Partition (song)

"Partition" is a song by American singer Beyoncé from her fifth studio album, Beyoncé (2013). Beyoncé wrote and produced the song with Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, Dwane "Key Wane" Weir, and Mike Dean, with additional writing from The-Dream and additional production from Jordy "Boots" Asher. "Partition" was released to US urban contemporary radio on February 25, 2014, as the third single from Beyoncé. The song consists of two parts, individually titled "Yoncé" and "Partition". "Partition" has a sound that combines electro-R&B and hip-hop. Its production musically consists of a sparse synthesized arrangement, a thrusting bassline and a heavy drumbeat. Exploring the deep, sexual nature of Beyoncé, "Partition" depicts sexual intercourse in the back of a limousine. The closing minute of the song features a spoken word interpolation taken from the French dub of the 1998 film The Big Lebowski, a speech originally spoken by Julianne Moore. "Partition" peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number nine on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. Accompanying music videos for "Yoncé" and "Partition" were released on December 13, 2013, on Beyoncé. The former clip was directed by Ricky Saiz and filmed on the streets of Brooklyn, New York, while the latter was directed by Jake Nava and shot at the Parisian cabaret club Crazy Horse. Both "Yoncé" and "Partition" were added to the setlist and performed live during the second European leg of The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–14) and later during the On the Run Tour (2014), The Formation World Tour (2016), and the Renaissance World Tour (2023).