After delaying the release for a couple of weeks, mega superstar Beyoncé FINALLY unveiled the Francis Lawrence-directed music video for her new single, “Run The World (Girls)” tonight on American Idol. The premiere just happened to coincide with Beyoncé‘s appearance as a mentor to the final three. While the video is VISUALLY stunning, the song is still a bit of a mess for me. Produced by Switch, Shea Taylor and Bey herself, the song heavily borrows from club hit, “Pon De Floor,” done by Major Lazer and Vybz Kartel. The electro-dancehall infused beat doesn’t mix well with Beyoncé‘s sultry smooth vocals, sounding more like a bad remix than a standout single. I really wanted to fall in love with the song after watching the video, unfortunately I’m still left wanting more.
Here’s hoping that the single’s premiere on American Idol propels it higher on the Billboard Hot 100 chart because the way things stand right now, it’s not looking so good for Bey’s upcoming fourth album, 4. This week the track continues to sink on the charts, dropping 17 spots to #65. Just two weeks ago, the single peaked at a disappointing #33. Check out the gorgeous video below and see more of Beyoncé looking fierce and fabulous underneath the weird highway underpass thingy seen on the single artwork (ABOVE). Kind of reminds me of the bigger-budget version of Kelis’ “4th Of July (Fireworks)” video, no? “Run The World (Girls)” is the first single lifted off of Beyoncé‘s fourth album, 4, due on June 28th via Columbia. Download the single on iTunes HERE.