6 Inch
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| "6 Inch" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Beyoncé featuring the Weeknd | |
| from the album Lemonade | |
| Released | April 23, 2016 |
| Studio | Record Plant (Los Angeles) |
| Genre | R&B |
| Length | 4:20 |
| Label | |
| Songwriters | |
| Producers | |
| Audio | |
| "6 Inch" on YouTube | |
"6 Inch" is an R&B song[1] by American singer Beyoncé featuring Canadian singer The Weeknd. It is the fifth track on her sixth studio album, Lemonade (2016), released through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. The song's music video is part of Beyoncé's 2016 film Lemonade, aired on HBO alongside the album's release.[2]
The song's original portions were written by the artists alongside DannyBoyStyles, Ben Billions, The-Dream, Belly, and Boots. Also credited as songwriters are Burt Bacharach and Hal David (for the sample of American soul musician Isaac Hayes' 1969 version of "Walk On By") and Avey Tare, Panda Bear, and Geologist of neo-psychedelic band Animal Collective (for an interpolation of their 2009 song "My Girls").
Background and recording
[edit]Music producer Ben "Billions" Diehl talked to Billboard about his work with great artists and mentioned that Beyoncé had already known of a song named "6 Inch" since 2013. According to Diehl, he, rapper Belly and producer DannyBoyStyles met in October of the same year to work on music. "Originally a Belly song with participation from French Montana," Diehl said. "We got a response that Beyoncé had liked and then we decided: we should continue working together, I think they get somewhere. It turns out you do not know when that day will come." When she released her surprise visual album in December 2013, Diehl was quick to check out the track listing of songs, but "6 Inch" was not there. "Everything went well," Diehl concludes. After three years, in 2016, the song finally came out on Beyoncé's sixth album, Lemonade, with a guest appearance from the Weeknd.[3]
Critical reception
[edit]The Guardian writer Alexis Petridis described the song as a "weird, affecting mixture of defiance and vulnerability" on which Beyoncé "slurs and snarls about being rich and hard-working" in "ominous electronics" sounds.[4] Larry Bartleet NME defined the song the "personal track" of the album and the "Beyoncé's ode to hard-working women".[5]
Emily J. Lordi of The Fader wrote that the song sound "aggressive and lively", believing that it "exploits Hayes' great orchestral work to tell the story of one woman", considering the latter to be "the cleverness" thing as the song "inserts the stories of multiple women into the image of a singular figure".[6]
Commercial performance
[edit]After the release of Lemonade, "6 Inch" debuted on Billboard Hot 100 at number 18 on the chart dating May 14, 2016, becoming Beyoncé's twenty-sixth top 20 on the chart.[7] "6 Inch" also entered on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart at number ten, becoming Beyoncé's twenty-seventh top-ten single on the chart.[7] In overseas charts, the song entered in digital charts in top five, including Greece and Sweden. As of June 2016, the song has sold 265,607 downloads in US.[8]
Live performances
[edit]"6 Inch" was first performed at a Tidal charity concert.[9] It was also included on the set list of the final concert on The Formation World Tour, on October 7, 2016, at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium with the singer performing the song while suspended upside down.[10]
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[27] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[28] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[29] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[30] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
[edit]- ^ Rahman, Ray (April 27, 2016). "Beyoncé's Lemonade". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "Beyoncé Releases New Album Lemonade Featuring Kendrick Lamar, Jack White, the Weeknd, James Blake". Pitchfork Media. April 23, 2016. Archived from the original on April 25, 2016. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
- ^ Leight, Elias (January 17, 2017). "Producer Ben Billions on Making Hits for The Weeknd, Belly & Beyoncé: 'If The Artist Loves It, I Love It'". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ Petridis, Alexis (April 25, 2016). "'Beyoncé is not a woman to be messed with' – Lemonade review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ Bartleet, Larry (April 25, 2016). "Beyonce – 'Lemonade' Review". NME. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ Emily J., Lordi (May 6, 2016). "Beyoncé's Other Women: Considering The Soul Muses Of Lemonade". The Fader. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ a b "All 12 of Beyonce's 'Lemonade' Tracks Debut on Hot 100". Billboard.biz. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ^ "Chart: Digital Songs" (PDF). Nielsen Soundscan. June 23, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
- ^ Lozano, Kevin (October 19, 2016). "Watch Beyoncé Perform "6 Inch" and "Haunted" at Tidal Charity Concert". Pitchfork.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (October 8, 2016). "Watch Beyonce Bring Out Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z at Formation Tour Finale". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ "ARIA Australian Top 40 Urban Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- ^ "ultratop.be - Beyoncé feat. The Weeknd - 6 Inch". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
- ^ "Beyonce Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ^ "Beyonce Chart History (Euro Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ^ "Beyoncé: 6 Inch (Feat. The Weeknd)" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
- ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés". SNEP. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name.
- ^ "Greece Digital Songs". Billboard. May 2, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ^ "HBeyonce Chart History". RÚV. March 30, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 5/5/2016 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
- ^ "Sweden Digital Songs". Billboard. May 2, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart on 5/5/2016 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart on 12/5/2016 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
- ^ "Desiigner Holds Off Drake Atop Hot 100, Prince & Beyonce Hit Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
- ^ "Beyonce Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ "Hot R&B Singles: Year-End 2016". Billboard. Billboard.com. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
- ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Beyoncé – 6 Inch" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Beyoncé – 6 Inch". Music Canada. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
- ^ "American single certifications – Beyonce – 6 Inch (feat. The Weeknd)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
6 Inch
View on GrokipediaBackground and development
Origins and songwriting
"6 Inch" originated as an unreleased track by Canadian rapper Belly, featuring French Montana, initially shelved after its creation. The original demo was developed in Miami over approximately two to two-and-a-half years.[10] The song was co-written by Belly (Ahmad Balshe), Ben Billions (Benjamin Diehl), and DannyBoyStyles (Danny Schofield), with Belly providing the core hook centered on a woman's relentless work and sacrifices to provide for her family, drawing from themes of hustle and endurance.[11][12] The track was later reworked for Beyoncé's sixth studio album Lemonade (2016), where additional songwriting contributions came from Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd), Terius Nash (The-Dream), and Devon Hynes (Boots).[13] The Weeknd's feature verse was incorporated during the album's collaborative sessions, enhancing the song's exploration of resilience amid personal and professional struggles.[14] Belly's original hook was adapted to align with Beyoncé's overarching narrative of female empowerment, transforming the portrayal of sacrifice into a declaration of self-worth and unyielding determination.[15] The final composition includes songwriting credits for Burt Bacharach and Hal David due to its interpolation of Isaac Hayes' 1969 cover of "Walk on By," as well as for Animal Collective members Avey Tare, Panda Bear, and Geologist due to an unintentional lyrical similarity in the bridge to their 2009 track "My Girls," as explained by producer Boots.[16][10]Recording and production
The recording of "6 Inch" primarily took place at Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, California, as part of the sessions for Beyoncé's sixth studio album Lemonade between 2014 and 2015.[17][18] Beyoncé served as executive producer, with the track produced by Beyoncé, Boots, Ben Billions, and DannyBoyStyles; Ben Billions contributed to the instrumentation, while Boots handled additional arrangements.[19][20][21] The production prominently features a looped and manipulated sample from Isaac Hayes' 1969 cover of "Walk on By," forming the hypnotic core beat, alongside dark, atmospheric synths and deep 808 bass.[22][23] The Weeknd's vocals were recorded separately and overdubbed onto Beyoncé's lead performance to establish the duet dynamic.[13] In post-production, the track was edited to a final length of 4:20, with Beyoncé's layered vocals applied to heighten emotional intensity.[20][24]Composition and lyrics
Musical elements
"6 Inch" is classified as an R&B song with trap and alternative influences. The track is composed in F♯ major at a tempo of 138 beats per minute.[25] The song employs a verse-chorus structure, opening with an intro that directly interpolates the strings and horns from Isaac Hayes' 1969 cover of "Walk on By." Beyoncé delivers the first verse and chorus, followed by The Weeknd's second verse; a bridge highlights The Weeknd's falsetto vocals, leading to a final chorus before an outro that fades into ambient sounds drawn from the sample. Instrumentation centers on slow-building percussion and heavy 808 bass drops, evoking trap aesthetics, paired with minimalistic synths that foster a moody, atmospheric tone. Beyoncé's vocal performance evolves from intimate whispers to commanding belts, contrasting with The Weeknd's ethereal falsetto to underscore their interplay.[23] The production adopts a sparse arrangement, blending the orchestral elements of the Hayes sample with modern electronic textures for sonic contrast, thereby prioritizing the layered vocals over dense orchestration.[26]Lyrical themes
The song "6 Inch" serves as a tribute to women's unrecognized labor and resilience, portraying the relentless grind of individuals navigating demanding circumstances through metaphors like "six-inch heels," which symbolize endurance and poise amid hardship.[15] These heels represent not only physical strain but also the empowerment derived from hard-earned success in professions marked by sacrifice, such as sex work or high-pressure careers, where value is measured in financial independence and self-determination.[10] The track aligns with the broader themes of Lemonade, emphasizing female strength in the face of personal and societal betrayals.[27] Beyoncé's verses construct a narrative of a woman's unappreciated sacrifices, depicting her as a figure who toils tirelessly—"She works for the money, she work for the money / From the start to the finish"—while asserting her irreplaceable worth: "And she worth every dollar, she worth every minute."[15] This portrayal highlights everyday heroism, with the protagonist stacking "paper" through ceaseless effort from night shifts to dawn, rejecting emotional entanglements in favor of autonomy: "She doesn’t love you, she’s just riding through." The Weeknd's bridge introduces a contrasting male perspective on the ephemerality of fame and nightlife excess, evoking shared exhaustion in a "wild ride" that underscores the fleeting rewards of such lifestyles.[15] Key lines like "Six inch heels, she walked in the club like nobody’s business / Goddamn, she murdered everybody and I was her witness" evoke a sense of triumphant dominance, transforming vulnerability into bold confidence and tying into Lemonade's arc of infidelity and reclamation.[15] These elements celebrate the quiet heroism of women who persevere without acclaim, blending the album's motifs of betrayal with motifs of unyielding self-reliance.[26] The lyrics employ poetic devices such as the repetition of "six inch" and "she works for the money" to hammer home themes of determination, creating a rhythmic mantra that amplifies the song's anthem-like quality.[15] This repetition, combined with a shift from bravado in Beyoncé's delivery to subtle vulnerability in lines about isolation, subverts traditional R&B romance tropes by prioritizing economic and emotional independence over relational dependency.[27]Release and promotion
Album context
"6 Inch" serves as the fifth track on Beyoncé's sixth studio album, Lemonade, which was surprise-released on April 23, 2016, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records.[28] The album, a visual project totaling 49 minutes, integrates the song into its narrative arc, following "Sorry" and preceding "Daddy Lessons."[28] Within Lemonade's structure inspired by the stages of grief, "6 Inch" represents the "Emptiness" phase, bridging the personal betrayal explored in earlier tracks to themes of broader empowerment and female solidarity.[29] The song highlights the resilience of working women, enhancing the album's overarching message of self-reliance and communal strength among women.[27] The track debuted alongside the premiere of the HBO film Lemonade on the same date, serving as an integral part of the visual album experience rather than being issued as a standalone single; its promotion occurred primarily through album streams and the accompanying film.[30]Music video and visuals
The "6 Inch" segment appears in Beyoncé's 65-minute visual album Lemonade, directed by Beyoncé, Kahlil Joseph, Melina Matsoukas, and others, which premiered on HBO on April 23, 2016.[31] The approximately four-minute video opens with Beyoncé, dressed in a flowing red gown, seated in the center of a ring of fire within a dimly lit plantation parlor, where she swings a red bulb like a pendulum to evoke a sense of hypnotic introspection.[27][26] This is intercut with footage of her striding confidently in six-inch heels through a burning building and a crimson-lit hallway, emerging into a gathering of women that underscores themes of communal strength and rebirth.[32] Key visual motifs include pervasive fire imagery symbolizing destruction and renewal, alongside the recurring six-inch heels as emblems of poised power and endurance, set against backdrops of urban decay in New Orleans, where the segment was filmed.[33][26] The Weeknd does not appear in the visuals. The footage was edited to align precisely with the song's mid-tempo rhythm and trap-infused beat, enhancing the narrative flow. Following the HBO premiere, the full Lemonade visual album, including the "6 Inch" segment, was made available on YouTube and streaming platforms such as Tidal.[34] The visuals have been praised for intensifying the track's feminist undertones through evocative depictions of female resilience and solidarity.[35]Reception and impact
Critical reviews
Critics widely praised "6 Inch" for its blend of emotional depth and sonic innovation, highlighting Beyoncé's vocal delivery and the track's thematic resonance within Lemonade. The Guardian described it as a "weird, affecting mixture of defiance and vulnerability," noting how Beyoncé "slurs and snarls about how rich, hard-working and desirable she is over ominous electronics, before her voice appears to crack as she sings 'come back, come back, come back'".[36] Similarly, NME characterized the song as "Beyoncé’s ode to hard-working women," emphasizing lyrics like "Stacking her paper / Stacking her cake up / She grinds from Monday to Friday / Works from Friday to Sunday".[37] SPIN lauded the production, calling The Weeknd's cameo on "6 Inch" the "most deft, dark, and gangsta interpolation of an Isaac Hayes sample since Public Enemy’s 'Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos'" in 1988, crediting its atmospheric, noir-like quality.[38] While some reviewers noted limitations in the collaboration, the track's execution was generally celebrated for its moody R&B elements and feminist undertones. Pitchfork included "6 Inch" in what it termed "some of Beyoncé's strongest work—ever, period," as part of the album's potent mid-section sequence from "Hold Up" onward, though it did not delve into specifics on The Weeknd's contribution.[39] Billboard positioned it as "the best in a long line of Beyoncé feminist resiliency anthems," praising how it "coasts on a masterful sample of Isaac Hayes' 'Walk On By'" to evoke empowerment and grind.[6] Rolling Stone evoked its intensity, likening Beyoncé to "the professional heartbreaker she sings about in '6 Inch,'" where "she murdered everybody and the world was her witness".[40] The song's positive reception contributed to Lemonade's overall critical acclaim, with the album earning a 92/100 aggregate score on Metacritic based on 35 reviews.[41] Specific mentions in outlets like Rolling Stone and Billboard underscored "6 Inch" as a standout for its hypnotic moodiness and vocal confidence, reinforcing the project's innovative artistry.[40][6] In retrospective analyses from the 2020s, "6 Inch" has been emphasized for its role in Beyoncé's feminist discography, particularly through explorations of black womanhood and labor. The 2020 Dissect podcast season, for instance, framed the track within the album's "Emptiness" chapter, analyzing its portrayal of vulnerability and collective female resilience as a key feminist statement.[42] Scholarly works, such as those examining Lemonade through black feminism, highlight the song's contribution to themes of agency and empowerment without significant reevaluations altering its initial praise post-2016.[43]Accolades and recognition
"6 Inch" garnered recognition primarily through its inclusion in Beyoncé's visual album Lemonade, which received the Peabody Award for Entertainment in 2016 for its innovative fusion of music, poetry, and visual storytelling that addresses themes of betrayal, resilience, and Black womanhood.[44] The track's visual segment also earned the Art Directors Guild Award for Excellence in Production Design in the Short Format category at the 21st Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards in 2017, honoring production designer JC Molina for the evocative set design featuring dimly lit, atmospheric environments that complement the song's themes of empowerment and sacrifice.[45] Lemonade won multiple BET Awards in 2016, including Album of the Year, Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, and Video of the Year for "Formation", with "6 Inch" contributing to the visual album's acclaim for its cinematic integration of performance and narrative.[46] Additionally, Lemonade secured the American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album at the 2016 American Music Awards, extending honors to standout tracks like "6 Inch" within the project's cohesive artistic impact.[47] While "6 Inch" has no major solo awards, it received nine Grammy nominations as part of Lemonade at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in 2017, including wins for Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best Music Video, underscoring the song's role in the album's critically lauded R&B contributions. In fan-voted recognitions, "6 Inch" featuring The Weeknd ranked prominently in Billboard's 2022 reader poll for the best featured collaboration on a Beyoncé song, highlighting its appeal among audiences for the duo's chemistry and production.[48]Commercial performance
Chart performance
Upon the release of Beyoncé's sixth studio album Lemonade in April 2016, "6 Inch" debuted on several major music charts worldwide, benefiting from the project's surprise rollout on Tidal and HBO, which generated immediate buzz and streaming activity. In the United States, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 18 on the chart dated May 14, 2016, supported by 12.2 million US streams and 99,000 downloads in its debut week. It also peaked at number 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Internationally, "6 Inch" performed strongest on digital sales charts in Europe, reaching number 4 on both the Sweden Digital Song Sales and Greece Digital Song Sales charts. It charted at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart, number 47 on the France Singles Top 100, and number 61 on the Canadian Hot 100, with no additional top 10 placements elsewhere.| Country/Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 18 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 10 |
| Sweden Digital Song Sales | 4 |
| Greece Digital Song Sales | 4 |
| UK Singles Chart | 35 |
| France Singles Top 100 | 47 |
| Canada Canadian Hot 100 | 61 |
Sales and certifications
In the United States, "6 Inch" achieved notable commercial success through digital downloads and streaming equivalents. By the end of its debut tracking week in May 2016, the track sold 99,000 digital copies, marking one of the strongest non-single debuts from Beyoncé's Lemonade album. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the song Platinum on August 8, 2022, for combined sales and on-demand streaming equivalents totaling 1,000,000 units.[49][50] No further RIAA updates have been issued for the track in the 2023–2025 certification batches, even as Beyoncé received multiple new honors for other releases in 2024.[50] Internationally, "6 Inch" earned Gold certifications in several markets, underscoring its appeal beyond the US. In Australia, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) awarded Gold status in 2017 for 35,000 units shipped. Music Canada certified the song Gold the same year, representing 40,000 units.[51] These accolades highlight the track's steady performance in key regions, though no additional international certifications have followed since 2017.| Country | Certification | Units | Date | Certifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Gold | 35,000 | 2017 | ARIA |
| Canada | Gold | 40,000 | 2017 | Music Canada |
| United States | Platinum | 1,000,000 (incl. streams) | August 8, 2022 | RIAA |