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Beyonce, "1+1"

by Jillian Mapes  |   June 17, 2011 10:00 EDT

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Beyoncé

Beyoncé was an emotional powerhouse when she premiered "1+1," the second single from new album "4," on the "American Idol" season 10 finale: The sheer force of the ballad literally brought her to her knees during the performance. The studio version of "1+1" is meatier, as the piano arrangement of the "Idol" version is filled out by everything from wind chimes and subtle funk bass to a guitar solo straight from a Bon Jovi power ballad. What remains, however, is a sense of overwhelming feeling on Beyoncé's part. When the singer, who co-wrote the song with the-Dream and Tricky Stewart, belts out dramatic lyrics like, "So when the world's at war/ Let our love heal us all," she projects a universal "all you need is love" feeling-yet there's no doubt she's directing her words at Mr. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter.

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