How many discrete musical ideas are in this song? A thousand? Is every verse actually a chorus? Or every chorus secretly a verse? When did Bey start calling Hova “boof boof”? Did she just make that up or is that something that people say? Is it OK if I start saying it now too? And keep saying it forever? Has so much joy ever been concentrated in three and a half minutes? If Beyonce didn’t exist would we be forced to invent her? Is this real life?
—
14. “Countdown,” Beyonce.
