To this day “Single Ladies” can be enjoyed by pretty much every audience, from pop fans to R&B fans and hip-hop fans. But perhaps most importantly, it played so well to so many audiences and was such a moment in pop culture that it was almost impossible not to like the song.
First, it was the second biggest hit nominated ( behind “Poker Face”), which always bodes well for songs. “Single Ladies” also had major factors in its favor. Swift became the youngest Album of the Year winner of all time at age 20 (a record that was later broken by Billie Eilish), but youth may have been a disadvantage for Swift as a songwriter: the teen pop sound of “You Belong With Me” might have seemed too juvenile for voters especially against more serious songs like “Use Somebody” and a certified legend like Beyoncé. Swift, meanwhile, took home Album of the Year for “Fearless” over Beyoncé’s “I Am… Sasha Fierce.” That Album of the Year win was significant, as many had expected Beyoncé to triumph, especially with “Sasha Fierce” being her closest pivot to pop music. SEE Will Kendrick Lamar FINALLY get his Grammys coronation with new album ‘Mr. It’s also curious, in hindsight, that Bey’s team opted for the ballad for Record of the Year, while going for a lighter dance song in the songwriting race, but it did pay off. Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody” was also a big hit, and you could argue that it was more typical “Grammy bait” with its earnest romantic lyrics than something as urban and upbeat as “Single Ladies.” Ironically, “Use Somebody” beat Beyoncé’s “Halo” for Record of the Year, even though that was one of Beyoncé’s most pop-accessible songs.
And since it was a Beyoncé song, it was played in both urban radio and mainstream top 40 radio. “Single Ladies” was also acclaimed by critics, who praised its empowering concept and lyrics. The song was helped a lot by its video, which is one of Beyoncé’s most instantly recognizable with its iconic choreography and black-and-white photography. Soon after, it reached number-one, where it remained on-and-off for four weeks. “Single Ladies” didn’t take much time to take off, reaching the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 just a month after its release.
But how exactly did it win, and was it the slam dunk that in hindsight we might think it was? Of the many awards it won, “Single Ladies” notably gave Beyoncé her first - and so far only - general field win at the Grammys: Song of the Year. Few songs have felt as monumental in 21st century pop music as Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” The song and its iconic music video served as year-defining material from Queen Bey, and it still holds up among the singer’s classic songs.
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