In "Countdown," Beyonce uses energy to convey the happiness relationships bring into peoples' lives. Throughout the song, bright instruments such as trumpets and drums drive the music while the video accompanying the song features a variety of dance styles and flashy editing techniques choreographed to the music. Trumpets and drums are instruments that are frequently used to signal a triumph or victory. Drums, meanwhile, create rhythm and provoke movement. Together, the instruments set an exuberant tone to the song which is further highlighted by the dance moves seen in the video. Throughout the video the dancers, specifically Beyonce, move with tangible enthusiasm. They twirl and jump with occasional bursts of frenetic movement, as if to say that they have more energy than they know what to do with. The instruments and dancing against the lyrics show the energy that the relationship has endowed in Beyonce.
As a final ode to relationships, Beyonce references her own marriage to Jay Z. Throughout the song, Beyonce sings about taking care of a man. She never names him and as a result, we the listeners assume that she is simply singing about men in general. However, in the final verses of the song, the lyrics begin making much more specific references. In the line, “All that gossip in 10 years stop it London speed it up, Houston rock it” Beyonce references Houston, her home town. While this simply could be a passing callback to her hometown, she specifically mentions 10 years of gossiping. Her relationship with Jay Z has been the subject of much speculation as the couple has made concerted efforts to keep their personal lives as private as possible. In addition to this usage of the number 10, Beyonce has included a countdown in her lyrics. The eponymous countdown lists 10 traits and qualities that describe her relationship with the man, one of which includes a reference to a pregnancy. During this time, Beyonce was pregnant; as seen in the music video. From this, it is fairly reasonable to interpret “Countdown” as an ode to both relationships in general and Jay Z. By singing about her lover, Beyonce sets an example of a successful independent woman who as willingly devoted herself to her lover, not out of necessity but out of love. She is essentially using her own life as proof that relationships are worth the efforts that go into them.
Though not every relationship is destined to end well, Beyonce nevertheless strives to rise above the cynicism attached to them and encourages others to do the same. Through the energy of the song, the declarations of self-worth and the use of her own life as proof of a working relationship, Beyonce’s countdown shows how the joys relationships can bring us improve our lives.
