Jealous

Album: Beyoncé (2013)
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Songfacts®:

  • This gut-wrenching slow jam finds Beyoncé upset with her man, who stood her up for dinner. She's jealous that she can't play the same games that he plays because of her love. The singer takes her "Freakum dress out my closet" and runs into an ex that "she used to flex in Texas."
  • The video was directed by Francesco Carrozzini, who previously helmed A$AP Rocky's "Phoenix" clip, as well having shot photos of Beyoncé for outlets like Vogue. He shot the visual in New York City in late November 2013, after receiving a call from the singer's camp a few days prior. The clip was Queen Bey's storyline, Carrozzini told MTV News of the process. "It's not the traditional way I would do a video — how I did for A$AP or for other artists where you just come up with an idea and present it to the artist."

    "She had a very precise storyline in her head and it was written and filled with references — and so a big part of the creativity is her," he added.
  • After Beyoncé exits the bar, she walks out into a city street and is met by a multitude of fans and camera phones. According to Carrozzini, the reactions of the fans in the video was wholly genuine. "We really shot it — some people in the video did not know we were filming," he said.

    "I think the real idea of the video is in a moment like that — in a private moment like that, she can never be by herself," Carrozzini added "This song is not about someone who feels those emotions, it's about Beyoncé feeling those emotions. It's personal to her. It's her that cannot be by herself no matter where she goes or what she does, because she's who she is."
  • When asked by MTV News if the actor playing Beyonce's love interest was intended to portray a specific person in her life, Carrozzini laughed. "She has [an idea], I'm sure," he replied, coyly.
  • The song's remix features additional vocals by Chris Brown, who admits to Beyoncé that he gets, "a little insecure when your phone go off." He goes on to confess that his jealousy is leading to him having a bit too much of that bottle and he ends up drunk texting.

    This was the first time the two superstars appeared on the same record.
  • The track soundtracked a Nike commercial featuring Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Simone Biles. The ad depicts Biles training for her big day as "Jealous" plays in the background.

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