Irreplaceable
"
Irreplaceable" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her second studio album,
B'Day. The song was written by Knowles, Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Espen Lind, Amund Bjørklund, and produced by Stargate and Knowles. "Irreplaceable" was originally a country record; it was re-arranged as a mid-tempo pop ballad with R&B influences by modifying the vocal arrangements and instrumentation. During the production and recording sessions, Knowles' and Ne-Yo wanted to create a record that people of either gender could relate to. The song's lyrics are about the breakdown of a relationship with an unfaithful man and the song contains a message about female empowerment. Following the moderate chart performances of "Déjà Vu" and "Ring the Alarm", "Irreplaceable" was released on December 5, 2006 in the United States as the album's third single, and the second single in other countries. The single was released through Columbia Records.