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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