"7/11" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for the reissue of her fifth studio album Beyoncé (2013), subtitled Platinum Edition (2014). It was released on November 25, 2014, by Columbia Records as the second single from the reissue. The song was written by Beyoncé, Bobby Johnson, and Alonzo Holt. "7/11" is a trap song with elements of hip hop present in its composition. It features rap-singing vocals by Beyoncé over a warped up-tempo beat.
Upon its release, "7/11" received mixed reviews by music critics, with some of them praising its sound and others criticizing its use of auto-tune. Its accompanying music video was premiered through YouTube on November 21, 2014. The visual was praised for its personal, relaxed and fun nature and critics deemed it a departure from Beyoncé's other high-budget videos on the album's visual. "7/11" peaked at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Among component charts, "7/11" earned Beyoncé her eighth number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart and her 22nd number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
Background
On November 5, 2014, it was announced through a press release by Parkwood Entertainment that Beyoncé would release a platinum edition of her self-titled fifth studio album on November 24, 2014. The Platinum Edition contains a disc titled Beyoncé: More which would include two new songs titled "7/11" and "Ring Off". On November 19, 2014, 30-second snippets of the two songs appeared online along with reports that "7/11" would impact radio stations on November 25. The following day, the full versions of both songs surfaced on the Internet. "7/11" was sent to urban contemporary radio stations in the United States on November 25, 2014, and contemporary hit radio in Italy on November 28, 2014.
"7/11" was written by Beyoncé, Bobby Johnson and Detail, while the production was handled by the latter along with Bobby Johnson and Sidney Swift. Beyoncé further served as the song's vocal producer, while the co-production was finished by Detail and Sidney Swift. It was recorded with guidance by Stuart White at two studios – Record Plant in Los Angeles and Le Royal Monceau in Paris. Ramon Rivas and Jon Schacter served as the assistants of the track's audio engineering while Tony Maserati and Stuart White were responsible for its mixing. The mastering was finished by Dave Kutch at The Mastering Palace in New York City. A remix of "7/11" by Diplo and Skrillex was released.
Composition
"7/11" is an up-tempo hip hop track complete with Auto-Tune. Its production consists of trap, and R&B elements accompanied by a "rattling" bassline. Caitlin White from MTV News noted that it was "all beats and bragging" with Beyoncé's vocals seldom transferring into her singing voice. Gerrick D. Kennedy from Los Angeles Times likened the singer's rap-singing in a warbly double-time cadence to her early work with the girl group Destiny's Child. "7/11" was also noted for containing Southern rap "swagger." Her vocal performance was further noted for being filled with "intensity" while singing the staccato rap verses. Allison Piwowarski opined that the song's title refers to the drinking game "Sevens, Elevens, and Doubles", as the singer hints in lines like "... I'm thinkin' bout that alcohol / Man it feel like rolling dice / seven eleven ... ."
Beyoncé raps commanding and demanding lines throughout accompanied by a "warped" beat, shouting the lyrics: "Smack that, clap that...like you don't care! ". The singer goes on repetitively describing her dance moves with the lyrics "I put up my hands up, spinning while my hands up... Legs movin' side to side, smack in the air." She uses braggadocio while boasting about "flexin' with my hands up". After two and a half minutes, the songs "breakneck" pace changes into an "atmospheric" outro for the last 60 seconds.
Critical reception
Critics responded to "7/11" with mixed reviews. Bianca Gracie of Idolator criticized it as a "try-hard, club-ready tune" and a leftover of Rihanna's recording session for her album Unapologetic (2012). Gracie further denounced the fact that Beyoncé's vocals were "embarrassingly run through an autotune machine". Katie Hasty from the website HitFix criticized "7/11" as a "club throwaway [which] isn't likely to move you, even physically"; she went on to compare it with "Mad Libs for people who get bottle service."