If I Were a Boy

"If I Were a Boy"
Single by Beyoncé
from the album I Am... Sasha Fierce
Released October 12, 2008 (2008-10-12)
Format CD single, maxi single, download
Recorded 2008
Genre Pop, R&B
Length 4:08
Label Columbia
Writer(s) BC Jean, Toby Gad
Producer Toby Gad, Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé singles chronology
"Love in This Club, Pt. II"
(2008)		 "If I Were a Boy"
(2008)		 "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
(2008)

"If I Were a Boy" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008). It was written by Toby Gad and BC Jean and produced by Gad and Knowles. Inspired by a bad break-up, the song was initially recorded by Jean, whose version was rejected by her record company. Knowles then recorded her own version for her album. However, Jean was upset when she learnt that Knowles had recorded and was releasing the song as a single. Eventually, they came to terms. "If I Were a Boy" was released as the album's lead single to US radios on October 12, 2008 alongside "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". A Spanish version of the song, titled "Si Yo Fuera un Chico", was digitally released to iTunes Stores in Mexico and Spain only.

"If I Were a Boy" is different from Knowles' previous songs in the sense that it is not a traditional R&B one; it is a pop ballad. Its lyrics are a reference to an expression of sadness about misunderstanding between the genders and an indictment of the male side of relationships. "If I Were a Boy" was generally well received by music critics who praised Knowles' tormented performance, her emotion-filled vocals, and called the song her best work to date. It was a commercial success, topping the charts in over eight European countries and peaking at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. "If I Were a Boy" peaked at number one in the United Kingdom where it stands as Knowles' best-selling single to date. It landed in the top 10 on 25 different singles charts around the world[1] and earned gold as well as multi-platinum certifications in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US.

The music video for the song was directed by Jake Nava and shot in black and white. It premiered alongside the video for "Single Ladies" on MTV's Total Request Live show on October 13, 2008. A Spanish version of the video also exists. "If I were a Boy" was promoted by several live performances of Knowles in televised shows, including the The Oprah Winfrey Show, in several awards ceremonies, including the 52nd Grammy Awards, and the I Am... Tour (2009-10). In April 2009, a fake screeching tape showing Knowles singing the ballad off-key on a Today show appearance, was leaked online by Matthew Zeghibe, who later refused to apologize for the hoax. "If I Were a Boy" was covered twice on televised music competitions. American country singer Reba McEntire sang a country version of the song on Country Music Television (CMT) and a studio version was released as the second single from her 2010 album, All the Women I Am.

Contents

Writing and development

"If I Were a Boy" was written by BC Jean as well as Toby Gad while production was handled by Gad and Knowles.[2] It is the opening song of the I Am ... disc of I Am... Sasha Fierce and stands as the only song on either disc that Knowles did not co-write.[3] Most of the lyrics were written by Jean who was inspired by a bad break-up.[1] One day while Jean and producer Toby Gad were strolling around Times Square, they came across a pizzeria on the road side.[1] While tempted, Jean refrained from eating a pizza as she was dieting. She then started thinking about how if she were a boy, she would have eaten one without regrets.[1] After reflecting on the idea, she thought that if she were indeed a boy, she would have been a better man than her past lover.[1] Gad encouraged her to record her ideas for the studio the same day. Once there, she came up with the lyrics and melody in about 15 minutes. She then recorded the song in less than half an hour with Gad on the guitar.[1] After completing her version, Jean's record company rejected the song.[4]

Knowles then recorded her own version of "If I Were a Boy".[4] In an interview with Essence magazine, she said that "If I were a Boy" is broad and different from her previous releases in the sense that it is not a traditional R&B song. Knowles felt that she had to attempt such a song taking into consideration that Aretha Franklin once said that "a great singer can sing anything and make it her own."[5][3] She was additionally motivated to record "If I Were a Boy" since she knew that people had strong expectations from her as a singer.[3] At that point of her career in the music industry, Knowles wanted to experiment with stronger lyrics and make people hear as well as feel ballads like "If I Were a Boy".[3] She added that she loves singing ballads as according to her, "The music and the emotion in the story is told so much better. It's a better connection because you can hear it and it's not all these other distractions. I really wanted people to hear my voice and hear what I had to say."[3]

Controversy

After Jean's version of "If I Were a Boy" was rejected by her record company, Gad took back the song and started marketing it to established artists.[6] Knowles liked the song and recorded it for I Am... Sasha Fierce.[4] However, Jean was upset that Knowles recorded and releasing "If I Were a Boy".[4][6] Roger Friedman, commenting for Fox News Channel, published an account of Jean's side of the story on October 14, 2008. It stated that she was not aware that the song was recorded by Knowles until people started to say that Mathew Knowles had pursued the publishing rights of "If I Were a Boy" as he knew, after hearing the song, that it had the potential to become a big hit.[4] Jean used her Myspace account to express her frustration and assert her authorship of the song: "I have been reading some of these comments and to set the record straight from the horse’s mouth – IF I WERE A BOY is my song; YES, I wrote this song; It is my story; a painful one, and the song is very dear to me. You can hear the original version on my myspace site."[4] Friedman later reported that Knowles and Jean had come to terms. Part of their deal was that Knowles would have to record a duet for Jean's debut album, once she gets her own recording deal.[6] In an interview with Eric R. Danton of The Hartford Courant, Jean was asked about her reaction when she heard that Knowles was recording "If I Were a Boy".[1] She replied:

At first I was confused, because I never thought of myself as writing songs for other people. I had always written for myself and was trying to get signed and do the whole artist thing as well. It's an amazing compliment, but I was like, 'That's great, but it's going to be on my album!' And it can be on my album, too, I just didn't realize how it worked. This was my first cut ever; I've never written for anybody else. It was not my initial intention, but it's opened so many doors, it's amazing. I'm sure I'll be writing for other people. There's been people already trying to get songs I've written, and after the Beyonce one, I was like, "OK, I don't want to sell any other songs to other artists. I want to keep these for my album." At first when I got this, people didn't know that I was an artist, so it was, like, 'Oh, this songwriter BC.' I am a songwriter, yes, but I'm an artist first - though I guess technically I am a songwriter first now.[1]

Composition and lyrical interpretation

"If I Were a Boy" is a midtempo pop ballad set in common time, composed in a moderate tempo of 90 beats per minute, and written in the key of G major.[7][8][9] The verses are supported by four chords and follow a vi-IV-I-V chord progression.[10] Knowles described "If I Were a Boy" as a folk song.[7] The instrumentation includes acoustic guitars, pianos, and strings.[11] Knowles' vocals span from the tone of G♯3 to the note of E5.[9] She delivers a tormented performance;[11] According to Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly, the song soars with "melodic swells and unwavering sentiments",[12] which revolve around about a sad role-swapping experiment.[13] Highlighting the vulnerability of a woman,[4] Knowles ponders how things would be different if men had a woman's sense of empathy.[8] As noted by Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine, "If I Were a Boy" is partly reminiscent of "Irreplaceable" (2006), "Big Girls Don't Cry" (2007), and "Like a Boy" (2007).[14]

"If I Were a Boy" starts with Knowles envisioning herself in the role of her do-wrong man as she explores the dynamics of a strained relationship.[15][16] In the first verse, she sings about all the things she would do if she were a boy;[8] drink beer with guys, chase after girls,[17] treat her lover callously,[4] before adding that she never be confronted for it.[18] Knowles then belts out in the chorus where she tells her imploring vision of life as a better man,[8] "I think I could understand / How it feels to love a girl / I swear I'd be a better man",[12] because she knows "how it hurts when you lose the one you wanted / [be]cause he's taken you for granted".[19] By the second verse, Knowles sounds resigned, "ticking off more cruelties that male empowerment allows".[8] She sings about how she would "put [herself] first".[19] However during the bridge where Knowles hits her upper register, the script flips—she stops singing about the things she would do if she were male. She now addresses her straying lover directly telling him that it is too late for him to come back and apologize.[8] The last verses end with Knowles concluding, "But you're just a boy",[8] as she stays strong, not allowing her pain to completely unmake her.[8]

Release and remixes

"If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" were released simultaneously as the album's two lead singles to demonstrate Knowles' dual personality.[18] They were initially targeted to debut on US radio stations on October 7, 2008.[20] However, both songs premiered the following day.[21] "If I Were a Boy" aired on Z100's Elvis Duran and the Morning Show.[15] Both singles were added to rhythmic contemporary radio playlists on October 12, 2008,[22] and "If I Were a Boy" was added to mainstream and to adult contemporary playlists the same day.[23] Its digital component was released on October 17, 2008 in Australia and Europe[24][25] and on October 28, 2008 in the US.[26] "If I Were a Boy" was made available as a CD single with "Single Ladies" as the B-side single on November 7, 2008 in Australia and in Germany,[27][28] on November 10, 2008 in the UK,[29] and on November 18, 2008 in mainland Europe.[30] Several dance remixes of "If I Were a Boy" were digitally released in the US on February 10, 2009.[31][32] A Spanish version of the song, titled "Si Yo Fuera un Chico", was included on the version of the album sold on the iTunes Stores of Spain and Mexico.[33] It was released as a stand-alone single on February 3, 2009, in Spain where it was marketed as "Si Yo Fuera un Chico (If I Were a Boy)".[34] A remix featuring R. Kelly appeared online on November 24, 2008. On it, Kelly responds to the comments made by Knowles in the original song. The remix is set up as if they were having a conversation.[35]

Critical reception

"Her tone is gentle, open: Instead of the snap of 'Single Ladies' and 'Irreplaceable,' there's real sadness as she shuts this door. [...] In the end, Beyoncé can't resist arching her eyebrow; she's a survivor, and she won't let her pain completely unmake her. But that's the final, poignant point of this excellent song. In Beyoncé's world view, an independent woman must sacrifice the princess fantasy she was sold as a child, and keep that steely edge, even when her world is melting around her. The compassion Beyoncé's vocal conveys as 'If I Were a Boy' concludes is as much for the man who can't fulfill romance's impossible dream as it is for herself."

—Los Angeles Times' Ann Powers reviewing "If I Were a Boy".[8]

"If I Were a Boy" was generally well received by music critics who praised Knowles' vocal performance and called the song her best yet. Billboard magazine's critic Chuck Taylor gave the song a positive review, writing that "If I Were a Boy" is Knowles' "most affecting offering" since "Listen" (2006). He praised her vocals, describing them as "breathtaking, exquisitely emotive, mournful, and mature". He also went on saying that the song "exudes the fragrance of a Grammy Award".[36] According to Ann Powers of Los Angeles Times, "If I Were a Boy" is Knowles' Streisand moment and described it as "a tender, fairly simple ballad that Beyoncé uses to prove she's a great vocal actress".[8] Powers also concluded: "This isn't just another breakup song; it's an elegy for female empowerment, Beyoncé's admission that no amount of money, fame or skill can solve the basic inequity between her man's heart and her own."[8] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine wrote that "If I Were a Boy" has the potential to become as commercially successful as "Irreplaceable" because of its radio-friendly appeal.[14]

James Montgomery of MTV News complimented that "tear-jerking power" of "If I Were a Boy" and highlighted that it reveals "sides of Beyoncé we never knew existed".[37] Allmusic writer Andy Kellman felt that even though "If I Were a Boy" sounds like "the watery backdrop for a singing competition finale", it turns out to be most outstanding song on I Am... Sasha Fierce thanks its lyrics and Knowles' tormented performance.[11] Matos Michaelangelo of The A.V. Club remarked that "If I Were A Boy" has "boilerplate lyrics" that would fit perfectly in mature roles that English actress, Hayley Mills used to play in the late 1960s.[38] Nick Levine of Digital Spy wrote on the album review that "If I Were a Boy" has the "most interesting lyrics" on the entire record.[39] On a separate review for the single, Levine awarded the song four stars out of five, writing that Knowles' vocals on "If I Were A Boy" are passionate. He praised the lyrics as not overwritten and commended their "emotional punch" and "very strong melody" which, according to him, have the ability to make people feel that they have always known the song.[40] Pitchfork Media's Ryan Dombal called the song an "effective and affecting gender-bender".[41]

Colin McGuire of PopMatters chose "If I Were a Boy" as the only highlight of the first disc of the album.[42] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times described the song as one of the great pop songs of the last few years, and one of Knowles' most complicated vocal performances.[43] Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle commented that "If I Were a Boy" is an elegant new musical direction for Knowles and praised it for being different from anything being played on Top 40 radio at that moment.[16] By contrast, Stacey Anderson of Spin magazine was unimpressed with "If I Were a Boy", calling it a glistening and boring ballad.[44] On the occasion of Knowles' thirtieth birthday, Erika Ramirez and Jason Lipshutz of Billboard magazine placed the song at number 19 on their list of Beyoncé's 30 Biggest Billboard Hits, writing that it "found Beyoncé at her most honest, drawing in both women and men".[45] "If I Were a Boy" was nominated for the "Best Foreign Song" award at the 2009 Porin Awards, from Croatia.[46]

Chart performance

For the week ending October 25, 2008, "If I Were a Boy" debuted at number 100 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, based solely on airplay.[47] In its third charting week, the song rose from number 68 to number three on the Hot 100 chart[48] as its digital download counterpart debuted at the top of the US Hot Digital Songs chart, selling 190,000 units.[49] It became Knowles' fourth number-one on the Hot Digital Songs chart, following "Check on It" (2005), "Irreplaceable" (2006), and "Beautiful Liar" (2007).[49] "If I Were a Boy" became Knowles' tenth top-five single on the Hot 100 as a solo artist.[49] On November 15, 2008, the song fell to number five,[50] where it stayed for one further week.[51] However, it resumed its number three position on November 29, 2008[52] as it came back to the top spot of the Hot Digital Songs chart,[53] selling 170,000 units.[54] "If I Were a Boy" sold 654,000 digital downloads in four weeks.[54] The following week, the song fell to number two on the Hot Digital Songs Chart, selling 160,000 downloads, since "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" debuted at number one on the Hot Digital Songs Chart chart, selling 204,000 copies.[55] "If I Were a Boy" had maintained its position at number three on the Hot 100 chart while "Single Ladies" soared to number two on the chart. Accordingly, Knowles became the seventh female to have two songs in the top five positions of the Hot 100 chart.[56] "If I Were a Boy" remained at number three on the Hot 100 chart for two further weeks.[57] On October 13, 2009, the song was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping over 2,000,000 copies.[58] As of mid-July 2010, "If I Were a Boy" had sold 2,393,000 units in the US.[59]

On November 2, 2008, "If I Were a Boy" was the highest debut of the week on the Australian Singles Chart, entering at number 12.[60] The song later peaked at number three for three non-consecutive weeks in November 2008,[61] and was certified platinum by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipment of over 70,000 copies.[62] "If I Were a Boy" debuted at number eight in New Zealand on October 27, 2008[63] and peaked at number two for four non-consecutive weeks in November and December 2008.[64] In the United Kingdom, the song opened at number two on the UK Singles Chart, selling 64,554 downloads on November 15, 2008.[65] In its second charting week, the song fell to number three with sales of 57,917 copies.[66] However, on November 23, 2008, "If I Were a Boy" climbed to number one, selling 47,949 copies,[67][68] making it Knowles' fourth number-one single in the United Kingdom as a solo artist and her sixth counting her career with Destiny's Child.[69] "If I Were A Boy" remained in the top five until the end of 2008,[70] and emerged as the 16th highest-selling single of that year.[71] It spent five non-consecutive weeks at the number one on the UK R&B Chart. On January 18, 2009, it was succeeded by Knowles' own other single, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". In its 10th week on the UK Singles Chart, "If I Were a Boy" was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipping over 400,000 copies.[72] It stands as Knowles' highest-selling solo single in the UK and was the 68th highest selling single of the 2000s decade over there.[73]

Music video

Background and concept

The music video for "If I Were a Boy" was directed by Jake Nava and was shot in black and white in New York City along with the video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)".[74] A Spanish version of the music video, titled "Si Yo Fuera Un Chico", was released utilizing the same concepts as the main music video. It was edited from the original with the Spanish version of the song dubbed over it.[75] The music video for "If I Were a Boy" is both compelling and reflective of the independent woman stance that Knowles has exhibited throughout most of her career.[3] In an interview with Billboard magazine, Knowles revealed that the concept of the video is similar to that of the American comedy film Freaky Friday (1976); its tantalizing theme is role reversal.[76] She also said that it would depict common things that men do to hurt their significant others, like not answering their phones, before adding that the video is about all the little things that mean a lot in relationships.[76] Knowles explained:

In the beginning of the video, my husband makes me breakfast and he's excited about it, and I kind of don't have time to eat. As a police officer, I have a male partner and the video goes through our days. My husband's at work and has attractive girls flirting with him but he declines their advances. I have a guy flirting with me, and I flirt back.[76]

Knowles said that at the end of the video, viewers would realize the husband is a cop and what Knowles, as the female character, has been doing throughout the video is what her husband has actually done to her all along.[76] MTV News writer Jennifer Vineyard's analysis of the concept concluded: "... when we first saw it from a different perspective, [Knowles'] behavior seemed more abnormal. And when it's the guy doing everything she just did in the previous scenes, it becomes all too familiar—which is Beyoncé's point."[18]

Synopsis

The video begins with Knowles and her husband saying a few words, including "intimacy", "honesty", and "commitment", and then they start saying the words "you", "me", and "us" together. When the action starts, Knowles is seen working as a cop. Her husband (played by NFL player Eddie Goines[77]) is very supportive. He makes her breakfast, spends time at work looking for the perfect present to brighten her day and forgoes hanging out with his attractive coworkers so he can be available when her wife gets off her shift. However, Knowles is not thinking about him at all. Instead, she is spending her off-hours with her fellow cops, particularly her male partner, who she seems enamored with. Her husband tries calling, but she ignores the phone. And later, when her husband gives her a present—earrings—she puts them on to go dancing with her cop partner at a party. Her husband gets upset when he sees them, and when he confronts her about this at home, she acts like he is making a big deal out of nothing. "When you act like that, I don't think you realize how it makes me look or feel", he tells her. Knowles then asks him in a condescending tone, "Why are you so jealous? It's not like I'm sleeping with the guy." Then the story reverses, and Knowles starts to cry. The situation that she put her husband in, it turns out, is the situation she is in—he is the cop, and she is the supportive wife who was being taken for granted.

Release and accolades

Knowles premiered the music video, alongside the video for "Single Ladies", on MTV's Total Request Live show on October 13, 2008.[18] It was later included in Knowles' remix album with videography, Above and Beyoncé.[78] Jennifer Vineyard of MTV News described the video as a "meaningful one — and it comes with a twist that requires repeat viewing".[18] She further commented that if the video did not exist, she would not have seen the tomboy side of Knowles.[18] A writer of Rap-Up commented that "[Beyoncé] delivers one of the year's best videos with the black and white clip."[79] It was ranked at number 72 on BET: Notarized Top 100 Videos of 2008 countdown and at number 25 on BET J's Last Call 2008! Top 50 Countdown.[80] The video was nominated for "Video of the Year" at the 2009 BET Awards but lost to Knowles's other video for "Single Ladies".[81] It also received nominations for "Best Female Video" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards Japan[82] and for "Outstanding Music Video" at the 2009 NAACP Image Awards.[83] In July 2009, the music video was certified gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for shipping over 5,000 units.[84]

Live performances

Knowles first performed "If I Were a Boy" on November 6, 2008, at the MTV Europe Music Awards.[85] She then took the stage of The Oprah Winfrey Show to perform the song on November 13, 2008.[86] On November 16, 2008, backed by a cracking live band, Knowles sang a medley of "If I Were a Boy", then switched to "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", and ended up with "Crazy in Love" during the final episode of Total Request Live.[87] She later performed the song on December 16, 2008 at the The X Factor finale in the United Kingdom.[88] Knowles also performed "If I Were a Boy" on January 31, 2010 at the 52nd Grammy Awards ceremony and also covered Alanis Morissette's 1995 song "You Oughta Know" at the same event.[89] As described by Jayson Rodriguez of MTV News, she was wearing a "futuristic, spiked black" outfit with matching shoes, and "pranced, spun and did the Dutty Wine while the crowd cheered in approval".[90] Ben Sisario of The New York Times commented that Knowles "was elaborately staged and typically athletic" during the performance.[91] Knowles also performed "If I Were a Boy" live at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival on June 26, 2011. As she sang the song, she broke into "You Oughta Know".[92]

In addition to her numerous performances of the song on televised appearances and award ceremonies, "If I Were a Boy" was a part of Knowles' set list on her I Am... Tour (2008-10).[93] Eventually, the song was included on Knowles' live album, I Am... World Tour as the 29th track.[94] On her tour, Knowles was accompanied by her two drummers, two keyboardists, a percussionist, a horn section, three imposing backup vocalists called the Mamas and a lead guitarist, Bibi McGill.[95] Caryn Ganz of Rolling Stone noted that during the performances of the song on her tour, Knowles appears with her "ferocious onstage persona", her alter ego, Sasha Fierce.[93] Alice Jones of The Independent added that "Beyoncé dons Ray Bans and a leather breastplate to whip up a quasi-feminist singalong."[96]

Fake screeching tape

"Despite the denials — and even as the original Today broadcast below shows — every time Beyoncé hits the high notes the camera jumps to a far away wide shot spotlighting the audience. So that's kind of suspicious. But it also seems evident that the fake recording simply pitch-shifts at random — not even American Idol's worst rejects sound that awful. So we're not going to throw B[eyoncé] into a club that features Britney Spears, Enrique Iglesias and Ashlee Simpson as blatant abusers of prerecorded material just yet."

—Rolling Stone's Daniel Kreps.[97]

In January 2009, Matthew Zeghibe, a 26-year-old computer art student from Connecticut, used pitch-correction software to make a clip which he claimed to be the real soundboard recording of "If I Were a Boy" from a Today show appearance in November 2008.[98] It showed Knowles singing drastically off-key.[99] The video of the alleged performance was then leaked onto the internet and it went viral.[100][98] It even got played on American radio stations on April 21, 2009;[100] when Howard Stern played the recording, he described it as "the unedited board mix" of Knowles' live performance.[99] According to Us Weekly, Matthew Knowles was the first to shoot down the authenticity of the recording, saying in a statement that the tape seemed to have been tampered with:[97] He added that "at 12 years into [Knowles] career, the last thing someone should be questioning is her vocal ability. That would be like questioning if Kobe Bryant could shoot a jump shot."[99]

During the afternoon, TMZ.com reported late Wednesday afternoon that the tape was a hoax.[99] They revealed that they had spoken to the person who modified the soundboard tapes, with the alleged culprit telling them, "It's a little bit crazy. No one in their right mind would sound like that, and no one would cheer for someone singing like that."[97] The following morning, Knowles commented about the allegations exclusively to MTV News, stating that the report was ridiculous, before adding that the timing of the video was perfect as it would draw publicity to two upcoming TV performances she was gearing up for.[99] In an interview with Chris Harris of Rolling Stone, Zeghibe said that he was surprised by the reaction the video received from Knowles as well as her father and at how far went the clip he made.[98] He admitted that he had also given the same treatment in the past to Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears before admitting he did not feel that he had to apologize for the hoax:

I was just trying to make a point. I wanted to show people how easy it is to manipulate someone's voice. If I can do it with a clip I pulled off of TV, imagine what they are doing on records and during live performances. The entire industry has been so manipulated, because there's such an emphasis on perfection, so when something like this happens, it causes such a stir. I knew something had to have happened to make it jump so fast. It's wild how much the story's been twisted. It's just always been fun for me to manipulate artists, and make it sound crazy. It was just for a good laugh. It was a goof, just for fun. I do a lot of parodies on my YouTube channel, and it just so happens this one got a little out of hand. I was just what I've learned in school, and it's fun I could fool so many people and get away with it. A lot of people had a lot of laughs because of it, so why should I apologize? If you can't poke fun at yourself, I don't know what kind of person you are.[98]

Formats and track listings

  • Dance Mixes EP Vol. 1[31]
  1. "If I Were a Boy" (Maurice Joshua Mojo UK Main Remix) – 6:30
  2. "If I Were a Boy" (Maurice Joshua Mojo UK Dub Remix) – 6:28
  3. "If I Were a Boy" (Karmatronic Main Remix) – 6:25
  4. "If I Were a Boy" (DJ Escape & Dom Capello Main Remix) – 8:28
  5. "If I Were a Boy" (Maurice Joshua UK Remix Radio Edit) – 3:14
  6. "If I Were a Boy" (Karmatronic Remix Radio Edit) – 3:31
  7. "If I Were a Boy" (DJ Escape & Dom Capello Remix Radio Edit) – 4:07
  • Dance Mixes EP Vol. 2[32]
  1. "If I Were a Boy" (Lost Daze Main Remix) – 5:08
  2. "If I Were a Boy" (Mark Picchiotti Club Remix) – 7:15
  3. "If I Were a Boy" (Mark Picchiotti Dub Remix) – 7:15
  4. "If I Were a Boy" (Chase "Girls" Club Remix) – 8:28
  5. "If I Were a Boy" (Lost Daze Remix Radio Edit) – 3:05
  6. "If I Were a Boy" (Mark Picchiotti Remix Radio Edit) – 3:42
  7. "If I Were a Boy" (Chase "Girls" Remix Radio Edit) – 3:31
  • Download Single[26]
  1. "If I Were a Boy" – 4:09
  • Si Yo Fuera un Chico (Spain digital single)[34]
  1. "Si Yo Fuera un Chico (If I Were a Boy)" – 4:09
  2. "Si Yo Fuera un Chico (If I Were a Boy)" (Video) – 5:02
  1. If I Were A Boy – 4:09
  2. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) – 3:12

Credits and personnel

If I Were a Boy[2]
Si Yo Fuera un Chico[101]
  • Andrés Bermúdez – mixer, vocals recorder
  • Britney Jean Carlson – writer
  • Jens Gad – live drums
  • Toby Gad – arrangements, instruments, recorder, producer, writer
  • Beyoncé Knowles – producer, vocals
  • Rudy Pérez – translator, vocals producer
  • Reggie Syience Perry – guitar, additional drums

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2008–09) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[61] 3
Australian Urban Chart[102] 1
Austria Singles Chart[61] 3
Belgium Singles Chart (Flanders)[61] 4
Belgium Singles Chart (Wallonia)[61] 9
Canadian Hot 100[103] 4
Czech Airplay Chart[104] 7
Danish Singles Chart[61] 1
Dutch Top 40[105] 1
European Hot 100 Singles[106] 1
Finnish Singles Chart[61] 11
French Singles Chart[61] 5
German Singles Chart[107] 3
Hungarian Airplay Chart[108] 5
Irish Singles Chart[107] 2
Italian Singles Chart[61] 4
Japan Hot 100[109] 10
New Zealand Singles Chart[61] 2
Norwegian Singles Chart[61] 1
Slovak Airplay Chart[110] 1
Spanish Singles Chart[61] 4
Swedish Singles Chart[61] 1
Swiss Singles Chart[61] 3
UK Singles Chart[68] 1
UK R&B Chart[111] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[112] 3
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[113] 16
US Hot Dance Club Play[114] 2
US Pop Songs[115] 9
US Pop 100[116] 6

Certifications

Country Provider Certifications
Australia ARIA Platinum[62]
Canada CRIA 2× Platinum[117]
Denmark IFPI Platinum[118]
Germany BVMI Gold[119]
Spain PROMUSICAE Platinum[120]
Sweden IFPI Gold[121]
Switzerland IFPI Platinum[122]
United Kingdom BPI Gold[72]
United States RIAA 2× Platinum[58]

Year-end charts

Chart (2008) Position
Australian Singles Chart[123] 44
Australian Urban Singles Chart[124] 20
Dutch Top 40[125] 35
French Singles Chart[126] 80
German Singles Chart[127] 70
Irish Singles Chart[128] 16
New Zealand Singles Chart[129] 27
Swedish Singles Chart[130] 21
Swiss Singles Chart[131] 46
UK Singles Chart[71] 16
Chart (2009) Position
Australian Urban Singles Chart[132] 27
Austria Top 75 Singles[133] 37
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[134] 51
Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)[135] 66
Canadian Hot 100[136] 31
Dutch Top 40[137] 68
European Hot 100 Singles[138] 11
French Singles Chart[139] 41
German Singles Chart[140] 46
Hungarian Airplay Chart[141] 32
Spanish Singles Chart[142] 31
Swedish Singles Chart[143] 43
Swiss Singles Chart[144] 27
UK Singles Chart[71] 74
US Billboard Hot 100[145] 48
US Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs[146] 90
US Hot Dance Club Play Songs[147] 45

Decade-end charts

Charts (2000–09) Position
Australian Singles Chart[148] 100
UK Top 100 Songs[73] 58

Chart precession and succession

Order of precedence
Preceded by
"Womanizer" by Britney Spears
"Chinese Democracy" by Guns N' Roses
"Oro jaska, beana" by The BlackSheeps		 Norwegian VG-lista number-one single
November 4, 2008 – November 18, 2008
November 25, 2008 – December 9, 2008
December 16, 2008 – January 6, 2009		 Succeeded by
"Chinese Democracy" by Guns N' Roses
"Oro jaska, beana" by The Blacksheeps
"Hot n Cold" by Katy Perry
Preceded by
"Silly Really" by Per Gessle		 Swedish Singles Chart number-one single
November 7, 2008 – November 27, 2008		 Succeeded by
"Radio" by Danny
Preceded by
"Love Lockdown" by Kanye West
"Live Your Life" by T.I. feat. Rihanna
"Live Your Life" by T.I. feat. Rihanna		 UK R&B Chart number-one single
November 16, 2008 – November 30, 2008
December 20, 2008 – December 27, 2008
January 4, 2009 – January 18, 2009		 Succeeded by
"Live Your Life" by T.I. feat. Rihanna
"Live Your Life" by T.I. feat. Rihanna
"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" by Beyoncé
Preceded by
"Hero" by The X Factor Finalists		 UK Singles Chart number-one single
November 23, 2008 – November 30, 2008		 Succeeded by
"Greatest Day" by Take That
Preceded by
"Live Your Life" by T.I. Feat. Rihanna		 Australian Urban Chart number-one single
November 24, 2008 – December 1, 2008		 Succeeded by
Live Your Life by T.I. Feat. Rihanna
Preceded by
"Hot n Cold" by Katy Perry		 Danish Singles Chart number-one single
November 28, 2008 – December 5, 2008		 Succeeded by
"Hot n Cold" by Katy Perry
Preceded by
"Infinity 2008" by Guru Josh Project
"Hot n Cold" by Katy Perry		 European Hot 100 Singles number-one single
December 6, 2008 – December 19, 2008
January 12, 2009 – January 19, 2009		 Succeeded by
"Womanizer" by Britney Spears
"Hot n Cold" by Katy Perry
Preceded by
"Dochters" by Marco Borsato		 Dutch Top 40 number-one single
December 6, 2008 – January 2, 2009		 Succeeded by
"Hot n Cold" by Katy Perry

Release history

Radio adds

Radio add dates and formats
Country Date Format
United States October 12, 2008 Rhythmic[22]
Mainstream[23]
Adult Contemporary[23]

Purchasable release

Release dates, record label and format details
Country Date Format Label
United States[26][31][32] October 28, 2008 Digital Download Columbia Records
February 10, 2009 Dance remixes
Europe[25][30] October 17, 2008 Digital Download
November 18, 2008 CD single
Australia[24][27] October 17, 2008 Digital Download
November 7, 2008 CD single
Germany[28] November 7, 2008 CD single
United Kingdom[29] November 10, 2008 CD single
Spain[34] February 3, 2009 Digital Download (Spanish Version)

Cover versions

Jamaican dancehall singer Althea Hewitt released a reggae cover of "If I Were a Boy" to iTunes Stores on December 19, 2008.[149] On October 6, 2011, during the first season of The X Factor US, 13 year-old Rachel Crow covered the song during one of her auditions.[150] She was backed by a piano and went sombre as she sang.[151] Her performance brought judge Nicole Scherzinger to tears. Gil Kaufman of MTV News commented that the cover showed off "her preternaturally powerful [and] growly range".[152] Both Joe Berkowitz of Rolling Stone and Jennifer Still of Digital Spy noted that Crow's performance was well executed despite her young age.[153][151] Sarah Maloy of Billboard magazine commented that her performance was "sensationally as always".[154] On December 3, 2011, during the eighth series of the British televised music competition The X Factor, girl band Little Mix covered the "If I Were a Boy".[155][156] Digital Spy's Daniel Sperling noted that the cover contained "a little Amelia Lily-esque shouting".[157]

Reba McEntire version

"If I Were a Boy"
Single by Reba McEntire
from the album All the Women I Am
Released January 24, 2011
Format Music download
Genre Country
Length 3:32 (radio edit)
3:52 (album version)
Label Valory/Starstruck
Producer Dann Huff
Reba McEntire singles chronology
"Turn On the Radio"
(2010)		 "If I Were a Boy"
(2011)		 "When Love Gets a Hold of You"
(2011)

The song was covered by American country singer Reba McEntire on the television program Unplugged on Country Music Television.[158] The cover was accompanied by a music video which premiered on June 18, 2010, involving McEntire performing the song live.[159] In late 2010, she recorded a studio version, and released it as the second single for her November 2010 album All the Women I Am, which is her second release on the Valory Music Group division of Big Machine Records.[160] McEntire revealed that she originally wanted to only cover her own hits. However, her husband-manager, Narvel Blackstock wanted her to do a cover song. Blackstock finally came up with the thought that she should be recording her own version of Knowles' "If I Were a Boy".[161] Speaking of her version of the song, McEntire said:

"When I got the song and the lyrics, I thought it was an incredible song... And, to me, it turned out to be a country song, when we got our instrumentation on it and everything. And some people go, 'Well, why in the world would you do a pop song?' I just think music is music. You've got good and you've got bad, and I try to stay on the good side."[162]

McEntire's cover has generally been met with positive reception. Jessica Phillips of Country Weekly magazine described her cover as a "soulful countrified look at love from a male perspective".[163] Steve Morse at The Boston Globe said that McEntire translated the song "artfully into country".[164] Bilboard magazine's Mikael Wood praised the cover, comparing it with McEntire's other cover of Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You".[165] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times noted that McEntire "sounds as if she's already inhabiting the role" in the song.[43] Allmusic critic Thom Jurek was less favorable, writing that it was unrecognizable in comparison to the original, before adding, "It contains none of the original's drama; in its place is a failed attempt at a soft rock power ballad."[166] Following McEntire's live performance at the CMA awards, the song debuted at number 60 on the Hot Country Songs charts as an album cut dated for the week ending November 27, 2010.[167] It re-entered at number 60 on the chart dated for the week ending January 29, 2011,[168] and peaked at number 22 in April 2011.[169]

The official music video for the cover premiered on Oprah.com on February 28 at midnight, followed by an exclusive interview.[170] It was directed by Peter Zavadil.[161] After her first performance of the song on Unplugged on the Country Music Television, McEntire also performed the song on the Country Music Association (CMA) awards on November 10, 2010.[171] Mawuse Ziegbe of MTV News praised her cover, writing, "Singing with no band onstage, donning a glittery black dress with her signature red hair flowing to her shoulders, the legendary vocalist's performance scored a standing ovation."[172] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times gave a mixed review for her performance, writing that "[McEntire] did something unexpected, softening her delivery and finding the creases in the song, as if Beyoncé were whispering to her from the wings."[43] Jillian Mapes and Megan Vick of Billboard praised the performance, writing, "As if Beyonce's 2008 ballad 'If I Were a Boy' wasn't moving enough, country queen Reba McEntire's smokey twang and solemn stance turned the song on its head."[173] They also noted that the simple and powerful performance "is enough to inspire tears, or at least goosebumps."[173] However, Entertainment Weekly's Mandi Bierly wrote that the lyrics were "just too young for [McEntire], and when it comes to the chorus, I want someone to belt it".[174]

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Beyoncé singles
Dangerously in Love
#1's
B'Day
I Am... Sasha Fierce
"If I Were a Boy" · "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" · "Diva" · "Halo" · "Ego" · "Sweet Dreams" · "Broken-Hearted Girl" · "Video Phone"
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Book · Category · Portal · Template · WikiProject
Reba McEntire 2000s–2010s singles
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Greatest Hits Volume III: I'm a Survivor
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"You're Gonna Be (Always Loved by Me)" · "Love Needs a Holiday"
Reba: Duets
"Because of You" (with Kelly Clarkson) · "The Only Promise That Remains" (with Justin Timberlake) · "Every Other Weekend"
Keep On Loving You
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