Halo Lyrics

[Post-Chorus]
I can feel your halo, halo, halo
I can see your halo, halo, halo
I can feel your halo, halo, halo
I can see your halo, halo, halo, ooh


[Verse 2]
Hit me like a ray of sun
Burnin' through my darkest night
You're the only one that I want
Think I'm addicted to your light
I swore I'd never fall again
But this don't even feel like fallin'
Gravity can't begin
To pull me back to the ground again


[Pre-Chorus]
It's like I've been awakened
Every rule, I had you breakin'
The risk that I'm takin'
I'm never gonna shut you out

[Chorus]
Everywhere I'm lookin' now
I'm surrounded by your embrace

Baby, I can see your halo
You know you're my savin' grace
You're everything I need and more

It's written all over your face
Baby, I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away
[Post-Chorus]
I can feel your halo, halo, halo
I can see your halo, halo, halo
I can feel your halo, halo, halo
I can see your halo, halo, halo, ooh
I can feel your halo, halo, halo
I can see your halo, halo, halo
I can feel your halo, halo, halo
I can see your halo, halo, halo, ooh

[Bridge]
Halo, ooh
Halo, ooh
Ooh

[Chorus]
Everywhere I'm lookin' now
I'm surrounded by your embrace

Baby, I can see your halo
You know you're my savin' grace
You're everything I need and more

It's written all over your face
Baby, I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

[Post-Chorus]
I can feel your halo, halo, halo
I can see your halo, halo, halo
I can feel your halo, halo, halo
I can see your halo, halo, halo, ooh
I can feel your halo, halo, halo
I can see your halo, halo, halo
I can feel your halo, halo, halo
I can see your halo, halo, halo, ooh

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  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
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About

Genius Annotation

One of Bey’s most vocally demanding and optimistic works, “Halo” comes off as a centerpiece in the I Am… disc of Beyoncé’s third studio album. Equipped with emotional vocalizations and angelic overtones, the song remains one of Bey’s most magnificent and impressive songs. The intimate power ballad took home Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 52nd Grammy Awards, and has converted over 3 million digital units thus far.

“Halo” was originally written by E. Kidd Bogart & OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, a day after Tedder had surgery on a broken Achilles' tendon, causing the cancellation of the band’s tour. The pair drew inspiration from Ray LaMontagne’s “Shelter”. “Halo” was released simultaneously with “Diva” on January 20, 2009.

The song drew critical praise, but also many comparisons and a few controversies. According to Bogart, the song was written specifically with Beyoncé in mind; however, it was tentatively offered to Simon Cowell for his client Leona Lewis before Bey had recorded it. Similarities between “Halo” and Kelly Clarkson’s “Already Gone” – also composed by Ryan Tedder – sparked gossip that he had used the same tune for both songs.

“Halo” was one of 2009’s best-selling singles, and was the #1 song of the 2000s in Brazil. The music video, directed by Phillip Andelman, featured actor Michael Ealy as Bey’s love interest (he originally turned down the role in the video for “Irreplaceable”.) An alternative version surfaced in 2010; this includes omitted scenes with Ealy on the run from police officers before Bey finds him dead.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Beyoncé say about "Halo"?
Genius Answer

[‘Halo’] is angelic … like you see [angels'] faces instantly when you hear it. [Its lyrics] are basically saying that I had these walls built up about love; you completely tore them down and when I look at you I see your halo, it’s really beautiful.

  • From I Am…Sasha Fierce [Deluxe Edition] Behind-the-Scenes DVD
Was this song originally for Leona Lewis?
Genius Answer

There was speculation that the song was given to Leona Lewis, but then taken instead by Columbia Records for Beyonce. According to songwriter E. Kidd Bogart, that’s not exactly the case:

We sent it to [Roc Nation], and an hour after that he put it on hold for Beyoncé.

A month later, we were still waiting to hear back from them about when Beyoncé was going to cut the song, and we were getting a little nervous. So, Ryan sent the song to Simon Cowell and said, ‘Look, we’re not sure what’s going on. This song is on hold for Beyoncé right now, but if for some reason it doesn’t end up being cut by her, are you interested in it for Leona Lewis?’ And Simon said, ‘Yes, I want it. I want it right now! I don’t care that Beyoncé is on hold. I want it now!’ And Ryan said, ‘Woah! Woah! Woah! It’s on hold for Beyoncé.’

So, Simon got upset after Beyoncé took it, and I don’t know if it was Simon but somebody leaked the story that it was originally for Leona. It was originally for Beyoncé. We offered it to Leona as a backup to Beyoncé, and unfortunately for Leona, Beyoncé took it.

What controversy did the song initiate?
Genius Answer

While “Halo” was originally offered and written for Beyoncé, she took some time before recording it, during which time songwriter Ryan Tedder tentatively offered it to Syco Entertainment (owned by Simon Cowell.) According to “Halo”’s other songwriter, E. Kidd Bogart, Cowell wanted the song for Leona Lewis immediately, but Beyonce eventually released “Halo”. Media speculation, however, claimed that the song was originally for Lewis and that Beyoncé took it when Leona was too busy to record it; Cowell was upset at Bey because of this, but both Tedder and Bogart denied that it went down this way.

In addition, similarities between “Halo” and another Ryan Tedder-written song, “Already Gone” by Kelly Clarkson, caused issues of its own. I Am…Sasha Fierce was released on November 18, 2008, and “Halo” was released as a single in January 2009, by which time Clarkson claimed she had already recorded “Already Gone”. Clarkson claimed she didn’t know about “Halo” nor did she hear it until weeks after her song was released on the album All I Ever Wanted in March 2009. Clarkson publicly blamed Tedder for using the same lyrical content and melody for the song.

“No one’s gonna be sitting at home, thinking, ‘Man, Ryan Tedder gave Beyoncé and Kelly the same track to write to,’ ” Clarkson told Canada’s CBC radio network. “No, they’re just gonna be saying I ripped someone off. I called Ryan and said, ‘I don’t understand. Why would you do that?’ ”

Tedder also denied that he intentionally made “Already Gone” sound the same to “Halo”, or that they are even similar.

“They are two entirely different songs conceptually, melodically and lyrically, and I would never try to dupe an artist such as Kelly Clarkson or Beyoncé into recording over the same musical track. The idea is both hurtful and absurd.”

What songs has "Halo" been compared to?
Live Performance
What certifications have this track received?
Credits
Performance Rights
Vocal Engineer
Video 2nd Assistant Director
Video Director
Instrumentation
Arranger
Assistant Mixing Engineer
Recording Engineer
Assistant Engineer
Mixing Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Executive Producer
Recorded At
Germano Studios, New York, NY; Roc the Mic Studios, New York, NY; Manfield Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Release Date
February 20, 2009
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