"Beautiful Monster" is a song by American singer Ne-Yo from his fourth studio album, Libra Scale (2010). The song was released to iTunes as the album's first single on June 8, 2010, by Def Jam Recordings. The song was written by Ne-Yo, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Sandy Wilhelm, and it was produced by Stargate and Sandy Vee. It has received a positive reception, with Ne-Yo's vocals being compared to Michael Jackson.
Background
"Beautiful Monster"'s original cover art was revealed online on May 21, 2010, which was a close-up of Ne-Yo's profile with a mysterious woman lurking in a forest in the background. Although another cover art was revealed with the forest background altered to a city including buildings and a flashing car light, the original cover with the forest background was eventually selected as the official cover art. The song was written by Ne-Yo and produced by longtime collaborators Stargate, responsible for producing some of his biggest hits such as "So Sick", "Because of You", and "Closer". The remix features Brooklyn hip-hop artist Israel The ILLa Real. "Beautiful Monster" premiered online on May 25, 2010.
Composition
"Beautiful Monster" is an uptempo pop and dance song, containing electropop, new rave, house and Eurodisco influences, featuring Ne-Yo's vocals over "strobing dancefloor beats." "Beautiful Monster" has been described as "spookily anthemic", having "big filler sweeps", and "decimated snare builds" of '90s EDM. The song has been compared to the sound of Michael Jackson, specifically Ne-Yo's "backing vocals and audible breath intake" according to Bill Lamb of About.com. Alistair Dickinson of PopMatters said "Ne-Yo’s Michael Jackson-esque wails and screams are still in full effect". The song is composed of "out-of-tranc-y keyboard lines" and a "throbbing drumbeat."
"Beautiful Monster" consists lyrically about being attracted to a dangerous woman. August Brown of the Los Angeles Times compared the "topical and sonic" content of the song to Lady Gaga's work on The Fame Monster, specifically the lyrical basis of "Bad Romance" and "Monster". The song is written in common time with a maintaining tempo of 125 beats per minute, written in F minor, and Ne-Yo's vocals range two octaves from F4 to B5.
Ne-Yo described the song to UK music writer Pete Lewis: "The song itself is a small piece of a much larger puzzle. In that the album it comes from - Libra Scale - is based upon this short story that I wrote, which basically follows these three characters who are forced to choose between money-power-and-fame versus love... And the song 'Beautiful Monster' actually represents the mind-state of the man in the story whenever he comes into contact with his love interest-slash-nemesis. Whose name is Diamond Eye, and who really is best described as 'a beautiful monster'! You know, she's forbidden fruit; she's that girl who you know is gonna be nothing but trouble... But - because she's so intriguing - even if it literally might cost you your life, you still cannot resist her aura. Which is where the hook 'She's a monster, a beautiful monster; But I don't mind' comes from!"
Critical reception
August Brown of the Los Angeles Times complimented the song, calling it Ne-Yo's "most evocative effort", adding that "no male pop singer short of T-Pain can stack harmonies better right now, and when he peels off those runs of 'I don't mind' after the choruses". However Brown commented that, "Ne-Yo is better at writing dark edges into songs than performing them himself; he's just too put-together to truly do the freakily possessed lover act." Bill Lamb of About.com favored the track's "burbling Eurodisco feel", and commented, "It also always feels like the ghost of Michael Jackson is never far away in the music of Ne-Yo." Alistair Dickinson of PopMatters also gave the song a positive review, comparing it to Michael Jackson. Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly compared the song to Ne-Yo's previous hit "Closer", stating, "Ne-Yo’s brand of progressive R&B has been a winner so far. 'Monster' should be a beast, too." Although Mariel Concepcion of Billboard said the song did not boast the lyricism of Ne-Yo's past songs, she said, "the beat's thumping bassline and the singer/songwriter's smooth voice make for a perfect combination on this summer hit in the making."