"Flaws and All" is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé, included on the 2007 deluxe edition of her second studio album, B'Day (2006). It was composed by Ne-Yo, Shea Taylor, Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, while Beyoncé Knowles and Taylor produced it. In the R&B song, Beyoncé shows appreciation for the love given by her man, who sees through all of her flaws and loves her unconditionally. "Flaws and All" received positive reviews from critics, who lauded Beyoncé's emotion and vulnerability on the track. Some critics also noted that the song was better than some of the songs on the standard edition of B'Day.
The music video was directed by Cliff Watts and Beyoncé for B'Day Anthology Video Album (2007). It features clips of a B'Day promotional ad by Wal-Mart pieced together, in which Beyoncé does not lip-sync the words of the song, but instead acts as if it were an everyday scenario. Beyoncé explained the concept for the video was to show a different side to her, that the paparazzi does not show and that fans would not normally see. Beyoncé performed "Flaws and All" on The Beyoncé Experience (2007), and was also sung by her on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live (2012), and Renaissance World Tour (2023).
Background
"Flaws and All" was written by Ne-Yo, Shea Taylor, Beyoncé Knowles and her sister Solange Knowles. The R&B song was produced by Beyoncé Knowles and Taylor, and mixed by Jean-Marie Horvat at Oz Recording Studios, Valencia, California. "Flaws and All" was recorded by Jim Caruana, Shane Woodley and Robert "LB" Dorsey at Roc the Mic studio, New York City. Although the song was originally included on the re-release of B'Day, it was additionally included on compilation albums. In 2007 the song was included on Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? soundtrack. In 2008, Beyoncé released the song on a compilation album dedicated to karaoke performances titled Beyoncé Karaoke Hits, Vol. I. Author Latrice Gleen references the song in a memoir titled My Life's Journey (2010).
Reception
Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly named the song as his favorite addition to the deluxe edition of B'Day, stating, "Better is 'Flaws and All', a ballad in which B[eyoncé] expresses melismatic gratitude that workaholic bitches (her words!) merit love too." Rory Dollard of Metro also wrote that the song was better than some of the tracks on the original track listing of B'Day. While reviewing the deluxe edition of B'Day, Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine praised the song, calling it a "surprise gem [which] sound[s] downright subtle". BET included the song in its list of the "Top 10 Feel Good R&B Songs", ranked at number nine. Discussing their choice, they stated "'Flaws and All' ... revealed Beyoncé at her most vulnerable. The song showed that even a superstar can struggle with insecurities and be in need of someone to love her." Bobby Reed of Chicago Sun-Times noted that the lyrics could also refer to "the way fans worship Beyonce". Anthony Venutolo of New Jersey On-Line noted that the song talks about true love. Destiny's Child bandmate Kelly Rowland discussed the track during Billboard "Woman of the Year" spread for Beyoncé. She stated "Beyoncé is a true artist who brings it every time. My favorite song will always be 'Flaws and All.' So much feeling, so beautiful; her voice sounds amazing."
Music video
The music video for "Flaws and All" was directed by Cliff Watts and Beyoncé. The video for the song was shot on inexpensive Super 8 film during the two-week filming for the B'Day Anthology Video Album (2007). Critics have noted that Beyoncé emulates Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot and Barbra Streisand throughout the clip. During an interview with MTV on a "Beyoncé: Behind the B'Day Music Videos", MTV commented on Beyoncé's appearance in the music video stating that she acts like "a goofball" and "it also feels like we get to see the real [her]." Beyoncé replied, "I'm way different in my everyday life. My personal life and my celebrity life — I've separated them so much it's like two different people. But I'm pretty balanced. I'm over the top and I'm natural."