Beyoncé's 21 Greatest Love Songs, Ranked
Eleven years ago, pre-BeyHive, Beyoncé dropped a song that propelled her already booming career into stadium status. Whether you were single, in a relationship or one of those "complicated" situations, you probably sang "Crazy In Love"—the lead single from her solo debut, Dangerously in Love—at ear-splitting volumes.
Aside from the single’s staying power (it spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100), it also served as the precursor to future Beyoncé love songs. Five albums deep, a marriage and a baby girl later, Beyoncé has released a bevy of ballads about matters of the heart. Here, we rank Beyoncé's 21 greatest love songs.
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21. “Summertime”
The Love Story: Summer love doesn’t have to be a fling. The Fighting Temptation soundtrack took this blithe warm-weather tune and made it a radio hit in 2003. Bey expresses her need for a long-term relationship during a time that's not exactly cuffing season friendly.
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20. “XO”
The Love Story: Beyoncé knows her time with her man will come to an end. In the meantime, she’d rather revel in his kisses until it’s lights out. Moral of the story: Embrace what you have while he/she is still here.
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19. “Hello”
The Love Story: When you’ve spent years with someone, you forget what initially drew you to that person. Here, Bey takes the time to admire her man from afar: his charm, wit and all of the things that had her at hello. The song gives you the same vibe as some of Bey’s other work minus the overexposure.
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18. “Blue”
The Love Story: This ode to motherhood dedicated to her daughter, Blue Ivy, is a twist on a typical love song. Instead of swooning over her husband, Beyoncé describes the ultimate bond: a mother’s love.
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17. "Baby Boy"
The Love Story: “Baby Boy” was a lot less intense than some of Bey’s other declarations of love, so if you aren’t the type to get all emotional, this is right up your alley. Beyoncé took it back to the days of basement parties with this innocent reggae mash-up.
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16. “Dance For You”
The Love Story: Bey's still feeling butterflies but wants to spice up the relationship. What better way to show him than with a few body rolls and hair flips? Similar to “Crazy in Love," “Dance For You” makes it easy to choreograph dances for baes that don’t even exist.
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15. “Flaws And All”
The Love Story: Even the woman who woke up flawless can turn into a hot mess. Yonce flashes some of her best metaphors while explaining that even when she's less than pleasant, she's got nothing but love for Jay Z: “I’m a puzzle, yes indeed/Ever complex in every way/And all the pieces aren’t even in the box/And yet, you see the picture clear as day.”
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14. “Countdown”
The Love Story: “Countdown” feels like three-and-a-half minutes of girl talk. Besides reminding us of all the quirky things she loves about her dude, Beyoncé also drops gems on how to keep him interested: “All up in the kitchen in my heels, dinner time.” Through the ups and downs of her relationship, she just wants to ride in her boo’s coupe.
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13. “Superpower”
The Love Story: Together, Beyoncé and Hov form a bond that's comparable to a superpower. Frank Ocean’s buttery vocals support Bey’s and provide an eargasm in this anthem for power couples.
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12. "Smash Into You"
The Love Story: Beyoncé's ready to leap into the unknown and submerge herself in this love thing. On this power ballad, she sings about absorbing everything without losing her man’s trust: "I find myself in love racing the Earth/And I'm soaked in your love."
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11. "I Miss You"
The Love Story: Time doesn’t always heal a wound. Insert cliché saying here about falling for the right person at the wrong time. Not every love story has a happy ending, and “I Miss You,” written by Frank Ocean, is a painfully beautiful love song. The lyrics and Beyonce's chilling vocals both jolt you into a vulnerable state.
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10. Rather Die Young”
The Love Story: Mrs. Carter would rather die an untimely death than live a life without her man. It sounds excessive, but that's love. The song starts soft, building intensity in the final verse: “I’m giving you my life, it’s in your hands/And what I’m gonna do/Is be a woman and you can be a man.” Preach.
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9. "Speechless"
The Love Story: Only the right man can have Yonce at a loss for words. Everything about “Speechless” screams sensuality. The guitar solos paired with the lyrics make it an unofficial prequel to “Rocket.” Beyoncé plays up her sex appeal with imagery strong enough to have you lighting candles all by your lonesome.
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8. "Déjà Vu"
The Love Story: In another installment of the Carter’s love story, Bey sings about being so much on Cloud 9 that she's seeing her lover everywhere she turns. The bond they have is so strong that she’s felt this connection before. As if the beat wasn’t infectious enough, Beyoncé taps into that “crazy in love” feeling yet again.
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7. “Halo”
The Love Story: Don’t confuse this with the Xbox game. Everyone's had a love lost, which makes it 10 times harder to let your guard down the next time around. In “Halo,” Bey sings about meeting a match who doesn’t make falling in love feel like a chore.
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6. “Drunk In Love”
The Love Story: When Beyoncé released her surprise self-titled album, “Drunk in Love” was considered a standout (video included). Backed by hypnotizing background screams and raunchy lyrics about kitchen sex, Bey effortlessly sings about the inebriating feeling of love.
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5. “Rocket”
The Love Story: Beyoncé's most sensual song (ever) starts out like this: "Let me sit this ass on you." Along with intense sexual metaphors, the last verse dives into the mental connection as well. “We’re so much more than pointless fixtures/Instagram pictures…” While millennials await #MCM and #WCW to flex their PDA, Beyoncé sets the record straight that she doesn’t just do it for the 'gram.
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4. “1+1”
The Love Story: 4 had the newly married Mrs. Carter boasting about love like never before. On this ballad about life's uncertainties, Beyoncé is sure of one thing: her and her hubby got it right. While the verses are straightforward, the hook tugs you in: “Make love to me, so when the world’s at war/Let our love heal us all.”
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3. “Crazy in Love”
The Love Story: Bey explores the fine line between infatuation and love with this party jam. Beyoncé manages to capture the early stages of love, i.e. doing things she’s never done, and feeling completely bothered by her man's absence. Even though the control he has over her is crazy, she's willing to be vulnerable: “Your love’s got the best of me/And baby you’re making a fool of me/You got me sprung and I don’t care who sees.”
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2. “Dangerously in Love”
The Love Story: This song dropped early in Bey’s relationship with Jay, but it's safe to say that Hov had her beyond smitten. Metaphorically, the lyrics are genius: “You are my raindrops, I am the seed/With you and God who’s my sunlight I bloom and grow so beautifully.” Creating and evolving into a new identity with someone else can be down right beautiful—or incredibly dangerous.
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1. “Love On Top”
The Love Story: After years of building an unbreakable bond, the moment when you finally feel like a priority is golden. It has her giggly and beaming: “Boy, your lips taste like a night of Champagne.” Was this the precursor to “Drunk in Love” that no one recognized? A groovy homage to the R&B legends that came before her, “Love On Top” is Beyoncé's certifiable classic.
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