Some of our favorite Beyoncé karaoke songs are “Irreplaceable,” “Partition” and “Love on Top.” But this is not about us.
This is about compiling the ultimate Beyoncé karaoke power rankings, factoring in her work in Destiny’s Child. What we’re offering here are the most definitive, conclusive and indisputable Beyoncé karaoke power rankings of all time, or at least until someone else makes another ultimate Beyoncé karaoke power rankings.
Why are Beyoncé karaoke power rankings essential for both the Beyhive and karaoke aficionados? Because we all want to sing Beyoncé, even if we can’t hit all the notes.
Beyoncé karaoke is aspirational karaoke. Queen Bey challenges us to be better people, both vocally (with those riffs) and holistically (as girls running the world). Maybe we don’t look as good in our finest silver fashions as she does, but we want to be part of the human disco ball surrounding her.
Do you confuse Honey Balenciaga with Honey Djion? Carlos Basquiat with Jean-Michel Basquiat? Let The Times help, with this handy glossary for all things Queen B.
To review the methodology developed for our ultimate Taylor Swift karaoke rankings: There’s a crucial difference between a good song and a good karaoke song. The best karaoke songs are recognizable to a diverse crowd. You have to consider your audience and the song’s nostalgia factor.
Because of this, the top 27 Beyoncé karaoke songs were chosen by considering which were popular on karaoke apps (such as Karafun), streaming services and radio stations (as measured by Billboard, Spotify and Pandora) and fans’ “Best Beyoncé karaoke songs” lists, both discussed online and told to us anecdotally. And because this is an official L.A. Times power ranking, we also gathered the very scientific opinions of staffers across our newsroom.
Once the top songs were chosen, we turned to Pandora’s Music Genome Project analysts Lisa Light and Hannah Glass, who previously analyzed Swifts’ hits and helped The Times create the ultimate karaoke song generator by sorting our selections by mood, time period and vocal range.
One axis of these power rankings measures how challenging the song is to sing — from difficult to impossible — based on Pandora’s metrics on vocal technical demands. The other axis measures how fun the song is to sing — from fun to super fun.
Beyoncé songs are meant for showing off. So the fun score outweighs the difficulty score.
Sing whatever you want in karaoke. But here are her 27 inarguably best karaoke songs, ranked. — Ada Tseng
Queen Bey is coming to Los Angeles for her Renaissance Tour on Sept. 1, 2 and 4. How can you properly celebrate? We’ve got you covered.
27. “Naughty Girl”
This Beyoncé classic (for elder millennials) embodies the timeless “lady in the street but a freak in the bed” zest for life that was prevalent in mid-2000s “Total Request Live”-era dance music. It’s a playful song to tease at karaoke because we’re not usually naughty girls; there’s just something about how we feel tonight, boy. But it’s hard to sing. “If you like hitting high falsetto, this is for you,” said Glass. There are also huge note jumps, and the slow melody means you need some control over your breathy head voice. — AT
Impossibility: 7
Super fun scale: 2
Best karaoke lines: “Tonight, I’ll be your naughty girl / Calling all my girls / We gon’ turn this party out”
26. “Baby Boy”
This 2000s R&B and dance-hall hit is deceptively hard to karaoke, but it’s mostly because of the Sean Paul parts. So all you gotta do is find a partner of certified quality to rap that part for you, and you‘ve got this. Beyoncé’s lines have simple rhythms, and they’re “within the normal pop five-note range on a pentatonic scale, which makes the melody relatively intuitive to sing for most people,” Glass said. — AT
Impossibility: 3
Super fun scale: 3
Best karaoke lines: “Yes, no, hurt me so good, baby, oh / I’m so wrapped up in your love, let me go / Let me breathe, stay out my fantasies“
25. “XO”
With a beat that makes you feel like you’re floating above the clouds, this is the right karaoke pick to make a grand gesture to the love of your life in the crowd. The notes fall in the lower part of the mezzo-soprano range. “The melody is slow and simple,” Light said. “Beyoncé puts some optional embellishments on it, but it is otherwise a very straightforward song to sing.” So there is room to make it your own. — Emma Fox
Impossibility: 1
Super fun scale: 3
Best karaoke lines: “In the darkest night hour / Search through the crowd / Your face is all that I see / I’ll give you everything / Baby love my lights out”
Do you confuse Honey Balenciaga with Honey Djion? Carlos Basquiat with Jean-Michel Basquiat? Let The Times help, with this handy glossary for all things Queen B.
24. “Soldier”
You could probably handle the Destiny’s Child melodies on your own, but you need a T.I. and a Lil’ Wayne for this karaoke performance. (If he can dance, may I suggest asking the “fellow over there with the hella good hair” that you met doing Taylor Swift karaoke.) This song’s vocal range is lower — and the beats are slower — which makes it easier to sing, but there are hops in the verses that provide a challenge, Glass said. Tackling any Beyoncé song can feel like boot camp, if you’re ready to serve. — AT
Impossibility: 4
Super fun scale: 4
Best karaoke lines: “Betta be street if he lookin’ at me / I need a soldier / That ain’t scared to stand up for me”
23. “Jumpin’, Jumpin’”
This late ‘90s Destiny’s Child hit is the ultimate anthem for a girls’ night out. Mastering it in karaoke is less about hitting the notes and more about getting down the lyrics and rhythm, Glass said. So channel that swagger that will help you rap-sing with a relaxed, confident but speedy flow. The bridge — “Bounce, baby, bounce, ba-bounce, ba-bounce, twerk it, twerk it” — is also super fun with the alliterations. — AT
Impossibility: 2
Super fun scale: 4
Best karaoke lines: “Ladies leave your men at home / The club is full of ballers and they pockets full grown’ / And all you fellas, leave your girl with her friends / ‘Cause it’s 11:30 and the club is jumpin’, jumpin’”
22. “Beautiful Liar”
The hardest part about singing this song (with your bestie) is figuring out who gets to be Beyoncé and who gets to be Shakira. This empowering breakup duet about two women scorned by the same gorgeous man is on the easier side for a Beyoncé song because it’s in a lower vocal range and has a repetitive chorus, Glass said. First, Beyoncé sings a slower-burn melody — “He said I’m worth it, his one desire” — before Shakira slides in with a fast, rhythmic response — “I know things about ‘em that you wouldn’t want to read about,” Glass points out. Later, they switch roles, but throughout, they’re punctuating each other’s emotions with validating “Ays.” They’re helping each other move on. — AT
Impossibility: 3
Super fun scale: 4
Best karaoke lines: “Let’s not kill the karma (ay) / Let’s not start a fight (ay) / It’s not worth the drama / For a beautiful liar”
Los Angeles has dance parties and more leading up to Beyoncé’s concerts at SoFi Stadium.
21. “Independent Women (Part I)”
This karaoke jam is for everyone who has nostalgia for the early 2000s reboot of “Charlie’s Angels,” starring Lucy Liu, my girl Drew, Cameron D. and Destiny(‘s Child). The verses about financial empowerment come with call-and-response prompts: “The shoes I’m wearing (I bought it) / Clothes I’m wearing (I bought it).” The chorus will get the entire room throwing their hands up and giving proper respect to all the honeys who making money. Don’t forget about all the mommas who profit dollars. — AT
Impossibility: 3
Super fun scale: 5
Best karaoke lines: “Ladies, it ain’t easy being independent / Question, how’d you like this knowledge that I brought?”
20. “Cater 2 U”
This sultry Destiny’s Child song is about a woman who loves and appreciates her man so much that she wants to treat him like royalty — make him dinner, run his bathwater and have his slippers ready as soon as he gets home. “Whatever your desire, I’ll supply ya,” Beyoncé serenades. At 63 beats per minute, it’s a slow track and isn’t too vocally technical, making it easy to pull off. The most fun part to sing is Michelle Williams’ mesmerizing bridge, which is arguably one of the best of all time. Argue with your momma, not me. And if you really want to tap into your inner seductress, give someone in your karaoke party a lap dance like the ladies did in their viral 2005 BET Awards performance. — Kailyn Brown
Impossibility: 5
Super fun scale: 5
Best karaoke lines: “I wanna give you my breath (Yeah) / My strength (Yeah) / My will to you (Yeah, yeah, yeah) / That’s the least I can do, let me cater to you (To you) / Through the good, the bad (Through the good, the bad) / The ups and the downs (Ups and downs)/ I’ll still be here for you, let me cater to you”
19. “Break My Soul”
Release your wiggle, Big Freedia demands in the intro. And, trust us, you’re going to when you sing this one. After waiting two years, fans received “Break My Soul,” a house track about liberation from the crushing demands of capitalism in favor of a spiritual party. “Renaissance’s” lead single sounds like pure euphoria, and the verses, background vocals and instrumentation all swell throughout the course of the song for a blowout final chorus. As it stays in a lower register with a few runs, singing this won’t shake your confidence or break your soul. — Astrid Kayembe
Impossibility: 4
Super fun scale: 5
Best karaoke lines: “We go up and down, lost and found / Searchin’ for love / Looking for something that lives inside me / Looking for something that lives inside me”
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18. “Formation”
In between passionate ballads and jubilant dance tracks, fans love when Bey takes a moment to stunt on us, casually flexing her expensive clothes, vintage cars and her ability to sip tequila without a chaser. (What can’t she do?) Though it’s not technically a duet, you can’t do this one without your squad (Um, hello? Who else is going to get in formation when you say, “OK, ladies / Now, let’s get in formation.”) This one is more rap-sung, so as long as you stay on your toes when she switches flows or slips into song, you’re golden (or chrome?). If you’re a more advanced singer, try to catch one of those sneaky harmonies she slips in toward the middle of the song. — AK
Impossibility: 1
Super fun scale: 5
Best karaoke lines: “I see it, I want it / I stunt, yellow bone it / I dream it, I work hard / I grind ‘til I own it”
17. “Me, Myself and I”
This track is a good pick if you’re intimidated by Beyoncé songs and want to channel the inner strength of a goddess without the heavenly vocal range. It has a mostly monotone, one-note verse, Light said, with some vocal flourishes that you can add for extra credit. A positive breakup song, “Me, Myself and I” acknowledges the trauma of infidelity but is ultimately a celebration of a woman finally understanding that she, all by herself, is enough. — AT
Impossibility: 2
Super fun scale: 6
Best karaoke lines: “And it ain’t no need to cry / I took a vow that from now on / I’m gon’ be my own best friend”
16. “Déjà Vu”
You might want to recruit a partner for this track, unless you don’t mind rapping both of Jay-Z’s verses yourself. Though Beyoncé sings in a very high range for most of it, the verses and chorus have a simple, jazz-like melody that’s easy to sing along to. But the true shining moment of the song comes at the bridge when she dramatically sings — and almost growls — about having hallucinations or déjà vu about a lover. It’s the reason so many people took on the TikTok challenge of running around wildly and lip syncing this part of the song, making it a killer karaoke pick. Some critics, including Rolling Stone magazine, have even deemed “Déjà Vu” as the best song in the queen’s nearly two-decades-long catalog. — KB
Impossibility: 7
Super fun scale: 5
Best karaoke lines: “Baby, I can’t go anywhere / Without thinking that you’re there / Seems like you’re everywhere, it’s true / Gotta be having Déjà Vu / ‘Cause in my mind, I want you here / Get on the next plane, I don’t care / Is it because I’m missin’ you / That I’m having Déjà Vu?”
15. “Bootylicious”
For the first eight seconds of the song, your karaoke audience will be in suspense, not knowing if they’re about to enjoy Stevie Nick’s “Edge of Seventeen” or learn whether they can handle your take on Destiny’s Child’s “Bootylicious.” (I don’t think they can handle this.) The main challenge is getting the syncopated rhythm down, Glass said. Listen closely to the “I don’t think you’re ready for this jelly” line: it’s fast and off-rhythm. You don’t want to sing it slow and on-rhythm. It’ll sound like your grandma’s friend’s jelly that just kind of awkwardly moves its hips from side to side in a beginner aerobics class. You want it to be the kind of jelly that makes people slip into a trance at every chance. — AT
Impossibility: 4
Super fun scale: 6
Best karaoke lines: “Move your body up and down / Make your booty touch the ground / I can’t help but wonder why / Is my vibe too vibealicious for you, babe.”
14. “Drunk in Love”
Here, Bey tells a cheeky tale about what happens when she drinks one too many shots of D’ussé with her man, who also makes an appearance on the track. The song’s rap-sung verses aren’t as vocally rigorous as others on her self-titled album. She plays with quick inflections on words like “baby” and “surfboard,” and these changes convey the languid swagger Bey feels after a night out. With easygoing verses, you can save your vocal energy to work up to the belted pre-chorus and chorus. The only way to sing this sultry number is to scream it at the top of your lungs. You just have to commit. — AK
Impossibility: 5
Super fun scale: 6
Best karaoke lines: “We be all night / Looooove”
13. “Partition”
This song has the power to make an entire volleyball team of 12-year-olds lose their minds. It makes any listener feel confident and bold, and it’ll stay in your head all day. “Without the falsetto doubles on the chorus, the song is mostly almost sung-rapped,” Glass said, which makes it a fun one for those of us who aren’t looking to belt a ballad. One thing worth noting is that there is a section in French. If you can’t sing karaoke in French, make sure you have some choreography to entertain the crowd during that verse. — EF
Impossibility: 3
Super fun scale: 6
Best karaoke lines: “Yoncé all on his mouth like liquor / Like, like liquor / Like, like, like liquor”
Revisit the podcast episode celebrating the R&B superstar and her imprint on American culture ahead of ‘Renaissance’ album release.
12. “Bills Bills Bills”
“Automo’ bills” might be my favorite example of vehicular wordplay in the Beyoncé repertoire. This Destiny’s Child song is another accessible karaoke pick because it’s in a lower range and the lines repeat in a way that’s easy to recognize, Glass said. The title “Bills, Bills, Bills” just foreshadows how many times you’ll have to say the word “bills,” so make sure to lean into it hard each time. — AT
Impossibility: 2
Super fun scale: 7
Best karaoke lines: “Can you pay my bills / Can you pay my telephone bills / Can you pay my automo’ bills”
11. “Crazy in Love”
The benefit of choosing this killer club track to sing at karaoke is that your audience will be dancing along (so crazy right now) before you even utter a sound. You need to have a good command of the lyrics to pull this one off. These are lyrical melodies, so Beyoncé sneaks a lot of quick words into every line to get her point across, Glass says. (“Such a funny thing for me to try to explain / How I’m feeling and my pride is the one to blame.”) This is the one to pick if you’re daring even the folks who’ve been dragged to karaoke by their partners to have a good time. “Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, oh, no, no.” — AT
Impossibility: 4
Super fun scale: 8
Best karaoke lines: “Got me looking so crazy, my baby / I’m not myself, lately I’m foolish, I don’t do this”
10. “Run the World (Girls)”
If it was inspiring enough to be a wakeup call for the crew on the final mission of the space shuttle Atlantis, it’ll make any karaoke crowd come to life. Set to a militaristic drumbeat sampled from the club song “Pon de Floor” by Major Lazer, “Run the World (Girls)” is an electro-pop empowerment anthem that Glass says is “not as much about the vocal chops.” It’s all about the campy, cheer-team energy. — Malia Mendez
Impossibility: 3
Super fun scale: 6
Best karaoke lines: “Who are we? / What we run? / The world”
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9. “Irreplaceable”
The stuff you’re keeping goes in the box to the right. And the stuff you’re dumping goes in the box to the left. This certified banger is a time-tested classic that allows you to show off your vocal run skills. “It’s in a higher range, and the chorus and verses have a wide melodic span,” Glass said. If you’re dealing with a breakup, this song is therapeutic to say the least, so let it all out. — EF
Impossibility: 8
Super fun scale: 7
Best karaoke lines: “You must not know ‘bout me / You must not know ‘bout me / I could have another you in a minute / Matter fact he’ll be here in a minute, baby”
8. “Listen”
This “Dreamgirls” track is for the karaoke singers with serious vocal chops who can deliver those powerful diva ballads. “If your go-to is Celine Dion’s ‘It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,’ this song has that kind of vibe,” Glass said. In the 2006 musical loosely based on the Supremes, Beyoncé plays singer Deena Jones, who is married to the group’s manager, Curtis Taylor (Jamie Foxx). She’s been made to feel that he is the mastermind behind all her success, that she’d be nothing without him. This song represents her newfound determination to break away and chase her own dreams — and it’s time for everyone to listen. — AT
Impossibility: 7
Super fun scale: 8
Best karaoke lines: “You don’t know what I am feeling / I’m more than what you’ve made of me / I followed the voice you think you gave to me / But now I’ve gotta find my own, my own”
7. “Love on Top”
Now, this lovey-dovey song isn’t for the faint of heart. Arguably one of Beyoncé’s most dazzling vocal performances, you’ll need some serious breath control and stamina to even attempt to keep up with her, as she effortlessly floats through multiple key changes — three times more than most pop songs, according to Glass. Just when you think she’s reached her limit, she leaps into a higher range, and then goes higher and higher and higher. It’s truly otherworldly, but as long as you commit to using your head voice and belting out the chorus, “You’re the one I love / You’re the one I neeeeeeeed,” then you’re bound to get a standing ovation no matter how terrible you sound. The fact that you were delulu enough to try is enough reason to clap. — KB
Impossibility: 10
Super fun scale: 9
Best karaoke lines: “Baby, it’s you, you’re the one I love / You’re the one I need, you’re the only one I see”
Revisit LZ Granderson’s column about how the song ‘Cozy’ on the new album ‘Renaissance’ shines a spotlight on trans performers and celebrates LGBTQ identity.
6. “Cuff It”
The disco-infused dance track to end them all, “Cuff It” was destined to become a classic once it got its very own TikTok dance — that catchy post-chorus stays all up in your mind. Note: The average karaoke-goer will find it more feasible to veer into falsetto than belt the song’s high-range sections. In an open letter Beyoncé shared before the release of “Renaissance,” she encouraged fans to “release the wiggle” and “feel as unique, strong and sexy as you are,” both of which are sure-fire reactions from a karaoke crowd singing along to this gem. Listen, it’s Bey’s longest-charting song on the Billboard Hot 100 for a reason. — MM
Impossibility: 5
Super fun scale: 8
Best karaoke lines: “Bet you you’ll see far / Bet you you’ll see stars / Bet you you’ll elevate / Bet you you’ll meet God”
5. “Halo”
Blessed with ample opportunities for both crowd work and the “park and bark,” “Halo” is a case study in Queen Bey’s cosmic range. The power ballad is still the most-streamed Beyoncé track, hitting the 1 billion mark in 2021 — and it begs to be used in a dramatic serenade to a newfound lover. This performance might be best served with a generous helping of call-and-response and a dash of theatrics. — MM
Impossibility: 8
Super fun scale: 8
Best karaoke lines: “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”
4. “Say My Name”
If you’re looking for a foolproof track to get everyone out of their seats, “Say My Name” is the one that you should pick. There’s a reason that it’s still one of Destiny Child’s most popular songs and that it could compete with any pop track on the Billboard charts today. Despite a few dizzying ad-libs that Beyoncé croons throughout the track, the catchy chorus is relatively slow and repetitive. And if you’re up for putting on a performance that would make the group proud, hit model-like poses like they do in the iconic music video. — KB
Impossibility: 3
Super fun scale: 8
Best karaoke lines: “Say my name, say my name / You actin’ kinda shady / Ain’t callin’ me ‘Baby’ / Why the sudden change?”
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3. “Telephone”
When a Little Monster taps you for this, come ready to rap Bey’s explosive verse on “Telephone.” Beyoncé has a fleeting yet memorable eight-bar appearance on this electro-pop track. In their second telecommunication-themed song, Gaga and Bey prefer the flashing lights on the dance floor over petty phone calls. In a rare marriage of fandoms, the BeyHive and Little Monsters are begging for another collaboration between their two faves. Bring the killer Thelma and Louise energy Gaga and Beyoncé channel in their memorable music video, and maybe we’ll discover that “Telephone Part 2” is the friends we made singing karaoke along the way. — AK
Impossibility: 2
Super fun scale: 9
Best karaoke lines: “I should have left my phone at home / ‘Cause this a disaster”
2. “Survivor”
There are some songs that gradually build to an epic climax, and there are others like “Survivor” that just hammer the imagined target of rage from the very beginning. The first line — “Now that you’re out of my life / I’m so much better” — is followed by the seven more specific aspects of her life that have improved since she’s gotten rid of this dead weight. The chorus is belted, but it’s easier to sing because the rhythms are repetitive and there are no vocal runs, Glass said. What makes this song especially fun, she added, is the call and response that is reminiscent of gospel music: “I’m a survivor (What?) / I’m not gon’ give up (What?)” and “I’m not gon’ blast you on the radio (I’m better than that) / I’m not gon’ lie on you and your family, yo (I’m better than that)” in the bridge. — AT
Impossibility: 6
Super fun scale: 9
Best karaoke lines: “You thought that I’d be stressed without you / But I’m chillin’ / You thought I wouldn’t sell without you / Sold 9 million”
1. “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
Parodied and covered many times over, “Single Ladies,” is sure to be a throwback crowd-pleaser. Crowned “Song of the Year” at 2010’s Grammy Awards, this solo-dolo anthem is ubiquitous, and Beyoncé’s medium-paced flow here makes it easy to sing. Not all of us are trained to sing while running on a treadmill like Queen Bey, but her vocal performance here is pretty accessible, and you can still be stellar if you lean into the movement this song begs. Be prepared to sweat for this one. — AK
Impossibility: 5
Super fun scale: 10
Best karaoke lines: “Don’t treat me to be queen of the world / I’m not that kind of girl / Your love is what I prefer, what I deserve”
In anticipation of her Los Angeles concert dates, tell us how Beyoncé’s music, story or causes have made an impact on your life.
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