▁of ▁country ▁sing ers ▁Sh ania ▁Tw ain ▁and ▁Fa ith ▁Hill ▁during ▁the ▁sessions . ▁When ▁Ne - Y o ▁heard ▁them ▁playing ▁the ▁song ▁with ▁a ▁guitar , ▁he ▁thought ▁it ▁sound ed ▁like ▁country ▁music . ▁But ▁when ▁the ▁drums ▁were ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁music , ▁it ▁was ▁brought ▁to ▁an ▁R & B ▁v ibe , ▁and ▁Ne - Y o ▁considered ▁making ▁an ▁R & B - country ▁western ▁music ▁song ▁instead . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁team ▁worked ▁with ▁Ne - Y o , ▁they ▁recorded ▁the ▁song ▁with ▁a ▁male ▁vocal ist . ▁However , ▁they ▁thought ▁a ▁female ▁vocal ist ▁would ▁be ▁more ▁suitable , ▁and ▁Ne - Y o ▁also ▁thought ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁emp ower ing ▁for ▁a ▁woman ▁to ▁sing ▁it . ▁E ri ks en ▁of ▁St arg ate ▁said ▁it ▁was ▁an ▁A & R ▁person ▁who ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁song ▁would ▁work ▁better ▁when ▁s ung ▁by ▁a ▁woman . ▁Two ▁labels ▁wanted ▁the ▁song . ▁While ▁Bey on cé ▁worked ▁on ▁material ▁for ▁B ' Day , ▁she ▁was ▁pleased ▁with ▁the ▁demo ▁of ▁the ▁" I r replace able " ▁that ▁was ▁presented ▁to ▁her . ▁However , ▁" I r replace able " ▁did ▁not ▁seem ▁to ▁fit ▁on ▁B ' Day , ▁which ▁was ▁supposed ▁to ▁be ▁" a ▁hard - h itting ▁club ▁album ". ▁ ▁Sw izz ▁Be atz , ▁who ▁was ▁working ▁on ▁the ▁album , ▁declared ▁that ▁Bey on cé ▁would