"Boys Will Be Boys" | |
---|---|
Song by Dua Lipa | |
from the album Future Nostalgia | |
Released | 27 March 2020 |
Studio |
|
Genre | |
Length | 2:46 |
Label | Warner |
Songwriter(s) |
|
Producer(s) | |
Lyric video | |
"Boys Will Be Boys" on YouTube |
"Boys Will Be Boys" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa from her second studio album Future Nostalgia (2020), serving as the album's closing track. Lipa wrote the song with Kennedi, Justin Tranter and Jason Evigan, while the production was handled by Koz. It is a baroque pop and chamber pop ballad set to orchestral strings and marching band drums with backing vocals from the Stagecoach Epsom Performing Arts Choir. Intending to start a conversation with the song, "Boys Will Be Boys" has themes of feminism and addresses the growing pains girls experience, needing to grow up faster than boys. She condemns toxic masculinity and how society treats women as inferior.
Several critics commended the message and lyrics of "Boys Will Be Boys" however many found it to be too unlike other tracks on Future Nostalgia and thought that Lipa did not get her point across correctly. The song appeared on year-end lists published by The New York Times and Nylon while commercially peaking at number 78 in Lithuania and 148 in Portugal. A remix of the song by Zach Witness that samples "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins appears on Lipa and the Blessed Madonna's remix album Club Future Nostalgia (2020). The latter musician played the remix at Lipa's Studio 2054 livestream concert while Lipa performed the song at the 2020 Billboard Women in Music ceremony.
Dua Lipa has often used her platform to advocate for issues she believes in, including feminism; of that she usually mentioned female equality in the workplace. [1] The singer condemned the use of the term "boys will be boys" [note 1] in a 2018 interview with GQ . [3] "Boys Will Be Boys" was written by Lipa, Kennedi, Justin Tranter and Jason Evigan, while the production was handled by Koz. [4] The song came about during a studio session between Lipa and the team she created "Physical" with, when they began talking about Lipa's experiences with men growing up as a female. [5] The singer felt compelled to write the song as it stems from personal experiences and growing pains she faced and after talking about them with her friends and seeing posts on social media, she realized they were universal. [6] [7] [8] These experiences revolved around her feeling powerless or intimidated in public spaces and doing things to avoid sexual harassment, catcalling and confrontation from men. [8] [9] Some of the experiences included putting keys through her knuckles, [note 2] covering up her body, [note 3] pretending as if she is on the phone with someone while walking alone, [8] walking home before nightfall, [5] self-policing friends by making sure she knew their location at all times and vice versa, and several other coping mechanisms. Lipa stated that she never thought twice about these experiences and thought they were just something she had to do. [6]
With "Boys Will Be Boys", Lipa desired to start a conversation about issues women and girls face and how they change themselves to fit the lifestyle of men. [12] She stated that much of women's human experience revolves around men and how they make them feel. [9] The singer described that girls are made to feel uncomfortable at a young age with being taught that the way boys treat them is normal and playing a school game such as "Kiss Chase". [13] She continued by explaining that it is difficult to change once one has a fixed mindset, so if young listeners could ask questions about these issues or if they are talked about in school, it would make a great impact on society. [5] [13] Additionally, Lipa confirmed that she did not want to offend anyone or point any fingers but she wanted the lyrics to be "cutting" for the sake of the conversation. [5] She also wanted to show solidarity with other girls to express comfort that it happens to all girls. [14] "Boys Will Be Boys" was recorded at Masterlink Studios in Surrey, RAK Studios in London and Modulator Music in Toronto while the vocals were recorded at TaP Studio in London. The mixing was handled by Jay Reynolds at Long Island Studios [note 4] and the mastering was done by Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound in Edgewater, New Jersey. [4]
"Boys Will Be Boys" was noted for being a departure from the sound of other tracks on Future Nostalgia . [15] It is a baroque pop and chamber pop ballad turned anthem, [16] [17] [18] that is composed in the key of E♭ major with a tempo of 125 beats per minute and a length of 2:46. [19] The production features layered choral arrangements, [20] orchestral strings, a disco beat, [21] marching band drums [22] and a melodramatic show-tune melody. [23] [24] Lipa uses defiant vocals and makes use of belting and chanting. [25] [26] [27] [28] The song includes backing vocals from a kids' choir, [29] the Stagecoach Epsom Performing Arts Choir. [4]
The "symphonic" Club Future Nostalgia remix of "Boys Will Be Boys" by Zach Witness has a club and Baltimore sound with a Rio Carnival feel. It features a Latin-inflected groove that helps amp up the track alongside a production consisting of frantic drums, whistles, horns, cowbells, and a distorted chanted chorus. [30] [31] [32] The original version of the remix does not include the verses; however, the Blessed Madonna added them in on the album's DJ Mix edition as well as a sample of "Think (About It)" (1972) by Lyn Collins as a break. [30] [note 5] Rupert Christie is credited as a lead producer alongside Koz for the remix, and it was mastered by Matt Colton at Metropolis Studios in London. [33]
The lyrics of "Boys Will Be Boys" were noted for having no sense of subtlety and the singer sings in rhyming couplets. [34] [35] Themes of feminism and empowerment are portrayed in the song, [36] [37] while the lyrics see Lipa mourn how girls need to grow up faster than males, [38] [37] while also praising strong women. [39] She denounces gender inequality, [40] sexist double standards, [41] the damage that patriarchy causes, [42] male violence, [15] [29] misogyny, [43] sexual harassment, [37] toxic masculinity, [36] gender stereotypes, [44] men not taking responsibility for their actions, [45] male privilege, [46] the unbalanced expectations society places on girls in comparison to men [47] and how women brush sexist remarks towards them. [48]
In the first verse, Lipa outlines scenarios where women have to change something about themselves, [5] [49] including the fact that it is second nature for girls to walk home before nightfall, using the self-defense mechanism of putting their keys between their knuckles when around boys and women laughing off their fear of men. [25] [5] In the bridge, she takes aim at how these gender stereotypes are portrayed in the media. [16] [5] She also mentions how women are treated are talked over and treated as intellectual lessers as well as how hard it is for them to hide their frustration with men. [50] The repetitive chorus features the line "boys will be boys but girls will be women", a flip of the sexist titular trope that shows how society allows boys to stay boys but forces girls to be women. [51] [52] [20] [53] The second verse sees Lipa condemning mansplaining, [17] while in the middle eight, Lipa breaks the sonic fourth wall and states that males who are offended by the song are the ones who commit the acts of toxic masculinity. [54] [55] [56]
"Boys Will Be Boys" was released through Warner Records on 27 March 2020 as the eleventh and final track on Lipa's second studio album Future Nostalgia. [57] The singer decided to place it as the closing track as the song is a big contrast to the album's energetic, sassy and powerful title track, the opener. She thought it was necessary to show an unguarded side to herself to showcase that many women can be both empowered and vulnerable at the same time. [58] She explained that each song shows a different side to feminism. [59] Lipa further stated that "Boys Will Be Boys" feels like "the moment the lights go on at the end of a party, so [the album] would almost end a bit abruptly and maybe make you feel uncomfortable". [60] The song received a lyric video on 9 April 2020. [61] A remix of "Boys Will Be Boys" by Zach Witness is included on Lipa and the Blessed Madonna's remix album, the DJ mix-crafted Club Future Nostalgia that was released on 28 August 2020. [62] The original version of the remix was released on 11 September 2020. [63]
The Blessed Madonna performed a salsa rendition of the remix at Lipa's Studio 2054 livestream concert on 27 November 2020. [64] Lipa opened the 15th annual Billboard Women in Music ceremony on 10 December 2020 with a stripped-down performance of "Boys Will Be Boys", the singer's first performance of the song. [65] [66] [67] She wore a frothy black tulle Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown and sang in front of a blank backdrop. [66] [68] For the performance, Lipa was accompanied by string players, who were occasionally illuminated to show their silhouettes. [66] The song was also included on the setlist of Lipa's 2022 Future Nostalgia Tour. [69]
In a positive review for DIY , Elly Watson named "Boys Will Be Boys" a "euphoric ballad" and stated it "further cements" that Lipa "will be going down in pop history as one of the best". [52] Craig Jenkins of Vulture thought the song is the "purest expression" of Lipa's statements about feminism and that it says Lipa's "only scratched the surface of what she's capable of". [50] In The Times , Jonathan Dean viewed the song as a "fascinating" and "jaunty closing number" that is "pointed" and "incredibly catchy". [24] The Financial Times 's Ludovic Hunter-Tilney praised it for being "sharply written". [15] For The Daily Telegraph , Neil McCormick perceived the song to be a "genuinely uplifting modern feminist singalong that pulls no punches". [25] Kitty Empire of The Observer dubbed the song an "acerbic outro" while The Jakarta Post 's Fajar Zakhri regarded it as "a feminist manifesto that closes the album on a high note". [38] [70]
Maura Johnston of Entertainment Weekly called "Boys Will Be Boys" an "anti-misogyny lament" but thought it was a lapse and "muddles its message". [43] Writing for The Guardian , Laura Snapes viewed it as the "only predictable 2020 pop move" on Future Nostalgia, while also naming it a "grandiose closer" that could've used more "spoken-word camp". She additionally thought that a "Queen-like cheek" instead of a kids' choir would have gotten Lipa's point across better. [29] In a negative review from Rolling Stone , Brittany Spanos perceived that the song failed because "it sounds too tied to the pop trends of 2020" and that it lacks "the rest of the album's warmth and oomph". [71] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine thought the song was an "enervating" way to close Future Nostalgia as the album had a sense of escapism. [16] Gigwise 's Jordan Emery praised the goal and message but viewed it as a "lushly orchestrated ballad" that is "clumsily handled". [48]
In his review for Exclaim! , Brad Garcia appreciated that Lipa used "Boys Will Be Boys" to bring up issues in society, but thought it comes off as "an afterthought than a sincere statement". He also said that the song is "riddled" by the "kitschy" drums and "cliché" choir. [22] Writing for Pitchfork , Anna Gaca perceived the song as bringing Future Nostalgia to a "screeching halt" that "undermines" the album and "feels at odds" with the album's other tracks. However, she praised the flip of the titular sexist trope and praised the "ultra-literal" writing. [20] Nick Smith of musicOMH called it a "shining moment" of Lipa's while describing its sound as "affectingly gospel and anthemic". He concluded by praising the Pink-esque "visceral lyrical punches". [49] PopMatters ' Nick Malone gave the song a negative review, calling it a "true disappointment" that is "painfully out of place" and a "too-timely sentiment for an album that hinges on nostalgia and escapism". [23]
The New York Times ranked "Boys Will Be Boys" as 2020's twelfth best song stating it is the "corrective" in how Future Nostalgia revels in "letting desire overcome reason". [72] The song also appeared on Nylon editor Alexa Pipia's favourite songs of 2020 list; she named it an "underrated gem" on the album. [73]
Chart (2020) | Peak position |
---|---|
Lithuania (AGATA) [74] | 78 |
Portugal (AFP) [75] | 148 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [76] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Dua Lipa is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Her accolades include seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards. Time magazine included her in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2024.
Dua Lipa is the debut studio album by English singer Dua Lipa. It was released on 2 June 2017 through Warner Bros. Records. The album is a dance-pop, electropop, and R&B record with elements of disco, hip hop, and tropical house. It includes a sole guest appearance from Miguel, as well as additional vocals from Chris Martin of Coldplay.
"Kiss and Make Up" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa and South Korean girl group Blackpink from Dua Lipa: Complete Edition (2018), the reissue of the former's eponymous debut studio album. The song was written by Lipa, Chelcee Grimes, Yannick Rastogi, Zacharie Raymond, Mathieu Jomphe-Lepine, Marc Vincent, and Teddy Park, while production was handled by Banx & Ranx. It was released through Warner Bros. Records as the final promotional single from all editions of the album on 19 October 2018, alongside the reissue's release.
"Don't Start Now" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa. Lipa wrote the song with Caroline Ailin, Emily Warren, and its producer Ian Kirkpatrick. The song was released for digital download and streaming by Warner Records on 31 October 2019, as the lead single from her second studio album, Future Nostalgia (2020). A nu-disco song, it features a funk bassline, inspired by music by the Bee Gees, Daft Punk and Two Door Cinema Club. Elements used in the production include handclaps, a crowd noise, cowbells, synth bursts and accented strings. Lyrically, Lipa celebrates her independence and instructs a former lover to forget about their past relationship.
Future Nostalgia is the second studio album by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa. It was released on 27 March 2020 by Warner Records. Lipa enlisted writers and producers including Jeff Bhasker, Ian Kirkpatrick, Stuart Price, the Monsters & Strangerz, and Koz to create a "nostalgic" pop and disco record containing influences from dance-pop and electronic music. The album was inspired by the music that Lipa enjoyed during her childhood.
"Future Nostalgia" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa from her second studio album of the same name (2020), included as the album's opening track. The song was written by Lipa, Clarence Coffee Jr. and its producer Jeff Bhasker. Intended to be "playful and fun," it is a synth-pop song that contains elements of disco, funk, hip pop, house and 1980s music. The lyrics discuss themes of feminism and self-reflection with Lipa referring to herself as a "female alpha".
The Future Nostalgia Tour was the second concert tour and first arena tour by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa, in support of her second studio album, Future Nostalgia (2020). It began on 9 February 2022 at the FTX Arena in Miami and ended on 28 November of the same year at Tirana's Skanderbeg Square. The tour visited cities across North America, Europe, South America and Oceania.
"Physical" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa from her second studio album, Future Nostalgia (2020). Lipa wrote the song with Jason Evigan, Clarence Coffee Jr. and Sarah Hudson, taking inspiration from 1980s music and the 1983 film Flashdance. It was produced by Evigan and Koz, and stemmed from a Persian flute synth sample that was played by the former. An uptempo dance-pop, power pop and synth-pop song, the song features a chugging synth bassline, drums and various percussion instruments. Lipa uses a spoken word, belting and chanting vocal delivery. The lyrics describe the honeymoon phase of a relationship and the importance of trusting one's instincts.
"Levitating" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa from her second studio album, Future Nostalgia (2020). The song was written by Lipa, Clarence Coffee Jr., Sarah Hudson, and Koz, who produced the song with Stuart Price, and stemmed from a Roland VP-330 synthesizer sample played by Koz. The song is an electro-disco and nu-disco song with several disco tropes. It incorporates elements of dance-pop, pop-funk, power pop and space rock, as well as 1970s, 1980s and 1990s pop and R&B styles. The lyrics describe the idea of "levitating" when falling in love, with several outer space references.
"Pretty Please" is a song by English singer Dua Lipa from her second studio album, Future Nostalgia, released on 27 March 2020. The song was written by Lipa alongside Julia Michaels, Caroline Ailin and the sole producer Ian Kirkpatrick. It was created by the writing team during studio sessions, taking shape from the bassline and title. It is a disco-pop, electro-R&B and funk song with a stripped-back production driven by a funky bass. The song has a chill sound, however its meaning is the opposite; in the lyrics, Lipa pleas for stress relief from her lover after promising she will be chill at the beginning of a relationship, before realizing that is unlike her. Several critics commended the production and lyrics.
"Hallucinate" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa from her second studio album Future Nostalgia (2020). The song was written by Lipa alongside Frances and SG Lewis. The latter of the three also handled the production with Stuart Price. The song was released through Warner Records for digital download and streaming on 10 July 2020 as the album's fourth single. It is a disco-house song with dance-pop, electro swing, psychedelic and synth-pop elements. Set to EDM rhythms and retro beats, the lyrics describe how crazy love can make one feel.
"Love Again" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa from her second studio album, Future Nostalgia (2020). The song was written by Lipa alongside Clarence Coffee Jr., Chelcee Grimes and its producer Koz. They wrote the song based on the concept of manifesting positive things into one's life and Lipa later described it as her favourite song on the album. It was sent for radio airplay in France on 11 March 2021 as the sixth and final single from Future Nostalgia before being released for digital download and streaming on 4 June globally. It is a classic-sounding dance-pop, disco and electropop song with a 21st-century nu-disco production that includes disco beats and 1970s-styled disco strings. The song samples "My Woman" by Al Bowlly with Lew Stone and His Monseigneur Band, using it for several aspects, thus Bing Crosby, Max Wartell and Irving Wallman are also credited as writers. The lyrics explore themes of heartbreak and personal growth, seeing Lipa falling in love again with a new lover following a rough split.
"Break My Heart" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa from her second studio album, Future Nostalgia (2020). The song was written by Lipa, Ali Tamposi, Stefan Johnson, Jordan K. Johnson, and Andrew Watt, while the production was handled by Watt alongside the Monsters & Strangerz. Due to a similarity to the guitar riff in INXS's 1987 song "Need You Tonight", band members Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence are also credited as writers, and the similarity is credited as an interpolation. The song was released for digital download and streaming through Warner Records as the third single from Future Nostalgia on 25 March 2020. It is a retro-futuristic dance-pop and disco-funk song with elements of house and 1980s music that is set to a Europop beat. A vulnerable song, it sees Lipa questioning whether a new love will leave her broken-hearted.
Club Future Nostalgia is a remix album by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa and American DJ the Blessed Madonna. A DJ mix edition of it was released on 28 August 2020, with the standard edition following on 11 September of the same year. The album was crafted by remixes of tracks from Lipa's second studio album, Future Nostalgia (2020), with the remixes being created by an assortment of DJs and producers, including Masters at Work, Larry Heard, Mark Ronson and Stuart Price.
"Real Groove" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue from her fifteenth studio album, Disco (2020). The song was written by Minogue, Teemu Brunila, Nico Stadi and Alida Garpestad Peck, with a sense of optimism for days ahead during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brunila and Stadi also handled the production. It is a disco-pop song with house and R&B elements and features vocoders, a funk bass and post-disco synths. The lyrics see Minogue attempting to win an ex back. A new version, a duet with English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa entitled "Studio 2054 remix", was released on 31 December 2020 as the album's third single. The remix added William Bowerman as a producer with additional instrumentation and Lipa incorporating layered vocals and new lyrics.
"Fever" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa and Belgian singer Angèle from the French edition of the former's second studio album, Future Nostalgia (2020). The song was written by the singers alongside Caroline Ailin, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Julia Michaels and the sole producer Ian Kirkpatrick. It was originally intended to be placed on the standard edition of the album as a solo version by Lipa. The song was released for digital download and streaming on 29 October 2020, through Warner Records as a single. It is a dance-pop, deep house and nu-disco song with 2000s Eurodance elements and a disco-pop production that features Afrobeat-tinged synth-pop beats. Lyrically, the song uses a metaphor of infatuation to demonstrate a sickness and addresses the excitement of being with someone where one almost develops a fever, with the two singers acting as counterpoints to one and other.
"Prisoner" is a song by American singer Miley Cyrus featuring English singer Dua Lipa. It was released on November 19, 2020, through RCA Records as the second single from Cyrus' seventh studio album Plastic Hearts (2020). It was also included on the re-issue of Lipa's second studio album Future Nostalgia: The Moonlight Edition (2021). It is a dance, dark-pop, disco-punk, disco-rock, glam rock and nu-disco song produced by Andrew Watt and the Monsters & Strangerz.
"We're Good" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa from Future Nostalgia: The Moonlight Edition (2021), the deluxe reissue of her second studio album Future Nostalgia (2020). The song was written by Lipa alongside Emily Warren, Scott Harris and Sly, with the latter of the three handling the production. It was released for digital download and streaming on 11 February 2021 as the lead single from the reissue, simultaneously with the reissue's release. "We're Good" is a bossa nova and 2000s-styled, midtempo tropical-pop song with trap and reggae rock elements. It sees the singer fantasising about an amicable breakup with a former boyfriend.
Radical Optimism is the third studio album by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa. It was released on 3 May 2024 through Warner Records. Her first full-length studio album in four years since Future Nostalgia (2020), Lipa worked on Radical Optimism with producers such as Kevin Parker, Danny L Harle, Ian Kirkpatrick, and Andrew Wyatt. The album was preceded by three singles, "Houdini", "Training Season", and "Illusion", all of which peaked within the top ten of the UK Singles Chart.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)