15 years ago, Beyoncé released “Countdown.” “Countdown” was birthed from Beyoncé’s desire to mix the 90s with 70s. On her venture to create an album that subverted mainstream expectations, the megastar found herself putting the elements of music that she liked to hear back into her own songs. On “Countdown,” she combined a sample of Boyz II Men’s “Uhh Ahh” with influences from hip hop, funk and reggae. The result: a song uniquely Beyoncé’s. The track was released as fifth single from her fourth studio album, ‘4,’ in October 2011 following a run of hits that spanned electropop, R&B and retro-soul. It was met with acclaim from music critics, and featured on numerous year-end lists. It performed modestly on the commercial front, peaking at No. 71 in the USA, No. 35 in the UK and at No. 65 in Australia. Its cultural presence, however, has lived on - thanks in part to its iconic opening vocal run and eye-catching music video. The single has since been certified 3x Platinum in the USA for...