Readers of That Grape Juice know what avid music lovers we are – especially of hits past.
So, as our retrospective segments, ‘From the Vault’ and ‘TGJ Replay,’ allow us the chance to re-spin the gems and jams of yesterday of one artist, our latest feature – Chart Rewind – serves as a variation of our Retro Rewind assay to salute an entire era of music history.
This week, we’re rewinding ‘Irreplaceable’ – the longest-running #1 single of Beyoncé’s career to date.
Join us inside:
Despite delivering nearly double the first-week sales of 2003’s ‘Dangerously in Love,’ Beyonce’s 2006’s ‘B’Day’ was not the out-of-the-gate critical success or Hot 100 hit factory its predecessor was.
**Related: Click here to read our TGJ REPLAY tribute to ‘B’DAY’**
Well on its way to being branded a sophomore slump, the cavalry came via the Ne-Yo-penned mid-tempo cut, ‘Irreplaceable.’
Kicked off by the chant-like “to the left, to the left,” the song’s lyrics stand as some of the sassiest breakup offerings of modern music history while sonically ‘Irreplaceable’ served as one of few on ‘B’Day’ that deviated from the set’s uptempo theme. By the time the tune’s Anthony Mandler-directed visual depicted Bey giving her ex-bae the boot, interest in its parent project was being rebooted and helped send ‘Irreplaceable’ to the top of charts. Landing there this week in 2006, the song stayed put for a whopping 10 weeks – besting her previous longest stay, 2003’s ‘Baby Boy,’ by one week.
When the dust settled, the Stargate-produced bop went on to 2x Platinum status in the U.S., nabbed a ‘Record of the Year’ nod at the 2008 GRAMMYs, and became a fan favorite from the diva’s prized discography along the way.
Look below to see who joined Bey in the top 25 on this week’s ‘Chart Rewind.’
Hot 100 This Week in 2006
Hot 100 This Week
Click here to see this week’s full ‘TGJ Chart Check: Hot 100.’