoncé's 2003 single "Crazy in Love".[11][13][14] Beyoncé's vocals were compared to youngTina Turner's delivery.[6][15][16][17]
The title refers to thedéjà vu phenomenon. The lyrics to "Déjà Vu" follow theverse–pre-chorus–chorus pattern, and feature tworap verses.[5] It ishook-laden, similar in this respect to "Crazy in Love".[18] The lyrics detail a woman being constantly reminded of a past lover,[1] shown in the lines, "Is it because I'm missing you that I'm having déjà vu?"[19] As the song opens, Beyoncé introduces the bass, hi-hat and Roland TR-808 by name. The sounds of the instruments blend as they are being mentioned one after the other; the horns are only audible in the pre-chorus and hook sections, and a short section in the second rap. The bass guitar, which is the first instrument to enter,slides into the main two-barostinato.[1] Following the repeated bass slides, the hi-hat and the Roland TR-808 begin playing.[1]
After that Beyoncé mentions Jay-Z, the bass glides up for avibrato-rich fill, giving way to the first rap.[1] Backgrounded with a repeating groove, Beyoncé starts the first verse. The pre-chorus follows, for which the bass changes to a more melodic tone "to play something more singing", in the words of Jon Jon Webb, the bass player on the track.[1] Themelody returns to the main groove during the repeated hook. This pattern repeats and leads to the second rap verse. The third pre-chorus "comes from Jerkins' idea to have the part changes on top, with Webb's main groove on the bottom".[1] It is followed by the main pre-chorus, then the hook is repeated four times. After that, the singing stops and the instruments fill in the space of the pre-chorus. The hi-hat and Roland TR-808 also stop; the song ends with the plucked bass and blasts of horns from the very first line of the chorus.[1]
"Déjà Vu" was leaked to the internet on June 13, 2006.[20] On June 24, 2006, it was released to radio stations in the United States,[21] four weeks after Beyoncé informedColumbia, herrecord label, thatB'Day was completed. Over one month later, it was released to physical formats; the track was released as aCD single on July 31, 2006, in the United States.[22] Anenhanced CD was released on September 12, containing five tracks and an additional "Déjà Vu" multimedia track.[23][24] In the United Kingdom, thedigital download became available on August 15, 2006.[25] A CD maxi and a12-inch single were released on August 21, 2006.[26] Beyoncé's manager approached English production teamFreemasons toremix "Déjà Vu" after hearing a remix they made for a song by singerHeather Headley.[27] A club-oriented version was produced and appeared on a "Green Light" FreemasonsEP, released on July 31, 2007.[28] Amaxi single, featuring the album version of the track and Freemasons club mix, was released on August 5, 2006, in European countries.[29] The UK hits compilation album Now That's What I Call Music! 65, released in 2006, features an alternative version of the single, omitting Jay-Z's parts and running to 3 minutes and 25 seconds.
"Déjà Vu" debuted to mixed and positive reviews among critics. Mike Joseph of the internationalwebzinePopMatters' believed that it was "fantastic to hear Beyoncé singing her lungs out over a full-bodied groove featuring live instruments".[6] Spence D. ofIGN Music, a multimedia news and reviews website, complimented Jerkins' bass-laden groove, writing that it brought the track to perfection.[12] Describing "Déjà Vu" as a magnificent song, Caroline Sullivan ofThe Guardian complimented Beyoncé and Jay-Z collaboration calling it "feverish as pre-watershed pop gets".[15] She added that even though when Jay-Z is not physically present, he manages to bring out something formidable in Beyoncé that evokes "the young, feralTina Turner".[15]Bernard ZuelThe Sydney Morning Herald praised the assertiveness with which Beyoncé delivers her lines and considered buying "Déjà Vu" as worthwhile.[18]
Several other music critics have compared "Déjà Vu" to Beyoncé's 2003 single, "Crazy in Love", the lead single of herdebut album. According to Gail Mitchell ofBillboard magazine, the song is viewed by many as a sequel to "Crazy in Love".[30] Jason King of theVibe magazine deemed the song as "cloned from the DNA of the raucous 'Crazy in Love'"[31] while Thomas Inskeep ofStylus Magazine referred to it as "'Crazy in Love' lite".[32] Some reviewers, however, were negative to the parallels drawn between the two songs. Andy Kellman ofAllMusic, an online music database, wrote that "['Déjà Vu'] "had the audacity to not be as monstrous as 'Crazy in Love'",[8] referring to the commercial success the latter experienced in 2003. The internet-based publicationPitchfork's writer Ryan Dombal claimed that "this time [Beyoncé] out-bolds the beat".[33]
Sasha Frere-Jones ofThe New Yorker deemed the lyrics as a "perplexing view of memory",[19] while Chris Richards ofThe Washington Post characterized Beyoncé as a "love-dazed girlfriend" in the song.[34]Jody Rosen of theEntertainment Weekly referred to "Déjà Vu" as an "oddly flat" choice as a lead single.[35] Jaime Gill ofYahoo! Music regarded "Déjà Vu" as a good choice for a single but concluded that it does lack "the kind of killer chorus" to suggest that Beyoncé would take one further step "to outright global domination".[36] On the other hand, Jon Pareles ofThe New York Times wrote that Jay-Z shows up "as calmly boastful as ever" in the song but he only makes Beyoncé's "sound more insecure".[37]Kelefa Sanneh of the same publication noted that "the refrain doesn't give Beyoncé a chance really to show off" and further described the song as a "fair-to-middling single from a singer who is the opposite of desperate".[11]
"Déjà Vu" debuted on the USBillboard Hot 100 chart at number 44 a month before its physical release. After the release of the digital and physical components, the song sold 75,000 downloads in its first week.[46] It eventually peaked at number four on the Hot 100 chart.[47][48] The track's Freemasons/M. Joshua remix topped the USHot Dance Club Play chart, while the album version peaked at number 18 on the same component chart.[49] "Déjà Vu" also reached the top spot of theHot Dance Singles Sales andHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, number nine on theRhythmic Top 40 chart, and number 14 on theTop 40 Mainstream chart.[50]
"Déjà Vu" reached the top 10 in eight European countries.[51] Having sold 29,365 units on its first week,[52] the single reached number one on theUK Singles Chart, becoming both Beyoncé and Jay-Z's second number-one single in the UK.[53] The single reached the top five in Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Norway, and Switzerland and entered the top 10 in Belgium, Finland, and Germany. In Oceania, "Déjà Vu" peaked on theAustralian Singles Chart at number 12, and on theNew Zealand Singles Chart at number 15.[51] "Déjà Vu" emerged as the 98th best-selling single in Australia in 2006.[54]
The press deemed the themes between Beyoncé and Jay-Z's interactions as sexually suggestive. A petition by fans objected to "unacceptable interactions" between Beyoncé and Jay-Z in the music video.[60]
The video begins with showing Beyoncé against a green wall and Jay-Z sitting on a chair inside a dark room. Beyoncé and Jay-Z then start to simultaneously play imaginary instruments, mimicking the song's tune. Scenes of Beyoncé are then shown in several different rooms wearing different outfits. As the chorus begins, she is shown running around and dancing out in a large sugarcane field. At the end of the chorus, she dances in a red dress in front of a pond and in a large red dress out in front of a mansion. When Jay-Z's verse begins, the two are shown alone inside a room, Beyoncé is now barefoot and bare-legged, she dances seductively around Jay-Z, and leads to the controversial scene. Beyoncé is then shown wearing a green skirt and bedazzled bra while dancingMbalax (a Senegalese & Gambian dance) around in sand. As the song progresses, she is shown dancing alone in a dark forest wearing a sparkling black dress as fireflies circle around her head. The song ends with Beyoncé leaning back in a pose as fireflies race away.
Reactions to the video were mixed. Sal Cinquemani ofSlant Magazine commented it is "more thematic and thought provoking than the videos for 'Baby Boy' and 'Naughty Girl'", Beyoncé's songs from her debut album,Dangerously in Love.[16] Allhiphop's Eb Haynes described the video "visually fresh" and "couture motivated".[10] A news article published byHindustan Times reported that a particular scene in the video is suggestive oforal sex.[61] Natalie Y. Moore ofIn These Times magazine echoed the latter's commentary, writing that the video showcases Beyoncé "strutting her sexuality", and that in Jay-Z's scenes it "looks as if any minute now she'll give himfellatio".[62] The video later appeared on a list ofYahoo! Music News' Worst Videos of All Time, which pointed to the negative fan reaction and stated, "It's probably the least horrific video listed ... but as far as Beyoncé videos go, itis[sic] a stinker."[63]
According to anMTV News staff report, as of July 2006, more than two thousand people had signed an online petition addressed to Beyoncé's record label, Columbia, demanding a reshoot for the video.[60] By the end of August 2006, 5000 additional fans had signed it.[16] The petition requested the clip to be taped again because it was considered to be "an underwhelming representation of the talent and quality of previous music-video projects of Ms. Beyoncé".[60] Included in the laundry list of offenses were "a lack of theme, dizzying editing, over-the-top wardrobe choices, and unacceptable interactions" between Beyoncé and her now-husband, Jay-Z. Beyoncé's dance moves were also called into question by the petition, qualifying them as "erratic, confusing and alarming at times".[60] Additionally, fans complained about the sexual theme depicted in the video, describing that some scenes as "unacceptable interactions [between Beyoncé and Jay-Z]" while also complaining of a "non-existent sexual chemistry" between the two.[63] The music video was awarded Best Video at the 2006MOBO Awards.[40] It also received two nominations for Sexiest Video and Best Hook-Up at the2007 MTV Australia Video Music Awards.[64]
"Déjà Vu" was performed by Beyoncé at the2006 BET Awards on June 27 at theShrine Auditorium. The show was opened with a performance of the song and Jay-Z joined Beyoncé onstage during the second half of the song. William Keck ofUSA Today commented that Beyoncé "sizzled in a revealing silver ensemble" as she performed the song.[65] She also performed "Déjà Vu" at theFashion Rocks on September 8, 2006.[66] According to Farrah Weinstein ofMTV News, Beyoncé's performance of the song was billed as a tribute toJosephine Baker, and both her stage set and outfit were in homage to the singer and dancer.[66] The set was designed like an oldcabaret club, complete with male dancers bearing saxophones, and both Beyoncé and her female dancers wore Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas.[66] She performed the song on the Americanmorning news and talk show,Good Morning America during an episode which aired on September 8, 2006.[67][68] Beyoncé also performed the song atThe Ellen DeGeneres Show on September 9, 2006,[69] and atThe Tyra Banks Show on September 15, 2006.[70] At the2006 World Music Awards on November 15, 2006, Beyoncé opened the show with a performance of "Déjà Vu".[71]
In addition to her live performances of "Déjà Vu" in awards ceremonies and televised shows, the song was included on theset list for her toursThe Beyoncé Experience andI Am... World Tour.[72] During Beyoncé's performance of "Déjà Vu" at a concert inToronto on August 25, 2007, she had awardrobe malfunction as her dress flew over her head and was speculated to reveal her breast. However, a spokesperson for the singer denied speculations saying, "She's wearing a flesh-tone bra! Do you really think Beyoncé would go onstage like that?". The video which was uploaded to YouTube went viral.[73]Ann Powers ofLos Angeles Times discussed about the malfunction, saying: "As a pop queen, Beyoncé is almost too perfect... [a] 'wardrobe malfunction' in Toronto garnered far more attention than was warranted partly because these mistakes contradicted her fiercely athletic style."[74] During therevueI Am... Yours which was a part of the tour, Beyoncé performed a jazz medley of "Déjà Vu", "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" and "Bootylicious" and continued with a full version of the first song.[75] Concert performances of "Déjà Vu" were included on her live albumsThe Beyoncé Experience Live (2007),[76]I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas (2009)[77] andI Am... World Tour (2010).[78]Beyoncé performed Déjà Vu during her2018 Coachella Performances on April 14 and 21, 2018, with a guest appearance byJay Z, along with a live orchestra. It had been more than 8 years since she last performed the song. The same performance was featured on her andJay-Z’s co-headliningOn the Run II Tour the same year.
On January 31, 2009Jade Ewen performed the song during theEurovision: Your Country Needs You show. During the finale of thetenth season ofAmerican Idol on May 25, 2011, the lady contestants joined together onstage to perform "Déjà Vu" along with a medley of Beyoncé's other hit singles.[79]
^"Movies Filmed Here".OakAlleyPlantation.com. Oak Alley Plantation, Restaurant & Inn. Archived fromthe original on July 2, 2006. RetrievedMay 15, 2011.
^"I Am...World Tour" (in Dutch). iTunes Store (Belgium). Apple Inc. November 26, 2010.Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. RetrievedJanuary 9, 2011.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 38. týden 2006 in the date selector. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
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