Album Cut: Beyoncé - Smash Into You | The Beyoncé ballad which is paid dust, because of fucking “Halo”

This week marked the 14th anniversary of Beyoncé’s worst album. Y’all know the one. Even those of you with no taste who like this album know that it is one of Beyoncé’s worst.

Everything about I Am... Sasha Fierce was messy. It unnecessarily being two discs. Beyoncé’s inability to settle on a damn sound, even within the separated discs. But what really made I Am... Officer Knowles such a mess was in how it was marketed. The whole pop for the radio and ratchet shit for ‘urban’ radio split made sense on paper, but it was messy in execution. Partly because it was so obvious, but also because it quickly became clear that Ratchetyoncé was the preferential tone for marketing the album. And it’s really unfortunate, because whilst “Halo” did big things and is a widely loved favourite (not mine though, I can’t stand “Halo” and I do not wanna hear it on the Renaissance tour), I Am... A Back-combed Wig also had another song which could have become Celine Deyoncé’s quintessential ballad. And that song is “Smash Into You”.

Had anybody in the room had sense when choosing singles from I Am... A Female Version of a Hustler, then “Smash Into You” would have been a single. Everything about the song makes it ripe for a single. But especially in the wake of the mammoth success of “Halo”, you’d think “Smash Into You” wouldn’t be able to get fast-tracked as a single fast enough. But nope. We got “Broken Hearted Girl”, because it was produced by StarGate and might remind people of “Irreplaceable”. I guess.

I feel similarly about “Smash Into You” as I do “Brown Eyes”, in that it could have gone on to be a staple ballad for Beyoncé; giving her something else to sing other than “Pray You Won’t Fade Away x12” and “Love Me Lights Out”. But “Smash Into You” also had so much tie in potential. It’s the kind of song that coulda been used in Always commercials, soap commercials, hair care commercials, life insurance commercials and all manner of rom coms and CW shows. Beyoncé is far more protective of her brand now. But back then, she didn’t give a fuck.

“Smash Into You” has a interesting history, as it was originally recorded by pop rock artist Jon McLaughlin for his 2008 album OK Now, but didn’t make the cut. His cut of the song did end up leaking online however, and has become popular amongst Jon McLaughlin’s fans - who despite being appreciative of it receiving an official release via Beyoncé, still regard “Smash Into You” as one of his songs. Jon has even performed the song live on occasion.

Jon’s version of the song is titled “Smack Into You”. The word change is probably how Beyoncé has a writing credit on the song, because it’s the only difference in lyrics between the two versions.

Fans will debate which version is better. I like them both for different reasons. Jon McLaughlin has a great voice, and his tone and warmth give the song an edge and a tenderness. But the clarity of Beyoncé’s vocals, the way she soars and her additional arrangements make the song feel bigger - as though she had every intention of the song being a radio and chart smash.

“Smash Into You” was written by Beyoncé’s partner in crime, The-Dream, and his partner in crime Tricky Stewart. Initially it seems like a bit of a swing for them both creatively, until you cast your mind back to “Umbrella”, and you can kinda hear that they share a similar vibe and sound if you focus on everything but the drums and Jay-Z. But whilst “Umbrella” was very much a pop record, pop wasn’t the direction that The-Dream and Tricky ended up going in off the back of it - it was R&B, both in sound and the artists they wound up working with. But the fact that “Smack Into You” landed with Jon McLaughlin at one point speaks volumes to how untypical it was for The-Dream and Tricky. And I do wonder who would have been calling the two of them had “Smash Into You” become a hit with either Jon or Beyoncé. And if we would have gotten a period where The-Dream and Tricky were tearing up the charts with pop rock songs for the likes of Kelly Clarkson and Celine Dion.

I need Doctor Strange to come and show me THAT timeline.

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🎧 Beyoncé Playlist: Beyoncé’s ballads
💿 Beyoncé album & single reviews: Break My Soul | The Lion King: The Gift | Lemonade | Beyoncé | 4 | I Am... Sasha Fierce | B’Day