B'Day cover art

  Studio Album · No. 2

B'Day Songwriting Credits by Beyoncé

2006 Columbia / Music World 10 tracks 48 min

Produced by Beyoncé, Rodney Jerkins, Swizz Beatz, Sean Garrett, Rich Harrison, Cameron Wallace, The Neptunes, Stargate, Ne-Yo, Walter Millsap  ·  Engineered by Brian "Big Bass" Gardner

Columbia / Music World R&BFunkHip-Hop
80%
Authorship
Songwriter

Beyoncé wrote 8 of 10 documented tracks

Authorship Breakdown 8 / 10 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Beyoncé carries a lyricist or composer credit.

80%
8 trackswritten by Beyoncé 2 tracksoutside writers
Beyoncé's roles on this album

Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist80%
Composer0%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

10
Tracks
11
Lyricists
11
Producers
1
No.1 Single
8 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
2006
Released

Awards & Recognition 1

Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album (2007)
Data Insight

B'Day makes Beyoncé's collaborative model easy to read because Wikipedia preserves the lyrics-versus-music split: she is in the writing credit on nearly every song, but the music side is usually carried by a producer (Rich Harrison, Swizz Beatz, Pharrell Williams, Rodney Jerkins). The standout exception is 'Irreplaceable,' written by Ne-Yo, where Beyoncé sits in the music credit but not the lyric one. The album is a producer showcase as much as a Beyoncé record, with each track effectively a separate team's audition.

B'Day is the second studio album by Beyoncé, released in September 2006 on her 25th birthday and recorded in a burst of about three weeks after she finished filming Dreamgirls. The speed shows in its approach: she cycled a rotating cast of producers through competing sessions, including Rich Harrison, Swizz Beatz, The Neptunes, Stargate, and Rodney Jerkins, and kept whatever felt strongest. Beyoncé co-wrote and co-produced almost every track, often working from a separated lyrics-and-music credit split that the album's documentation makes unusually clear. The biggest hit, 'Irreplaceable,' was written by Ne-Yo and spent ten weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, a reminder that even her most successful records lean on outside authors. The album won the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2007 and has sold more than eight million copies worldwide.

Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Déjà Vu #4
Delisha ThomasMakeba RiddickKeli Nicole PriceJay-Z Beyoncé Knowles-CarterRodney Jerkins Rodney JerkinsBeyoncé Beyoncé (Lead Vocals)Jay-Z (Featured Vocals)
2
Get Me Bodied #46
BeyoncéMakeba RiddickAngela BeyincéSolange Knowles Beyoncé Knowles-CarterKasseem DeanSean Garrett Swizz BeatzBeyoncéSean Garrett Beyoncé (Lead Vocals)
3
Suga Mama
BeyoncéRich HarrisonMakeba Riddick Rich HarrisonBeyoncé Knowles-CarterChuck Middleton Rich HarrisonBeyoncé Beyoncé (Lead Vocals)
4
Upgrade U
BeyoncéSean GarrettMakeba RiddickAngela BeyincéJay-ZSolange Knowles Beyoncé Knowles-CarterSean GarrettWillie ClarkeClarence Reid Cameron WallaceBeyoncéSwizz Beatz Beyoncé (Lead Vocals)Jay-Z (Featured Vocals)
5
Ring the Alarm #11
BeyoncéSean Garrett Beyoncé Knowles-CarterSean GarrettKasseem Dean BeyoncéSwizz BeatzSean Garrett Beyoncé (Lead Vocals)
6
Kitty Kat
BeyoncéJay-Z Beyoncé Knowles-CarterPharrell Williams The NeptunesBeyoncé Beyoncé (Lead Vocals)
7
Freakum Dress
BeyoncéAngela BeyincéMakeba Riddick Beyoncé Knowles-CarterRich Harrison Rich HarrisonBeyoncé Beyoncé (Lead Vocals)
8
Green Light
BeyoncéSean Garrett Beyoncé Knowles-CarterSean GarrettPharrell Williams The NeptunesBeyoncé Beyoncé (Lead Vocals)
9
Irreplaceable #1
Ne-Yo Shaffer SmithBeyoncé Knowles-CarterMikkel S. EriksenTor Erik HermansenEspen LindAmund Bjørklund StargateBeyoncéNe-Yo Beyoncé (Lead Vocals)
10
Resentment
BeyoncéCandice Nelson Candice NelsonWalter Millsap IIICurtis Mayfield Walter MillsapBeyoncéCandice Nelson Beyoncé (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 30 contributors

More from Beyoncé

Frequently Asked Questions B'Day

Who wrote Beyoncé's B'Day?
Beyoncé co-wrote most of the album with a rotating team of producers and writers including Rich Harrison, Sean Garrett, Makeba Riddick, and Swizz Beatz. The hit 'Irreplaceable' was written by Ne-Yo.
Did Ne-Yo write Irreplaceable for Beyoncé?
Yes. Ne-Yo, credited under his legal name Shaffer Smith, wrote the lyrics to 'Irreplaceable,' which became Beyoncé's longest-running number-one single.
How fast was B'Day recorded?
Beyoncé recorded the album in roughly three weeks after filming Dreamgirls, running multiple producers in competing sessions to work quickly.
Who produced B'Day?
Production came from Beyoncé alongside Rich Harrison, Swizz Beatz, The Neptunes, Stargate, Rodney Jerkins, Sean Garrett, and others, with most tracks crediting Beyoncé as a co-producer.
Did B'Day win a Grammy?
Yes. It won Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 2007 Grammy Awards.
How well did B'Day sell?
It has sold more than eight million copies worldwide and is certified triple platinum in the United States.

Sources