In her song, “Countdown,” Beyonce celebrates relationships. Today’s society has embraced a certain cynicism towards the idea of relationships. With harrowing stories about partners who are abusive, needy, or unfaithful, it is easy to see why relationships have developed a negative stigma around. However, through declarations of self-worth, displays of energy, and subtly placed references to her own relationship, Beyonce shows the ways a relationship can improve a person’s life.
Throughout the song, Beyonce frequently declares her love to her boyfriend yet she undercuts her devotion with her own declarations of self-worth. With the line “If you leave me you're out of your mind,” she acknowledges the work she has put into this relationship. She knows that she treats him well and she explains to him that he would be foolish to leave her because he will never find somebody who treats her as well as him. In another line, “Still love the way he talk, still love the way I sing,” she says that even in her love induced stupor, she still loves herself the way she is. Finally, in the line “Do whatever that it takes, he got a winner's mind, Give it all to him, meet him at the finish line,” she explicitly encourages others to give everything to their partners because they are winners. However, she is also clear in saying that by doing so, they, the givers, will also win. With these lines, Beyonce encourages lovers to give everything they have in a relationship because it is a partnership. Although telling women to give everything they have to their men carries a distinct undertone of servitude, Beyonce cuts this misconception by reminding the girls that they have no reason not to invest heavily in a relationship if they truly love the person they are with. She is saying that a victory for the person you are with is a victory for you and that you should have pride in the accomplishments you have achieved. By encouraging girls to give everything to their boyfriends, Beyonce is simultaneously empowering these girls by reminding them that they are giving out of choice and not out of obligation.
