Plastic Off the Sofa

"Plastic Off the Sofa" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her seventh studio album Renaissance. Lauded for its "sun-dappled L.A. sound", "lilting bass and sunny guitars", laidback groove, "glowing neo-soul", and melismatic vocals, the song would later win the Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in 2023, becoming Knowles' third win in the category, tying her with Lalah Hathaway for most wins.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

"Plastic Off the Sofa"
Song by Beyoncé
from the album Renaissance
Released	July 29, 2022
Recorded	2020–2021
Genre	R&B soul alternative r&b funk
Length	4:14
Label	Parkwood Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Beyoncé Sydney Bennett Sabrina Claudio Nick Green Patrick Paige II
Producer(s)	Beyoncé Syd Leven Kali

Background and composition

“Plastic Off the Sofa” was written by Knowles, Sydney Bennett, Sabrina Claudio, Nick Green, and Patrick Paige II.^[6] Variety described the song's lyrical/sonic composition as a "neo-soul ode to her husband that flaunts Beyonce’s signature feathery vocals", as well as "the closest thing to a ballad on Renaissance".^[7]

Reception

Wesley Morris of The New York Times lauded the song for its vocal melismas and bassline, described as "waves of rhapsodically long, Olympic-level emissions... [that] seem to emanate from somewhere way beyond a human throat: The ocean? The oven?.. The bass line keeps swelling and curving and blooming till it outgrows its flower bed, and Beyoncé’s voice does, too. It surfs the swells. It smells the roses."^[8] On the Rolling Stone list of The 70 Greatest Beyoncé Songs, the song was placed at number twenty.^[9] Reviewer Mosi Reeves highlighted the "warm, soulful earthiness" that Beyonce utilized to delve into "a sun-dappled L.A. sound that has defined alternative R&B for the past several years."^[9] Vulture compared her "whispery upper register" to Donna Summer, highlighting "airy disco sonics".^[10] Slant Magazine characterized the song as "subdued, but moving with a kinetic energy."^[11] Both the Los Angeles Times and Stereogum favorably compared the song to standout "Virgo's Groove", with the former publication highlighting their joint "depictions of Black joy... [and] steadfast tenderness that acknowledges its hard-won nature", and the latter stating that "in all of the excitement surrounding the samples and Easter eggs, Beyoncé reminds us that she is, first and foremost, a vocalist, her range shining the most on the comparably subdued 'Plastic Off The Sofa' and 'Virgo's Groove."^[12][13]

Covers

Upon the song's release, many vocalists released covers of Knowles' complex vocal runs and melismas, including co-writer Sabrina Claudio, Chloe Bailey, Avery Wilson, Tori Kelly, and Josh Levi, among others.^[14]

Belle from K-pop group Kiss of Life also covered the song on Korean Music webseries LeeMujin Service.^[15]

Personnel

• Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter – lead vocals, background vocals, producer, vocal producer
• SYD - producer
• Sabrina Claudio - background vocals
• Patrick Paige II - bass guitar
• Derek Renfroe - guitar
• Leven Kali - synthesizer, additional producer
• Stuart White – recording engineer, mixing engineer, vocal recording engineer
• John Cranfield - engineer
• Andrea Roberts - engineer
• Matheus Braz - assistant engineer
• Colin Leonard - mastering engineer
• Tony Maserati - mixing engineer

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Plastic Off the Sofa"

Chart (2022)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)	89
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[16]	70
France (SNEP)[17]	198
UK Singles Chart (OCC)[18]	56
US Hot 100 (Billboard)	41
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)	16

Awards and nominations

Year	Ceremony	Award	Result	Ref
2023	65th Annual Grammy Awards	Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance	Won	[2]

References

1. Stone, Rolling (April 1, 2024). "The 70 Greatest Beyoncé Songs". Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
2. Arcand, Rob (February 5, 2023). "Beyoncé Wins Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Plastic Off the Sofa" at 2023 Grammys". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
3. Folk, Antwane (February 6, 2023). "2023 Grammys: Beyoncé's 'Plastic Off The Sofa' Wins Best Traditional R&B Performance". Archived from the original on June 16, 2024. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
4. Dukes, Will (July 29, 2022). "Beyoncé Hits a Seductive Sweet Spot on 'Renaissance'". Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
5. Joshi, Tara (July 28, 2022). "Beyoncé: Renaissance review – joyous soundtrack to a hot girl summer". Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2024 – via The Guardian.
6. Hussey, Allison (July 20, 2022). "Beyoncé Reveals Tracklist and Composer Credits for New Album Renaissance". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
7. Kaplan, Ilana (August 1, 2022). "Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' Is a Cathartic, Club-Inspired Masterpiece: Album Review". Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
8. "Critic's Pick: America Has a Problem and Beyoncé Ain't It". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
9. Stone, Rolling (April 1, 2024). "The 70 Greatest Beyoncé Songs". Archived from the original on April 15, 2024. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
10. Curto, Justin (August 2, 2022). "Voguing Our Way Through Renaissance". Vulture. Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
11. Lyons-Burt, Charles (July 29, 2022). "Beyoncé 'Renaissance' Review: A Disco-Trap Trip". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
12. "Review: Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' is a landmark expression of Black joy (and you can dance to it)". Los Angeles Times. July 31, 2022. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
13. "Premature Evaluation: Beyoncé 'Renaissance'". July 29, 2022. Archived from the original on July 30, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
14. "Beyoncé's 'Plastic Off The Sofa' Has Inspired A New Singing Challenge". August 5, 2022. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
15. Yeo, Gladys (December 20, 2023). "Hear KISS OF LIFE's Belle cover Beyoncé's 'Plastic Off The Sofa'". Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
16. "Beyonce Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
17. "Beyonce – {{{song}}}" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
18. "Plastic Off the Sofa". Official Charts.