| "Like a Boy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Ciara | ||||
| from the album Ciara: The Evolution | ||||
| B-side | "Get Up" "Love You Better" |
|||
| Released | February 13, 2007 (See release history) |
|||
| Format | Digital download, CD single | |||
| Recorded | Chalice Studios, Los Angeles, California | |||
| Genre | R&B, hip hop | |||
| Length | 3:57 | |||
| Label | LaFace | |||
| Writer(s) | Ciara Harris, Candice Nelson, Balewa Muhammad, Keri Hilson, J. Que, Ezekiel Lewis, Calvin Kenon | |||
| Producer | Calvo Da Gr8, Ciara Harris, The Clutch | |||
| Ciara singles chronology | ||||
|
||||
"Like a Boy" is a song performed by American singer Ciara for her second album Ciara: The Evolution (2006). Written by Ciara, Candice Nelson, Balewa Muhammad, J. Que, Ezekiel Lewis, and Calvin Kenon, it is the third release in the U.S. and second single in Europe (see 2007 in music).
The release was confirmed in a MTV News article and chosen before polling ended for Ciara's second single on her official myspace page, being picked over "That's Right" and "Can't Leave 'Em Alone". Although the single was a moderate hit, it failed to match the success of its North American predecessor. It was solicited to mainstream urban radio on February 13, 2007. The single was released in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2007.
Contents |
"Like a Boy" details about double standards in society of how men in relationships can do certain things, but when women do the same it is looked down upon. According to Ciara, "it's a record for my women" and she had "a lot of girl talks". Ciara wanted to know what it would be like if "the roles were reversed". "It's a female-empowerment record".[1] The protagonist wishes to "act like a boy". The song is notable for its mixture of synthesized orchestral strings and hard-pounding hip-hop instrumental. Ciara also co-produced the song along with The Evolution track "My Love".
"Like a Boy" was well-received by critics. Bill Lamb of About.com wrote that Ciara gives a "breathlessness delivering" and says the song is "intoxicating".[2] Jody Rosen of Entertainment Weekly wrote the song is "par excellence" and "stirring revenge fantasy".[3] Britain's Manchester Evening News published that the song has an "epic instrumental", "gymnastic style vocals", and "photocopied lyrics", but it is "guaranteed to be a smash hit in the U.S."[4] Chocolate Magazine published it is "one of her best tracks so far" and shows her mature side.[5]
YourSpins.com had a contest where fans had a chance to remix "Like a Boy" and meet Ciara, if the remix is saved.[6] On April 3, 2007, Ciara made an appearance on the reality show Dancing with the Stars, where she performed "Like a Boy". She did her famous matrix in a pair of high heels. While the song was at the height of its popularity Ciara's name was featured in a Sprint campaign along with Joss Stone and My Chemical Romance. On June 26, 2007, Ciara performed a medley of "Like a Boy" and "That's Right" at the 2007 BET Awards.
On the issue dated March 17, 2007, "Like a Boy" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number eighty-one.[7] It reached its peak position of number nineteen on May 5, 2007, and spent a total of twenty weeks on the chart. The song also peaked at number six on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, giving Ciara her sixth top-ten single on the chart.[8] "Like a Boy" certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for sales of 500,000 copies sold.[9]
Internationally, the song debuted at number nineteen in Sweden and peaked at number eight in its second week. In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number thirty-five on downloads alone. After the physical single release, "Like a Boy" moved up twelve spots from number twenty-eight to sixteen, where it peaked. Even though the music video received heavy rotation, the single was a moderate success peaking in the top-twenty in most European countries.
"Like a Boy" was ranked #68 on Top Hot 100 Hits of 2007, and is the most successful year-end single from Ciara: The Evolution.
The music video for "Like a Boy" was directed by Diane Martel (credited as Ms. D), who also directed Ciara's "Promise" video. It was shot in late January, over a three-day period. The video premiered on Yahoo! Music and BET's Access Granted on February 21, 2007.[10] The video received a "First Look" on MTV's TRL on February 23, 2007 and debuted at #10 on February 26, 2007 and peaked at #4. "Like a Boy" premiered on The Box on March 9, 2007. On March 8, 2007, it debuted on BET's 106 & Park at #8 and peaked at #1.[11] It peaked at #5 on the iTunes video charts. The song made number thirty-three on BET's Top 100 Video Countdown of 2007.
The black and white video begins with Ciara dressed like a boy sitting in a chair. She is sporting painted on tattoos and says, "2007. Ladies, I think it's time to switch roles." Next, Ciara confronts her boyfriend played by football player Reggie Bush throughout the video. During the first verse and chorus, Ciara dances with her male alter ego. The rest of the video, Ciara and female dancers, who are all dressed in more masculine styles, perform masculine choreography. After the bridge, there is a breakdown and Ciara performs her famous matrix as in the "Goodies" video. The video version of the song features different edits from the album version.
"Like a Boy" was nominated for "Best Choreography in a Video" (Choreog.-Jamaica Craft) at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, but the award was given to Justin Timberlake's "My Love" featuring T.I. The music video was also nominated for "Video of the Year" at the 2007 BET Awards, but lost to Beyoncé Knowles' "Irreplaceable".
The video became a hit, being viewed over 20 million times on YouTube alone.
|
|
|
Certifications
|
| Country | Release Date |
|---|---|
| United States | February 13, 2007 |
| Germany | March 30, 2007 |
| United Kingdom | April 2, 2007 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||