"Video Phone" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé from her third studio album, I Am… Sasha Fierce (2008). The track was released as the album's eighth single. The song's official remix features Lady Gaga. It features Beyoncé and Gaga trading up-tempo verses and sees Gaga adding an extra verse to the song. MTV was supposed to exclusively world premiere the “Video Phone” music video on-air and online on Thursday, November 5, 2009. “Video Phone” was scheduled to premiere in the U.S. on MTV and MTV.com at 5:30 p.m. EST, while MTV channels worldwide would debut the music video in 162 countries following the airing of the MTV Europe Music Awards from Berlin where Beyoncé is scheduled to perform. However, the video did not air on the 5th, due to technical difficulties; it premiered later in November. The Extended Remix was registered on BMI on July 25, 2013.
Background
The original version of "Video Phone" was recorded in 2007/8 and released on Beyoncé's third album I Am... Sasha Fierce on November 12, 2008. The songwriters and producers were Beyoncé, Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford and Sean "The Pen" Garrett.
- Extended Remix featuring Lady Gaga
Initially, "Video Phone" was sent to US urban contemporary radios on September 22, 2009. The release was later recalled and in October 2009, Life & Style reported that Knowles and Lady Gaga were collaborating for a remixed version of the song. According to Beyoncé, she had the idea to have Gaga on the remix at Billboard Women in Music luncheon on October 2, 2009. A few days later, Gaga wrote and recorded her part at Chung King Studios, a penthouse on the twelfth floor of 170 Varick Street in the Hudson Square neighborhood. Gaga's engineer, Dave Russell worked with in-house engineer, Josh Shultz to record the vocals. The Extended Remix was released on the 2009 reissue of the deluxe edition of I Am... Sasha Fierce on November 20, 2009. It was also released digitally on The Bonus Tracks – EP and a few other releases.
Lyrics
Extended Remix version
[Beyoncé]
Shawty, what your name is?
Them hustlers keep on talkin'
They like the way I'm walkin'
You saying that you want me
So press record, I'll let you film me
On your video phone
Make a cameo
Tape me on your video phone
I can handle you
Watch me on your video phone
On your video, video
If you want me you can watch me
On your video phone
I love how you approach me
Fresh white with your pants hangin' grown man low
Everything you sayin' soundin' good to me
No need to convince me anymore
Swag up it's right, one blade it's tight
And I smell your cologne in the air
Baby you doin' somethin' right
You just cancelled every other man here
You say you like my bag and the color of my nails
You can see that I got it goin' on
I wanna make sure you remember me
So I'ma leave my number on your video phone
I got no time for frontin'
I know just what I'm wantin'
If it's gonna be you and me
When I call, they better see me on your video screen
Them hustlers keep on talkin'
They like the way I'm walkin'
You saying that you want me
So press record, I'll let you film me
On your video phone (make a cameo)
Tape me on your video phone (I can handle you)
Watch me on your video phone (on your video, video)
If you want me you can watch me on your video phone
[Lady Gaga]
You, my phone star
And I'm happy when my light's flashin' 'cause you on my receiver (oh)
Hubba, hubba
Honey, baby is so sexy that he should win an Oscar (ah)
And when you miss me
Just remember that I always got you with me (oh)
I'll be your Gene, you'll be my Brando
I'ma put you in my movie if you think that you can handle (can you handle it?)
[Beyoncé]
I know you like that (can you handle it?)
Turn you into a star, I got it like that (can you handle it?)
Baby don't fight it
[Lady Gaga]
Tell 'em, B
[Beyoncé]
'Cause when I miss your call (can you handle it?)
I hit you right back (on your video phone)
[Lady Gaga]
(You like what you see?) Them hustlas like my fashion
(You wanna video me?) They like the way I'm walkin'
(You like what you see?) You sayin' that you want me
(Go on and video me) So press record, I'll let you film me
[Beyoncé]
On your video phone
Make a cameo
[Lady Gaga]
Tape me on your video phone
[Beyoncé]
I can handle you
[Lady Gaga]
Watch me on your video phone
[Beyoncé]
On your video, video
If you want me you can watch me
On your video phone
[Beyoncé]
Can you handle it?
Can you handle it?
[Lady Gaga]
Tell 'em, B
[Beyoncé]
Can you handle it?
Can you handle it?
[Lady Gaga]
You like what you see?
[Beyoncé]
Can you handle it?
[Lady Gaga]
You wanna video me?
[Beyoncé]
Can you handle it?
[Lady Gaga]
You like what you see?
[Beyoncé]
Can you handle it?
[Lady Gaga]
Go on and video me
[Beyoncé]
Can you handle it?
[Lady Gaga]
You like what you see?
[Beyoncé]
You know them G's, they be hollerin' 'specially them hot ones
Brooklyn, Atlanta, Houston to New Orleans
When they see me, they be like "yo B, let me call you"
You breakin' my focus, boy you cute and you ballin'
You like it when I shake it?
Shawty on a mission, what yo name is?
What, you want me naked?
If you likin' this position you can tape it on your video phone
Hustla keep on talkin'
You like the way it's poppin'
You sayin' that you want me
Press record and baby, film me
On your video phone
Make a cameo (film me)
Tape me on your video phone
I can handle you (film me)
Watch me on your video phone
On your video, video (film me)
[Both]
If you want me you can watch me
On your video phone
Uh uh uh, uh-ah-uh
Uh uh, uh-ah-uh
Uh uh, uh-ah
Video phone
Music video
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The music video was shot on October 9, 2009. Reports surfaced on the internet that Beyoncé and Lady Gaga shot the video in October 2009 in Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighborhood. An inside source from Life and Style Weekly stated that "everything on set was being kept very hush-hush, and security was extremely tight...Beyoncé wears "a feathered dress" and Lady Gaga "something wild ... the fashion is sick and insane". Mirroring the Life and Style report, another source posted on Pulse Music Board that the "Video Phone" clip was shot on a "closed set [with] no cameras or video phones" allowed. The clip also features "lots of choreography" and "more dancers than the two girls [Beyoncé is] always with". The director is Hype Williams. On October 15, 2009, a spokesperson for director Hype Williams confirmed to MTV News that those reports are true.
Behind the scenes
Credits
- Extended Remix — William Burke
- Extended Remix Additional Intro Orchestration — Scott Tibbs
- Extended Remix Edit — Beyoncé Knowles and Kim Burse
- Recording — Miles Walker in Atlanta at Silent Sound Studios, Patchwerk Studios, and Bangledesh Studios
- Recording Assistants — Kory Aaron, Michael Miller
- Beyoncé's Vocal Recording — Jim Caruana at Roc The Mic Studios (New York, NY)
- Recording of Lady Gaga's Vocal (Engineer) — David "Dave" Russell at Chung King Studios (New York, NY)
- Assistant for the recording of Lady Gaga's Vocal (Engineer) — Josh Shultz
- Extended Remix Mastering — Eddy Schreyer at Oasis Mastering (Burbank, CA)
Music video
- Director and producer — Hype Williams
- Production company — Naa'ila Entertainment
- Art director — Lenny Tso
- Lady Gaga's Make up artist — Billy B
- Beyoncé's Make-up artist — Francesca Tolot
- Choreographer — Frank Gatson