Smith recalled that Beyoncé focused solely on the recording, ignoring hunger as she worked into the night.
One hour later Beyoncé recorded "Best Thing I Never Had" and two other songs. Smith says that Beyoncé was literally jumping up and down after hearing the demo. When the trio played Beyoncé the demo of "Best Thing I Never Had", she immediately approved it after making slight modifications. īeyoncé's vocals were recorded at the KMA Studio in New York City. The song was modified by Edmonds after hearing a demo he tweaked the lyrics and added a few more melodies. After a few days, Dixon and Smith went to the studio again and completed the writing. Smith was asked to join them in the studio and the trio wrote part of "Best Thing I Never Had". He was in Los Angeles when Tony Dixon telephoned him to say he and Edmonds were going to write some songs with Beyoncé. Smith told Gyant of Black Entertainment Television (BET) that he was initially intimidated at the prospect of working with Beyoncé. The main inspiration for the song was the drumming of Doug E. According to Smith, "Best Thing I Never Had" is a ballad but was not originally written so early demos sounded like late 1980s hip hop material. Que" Smith wrote "Best Thing I Never Had" in collaboration with its producers Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Symbolyc One, Antonio Dixon, Shea Taylor, and Caleb Sean.
However, some lyrics, including "showed your ass" and "sucks to be you right now", were criticized. Some critics viewed it as a sequel to Beyoncé's 2006 single " Irreplaceable" as the two songs are thematically similar. Not wanting to feel broken-hearted, the female protagonist sings that she feels happy to have left her lover, who did not recognize the potential for a happy life with her. Beyoncé said that both men and women should be able to relate to the song.Ī pop and R&B ballad, the subjects of "Best Thing I Never Had" are revenge and karma. The song was originally not written as a ballad, but was inspired by the drumming on Doug E. Que" Smith, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Symbolyc One, Caleb Sean McCampbell, Antonio Dixon, Beyoncé, and Shea Taylor. "Best Thing I Never Had" was composed by Patrick "J. It was released by Columbia Records on June 1, 2011, as the second single from the album. " Best Thing I Never Had" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her fourth studio album, 4 (2011). 2011 single by Beyoncé "Best Thing I Never Had"