How Beyoncé’s ‘Crazy In Love’ Kickstarted Her Legendary Solo Career

Even before Beyoncé kicked off her solo career, it was clear that she was a legend-in-the-making. As the de facto leader of Destiny’s Child, she was a guiding light for the girl group and helped shepherd them to stardom in both the pop and R&B spaces. The group was at their height (and still very much together) as she launched her solo career, first with “Work It Out” for the Austin Powers in Goldmember soundtrack and then with more gusto on 2003’s “Crazy in Love.”

“Crazy in Love” served as the lead single for Beyoncé’s debut album Dangerously in Love. The song features a sample of a Seventies track titled “Are You My Woman?,” sourced by producer Rich Harrison. Though Beyoncé at first feared that the sound would be too retro, she trusted Harrison to find something modern in it and he did. The song was written in two hours and became a Number One hit the same week Dangerously in Love topped the albums chart.

Beyoncé has developed significantly as an artist since then, embedding her love and appreciation for Black music history into all her work. Her last two albums Renaissance and Cowboy Carter are prime examples of how she is still growing and finding new ways to master her artistry. They are also two of her best albums, released two decades after the world first got a taste of who Beyoncé is on her own.

On this week’s episode of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs, hosts Rob Sheffield and Brittany Spanos discuss Beyoncé’s career trajectory and how the the superstar ended up being the youngest artist with the most entries on the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time List. Later in the episode, they are joined by their colleague Mankaprr Conteh to dig into the star’s entire arc, from Destiny’s Child to her blockbuster solo career.

In 2004, Rolling Stone launched its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Tabulated from a massive vote that had artists, industry figures, and critics weighing in, the list has been a source of conversation, inspiration, and controversy for two decades. It’s one of the most popular, influential, and argued-over features the magazine has ever done.

So we set out to make it even bigger, better, and fresher. In 2021, we completely overhauled our 500 Songs list, with a whole new batch of voters from all over the music map. Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs takes a closer look at the entries on our list. Made in partnership with iHeart, Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs finds Brittany and Rob discussing a new song each week, delving into its history and impact with the help of a special guest — including fellow RS colleagues, producers, and the artists themselves. It’s our celebration of the greatest songs ever made — and a breakdown of what makes them so great.

Check out the latest episode above, on iHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts, and look for new episodes every Wednesday.