Beyonce drew inspiration from another female music icon while crafting her hit song “Love on Top.”
“Love on Top” was penned by Beyonce, Terius Nash, and Shea Taylor and was co-created by the songstress and Taylor as the fourth single from her 2011 album, 4. The track was composed during a period when Beyonce was channeling the essence of Etta James, drawing from the inspiration she experienced while portraying James in the biographical film, Cadillac Records, released in 2008. Utilizing this inspiration, she transformed it into a jubilant anthem that beautifully captures the essence of love.
Beyonce explained on her website that the most significant thing she learned about recording this album was when she played Etta James in “When the release of the album was just weeks away.”
She continued, “It comes from a deep place. It’s a lot rawer. It doesn’t sound like the vocals on my previous albums. When I went into the studio, I used the same approach and honesty, channeling my vocals as James Etta did with the same passion.”
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Beyonce sings with bursting joy as she finds love in her life, depicting such imagery through lyrics like “Top on Love,” where she can’t stop smiling from ear to ear and feels as if the sun is shining down on her whenever he’s near.
When it comes to music, I always challenge myself to push the boundaries and gain more confidence. In a 2008 interview with Billboard, Beyonce mentioned that playing the role of James Etta was a big risk, but she realized how strong, bold, and unapologetic James Etta was. I love how she continued to have such an impact. You’re the one who gives me the cheers and puts me on top. Finally, I realized that I need to stop everything and make the call when you’re the one who gives me all the love. It’s baby, come on.
Beyonce requested that the recording of the song be done with two half steps raised from the original key, so that she could do another round of the chorus. Swivel, the DJ Engineer, recalls how he thought about the challenge Beyonce faced as she tried to raise her voice higher with each reprise. True to her word, Beyonce repeated the chorus multiple times at the end of the song.
“When Young got to the sixth round, she explains that they expressed concern about her voice shattering. Then she says, ‘Do one another,’ and it always sounds great, she records it and we take the next step.”
He contemplates, “Honestly, that’s absurd, because she likely possesses the most potent vocal cords I’ve ever encountered.” “That vocal prowess,” he adds, “is unmatched.” Swivel assured her that she had mastered it, but she surpasses her full vocal range and proclaims that she could potentially endure three additional falsetto performances. “In my entire career,” she concludes, “that was one of the most groundbreaking songs I have ever worked on.”
Music Video
The rest of the world was released before Australia exclusively premiered the video. The scene featured five male dancers, and Beyonce took them to Canoe Studios in New York City, where they were dressed in a black cap-style military leotard. Inside the studio, in front of microphones, the band members performed a choreographed dance for their hit song “Love It Isn’t If,” which was a nod to New Edition’s vibrant music video for their 1988 hit. The hitmaker turned to other musical inspirations for the New to like video.
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I put my soul and heart into ‘Top On Love’ and hope you love it. It was so much fun to be a part of a boy group and I always wanted to make a video, with precise choreography and beautiful harmonies, just like my favorite male groups, the Temptations, Jackson 5, and New Edition. I remember seeing their videos and loving them. Beyonce shared in a statement on her website that this song is special to me and I worked very hard on this video idea.
Impact
In 2013, the vocalist received a Grammy Award for Outstanding Traditional R&B Performance. It also achieved success in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Hungary, South Africa, and other countries. Ultimately, it ranked on various music charts worldwide and unveiled her pregnancy with her initial offspring, Blue Ivy Carter, during Beyonce’s performance at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. The track gained substantial popularity and remained at the top spot on the Billboard Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Songs chart for seven weeks. “Love on Top” made its debut at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Image captured by Kevin Winter/Getty Images on behalf of The Recording Academy.