Girls (Jennifer Lopez song)

Last updated

"Girls"
JLo Girls.png
Promotional single by Jennifer Lopez (featuring Tyga on the remix)
from the album A.K.A.
ReleasedJanuary 22, 2014 (2014-01-22)
RecordedJanuary 2014 (2014-01)
Genre
Length
  • 3:58 (solo version)
  • 4:40 (remix / album version)
Label Capitol
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) DJ Mustard
Audio video
"Girls" on YouTube

"Girls" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez from her eighth studio album, A.K.A. (2014). The composition is characterized as a midtempo R&B and hip hop club song that serves as an ode to women's desires in wanting to indulge themselves in a quintessentially jovial girl's night out experience by going out for a night at the club, reveling in the joy of partying in addition to partaking in the concomitant celebratory act of having a good time. The song was written by Lopez along with Asia Bryant and Dijon "DJ Mustard" McFarlane. The latter produced the song and vocals, with further vocal production from Bryan, Cory Rooney and Trevor Muzzy. The song was released as a promotional single by Capitol Records in countdown to the album on January 22, 2014. On March 1, an official remix featuring American rapper Tyga was released for digital download; the remix with him is featured on the Japanese and Target releases of A.K.A, whilst the solo version is omitted from all versions of the album.

Contents

"Girls" received a mixed reception from music critics who praised the urban and commercially radio-friendly production, drawing comparisons to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (2008) and Kelly Rowland's 2011 single "Motivation", but was criticized for its cliché and prosaic lyrical content. The song's live performance at the Dubai World Cup was met by a positive reception with critics who praised Lopez's energy skills as an entertainer. Commercially, experienced limited success on music charts, only charting in South Korea where it reached number 73 on the Gaon international chart. Lopez has included "Girls" as part of her Las Vegas residency, All I Have (2016–18) and North America tour It's My Party (2019).

Background and composition

"Girls" was first was released as a teaser on January 20, 2014, when record producer DJ Mustard messaged Lopez on Twitter stating that he had "some bangers waiting for her". [1] Lopez would go on to record the song and release the promotional single online on January 22, 2014. [2] "Girls" was written by Lopez and Bryant, with additional writing from DJ Mustard, who also handled the majority of the production; Bryant, Cory Rooney and Trevor Muzzy handled vocal production. [3] It has a duration of three minutes and 58 seconds (3:58) [4] and is a mid-tempo hip hop [2] and R&B [5] club track that features a "laid-back" and "trunk-rattling" beat, characterized by a harmonious blend of melodious bells that serve as its main groove juxtaposed against an accompaniment of recurring arrangement of eerie synthesizers, crisp dance claps while being complemented by a resonating bassline of pulsating 808 kick drums in which Lopez declares "At the end of the night, girls just wanna have fun." [6] Rap-Up described "Girls" as a "ladies anthem", [7] while Vibe called it a "club banger". [8] Jon Reyes of The Boombox regarded the song as including DJ Mustard's signature "ratchet" sound. [9] ETonline 's Jackie Willis said that the song was reminiscent of Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" (2008). [10]

Release and reception

American rapper Tyga features on the official remix and album versions of "Girls". Tyga - Openair Frauenfeld 2019 02.jpg
American rapper Tyga features on the official remix and album versions of "Girls".

On January 22, 2014, "Girls" was premiered online, [2] via SoundCloud. [11] On January 27, 2014, the song was made available for purchase as a digital download in Canada and the United States. [4] [12] "Girls" was later released for digital download in various other countries on January 30 of that year. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] An official remix of the song, featuring rapper Tyga, was released online on March 1, 2014. [18] By the time A.K.A was released, "Girls" was omitted from the tracklisting apart from for the Japan and Target releases of the album where the Tyga remix of "Girls" is included a bonus track. [19] [20] [3]

"Girls" was met with a mixed reception from music critics, with praise for the production and return to an urban sound but some criticism of the lyrics. In writing for Popdust, Jacques Peterson of the website Popdust called the song a "real bop", comparing it to Tyga's single "Rack City" (2011) and songs from Cassie Ventura's mixtape RockaByeBaby (2013). Peterson said "it's definitely the most urban thing Jen's done" since her remix album J to tha L-O! The Remixes (2002). [2] Staff from Rap-Up, said upon the release of "Girls", women would "turn it all the way up." [7] In a mixed review, Idolator's Robbie Daw criticized the song's clichéd lyrics, but praised its "eerie synth track that plays monotonously throughout", describing the track as a "slinky, sexy slow jam" similar to Kelly Rowland's "Motivation" (2011). [21] Brad O'Mance of Popjustice was negative when commenting on the song, calling it "largely mediocre". [5] Commercially, the song had limited success, only charting in South Korea, where it reached number 73 on the International Download Chart. [22]

Live performances

Lopez's performance in Dubai was part of the Dubai World Cup, the world's most expensive horse racing event. 2019 Dubai World Cup 20190331 08.jpg
Lopez's performance in Dubai was part of the Dubai World Cup, the world's most expensive horse racing event.

Lopez performed the song live at the 2014 Dubai World Cup, on March 29, 2014 as part of a 30 minute set. [24] The performance was billed as part of a post-race celebration to bring to an end the Dubai World Cup Carnival which had been going on for the previous three months. It was also Lopez's second time performing in Dubai having previously staged a concert in November 2012 as part of the Dance Again World Tour. [25] During the set, Lopez also performed another new song from A.K.A, titled "Never Satisfied". [24]

Marwa Hammad reporting for the Gulf News , praised the performance, saying that "it’s a testament to how good an entertainer Jennifer Lopez is that you can be far, far away from the stage and still be completely swept away by her show." [24] Similarly The National 's Felicity Campbell reported that Lopez "stormed the Medyan Racecourse stage". [26] "Girls" was included in performances during Lopez's Las Vegas residency, All I Have (2016–2018) and the setlist for Lopez's 2019 concert tour, It's My Party. [27] [28]

Track listings

Digital download/streaming [12]

  1. "Girls" – 3:58

Streaming/Album track – Remix [18]

  1. "Girls" (featuring Tyga) – 4:40

Personnel

Credits adapted from A.K.A. liner notes. [3]

Charts

Chart (2014)Peak
position
South Korea (Gaon International Download Chart) [22] 73

Release history

CountryDateFormatVersionLabelRef.
VariousJanuary 22, 2014 Streaming Solo version Capitol Records [11]
CanadaJanuary 27, 2014 Digital download [12]
United States [4]
FranceJanuary 30, 2014 EMI Music [13]
Germany [14]
Italy [15]
United Kingdom [16]
Spain [17]
VariousMarch 1, 2014StreamingRemixCapitol Records [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hold You Down (Jennifer Lopez song)</span> 2005 single by Jennifer Lopez

"Hold You Down" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her fourth studio album, Rebirth (2005). Written by Gregory "Nyce Boy" Christopher, Makeba Riddick, Fat Joe, Cory Rooney, Gregory Bruno and produced by Christopher, Bruno and Rooney, "Hold You Down" hit number 6 on the United Kingdom's singles chart, and was a Top 40 hit in many other countries. "Hold You Down" samples Shirley Murdock's 1986 song "As We Lay" which was written by Larry Troutman of the funk band Zapp, and keyboardist Billy Beck of Ohio Players

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Every Girl (Young Money song)</span> 2009 single by Young Money

"Every Girl" is a song by rap group Young Money released as the first single from their debut collaboration album titled We Are Young Money. It was legally released to the iTunes Store on June 11, 2009. Young Money Entertainment rappers Lil Wayne, Drake, Jae Millz, Gudda Gudda, and Mack Maine make appearances on the track. The video was shot on February 13, 2009, and was released on April 6 of that same year. The song was leaked to the internet on January 28, 2009, just a day after "Prom Queen" was officially released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Wanna Rock (Snoop Dogg song)</span>

"I Wanna Rock" is the third official single from American rapper, Snoop Dogg's tenth studio album, Malice n Wonderland. It was released digitally on iTunes on November 17, 2009, after the second single "That's Tha Homie". The song was produced by Scoop DeVille and mixed by Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg released it on a mixtape titled "I Wanna Rock" on November 23. The song was confirmed by BBC Radio 1 to be released in the UK on March 15, 2010 but is now listed as "Coming Soon".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyga discography</span>

The discography of American rapper Tyga consists of seven studio albums, three compilation albums, twenty mixtapes, sixty-seven singles and forty-six music videos. In 2008, Tyga released his first studio album, No Introduction, on the record label Decaydance Records. The album included the single "Coconut Juice", the song peaked at number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Tyga's first song to appear on the chart. In 2010, Tyga and Virginia singer Chris Brown released the collaborative mixtape Fan of a Fan (2010), which included their hit single "Deuces": the song peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Tyga's first song to chart on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, peaking at number one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">On the Floor</span> 2011 single by Jennifer Lopez

"On the Floor" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her seventh studio album, Love? (2011). Featuring American rapper Pitbull, it was released by Island Records on February 8, 2011, as the lead single from the album. "On the Floor" was written by Kinnda "Kee" Hamid, AJ Junior, Teddy Sky, Bilal "The Chef" Hajji, Pitbull, Gonzalo Hermosa, Ulises Hermosa, along with the song's producer RedOne. It is a pop song combining techno, Latin, dance-pop and house music and with a common time tempo of 130 beats per minute. Lopez recorded a Spanish-language version of the song titled "Ven a Bailar", which includes additional lyrical contributions from Julio Reyes Copello and Jimena Romero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pass at Me</span> 2011 single by Timbaland featuring Pitbull and David Guetta

"Pass at Me" is a single from American hip-hop producer Timbaland. The song features vocals from American rapper Pitbull, also features production by French DJ David Guetta. It was released via digital download on September 13, 2011 in the United States, and received a full release across Europe on the weekend of October 7, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirko Bangz</span> American rapper (born 1989)

Kirk Jerel Randle, better known by his stage name Kirko Bangz, is an American rapper from Houston, Texas. He is best known for his single, "Drank in My Cup" which was released in 2011 and peaked at number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. His name is derived from grunge rock singer Kurt Cobain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watagatapitusberry</span> 2010 single by Pitbull featuring Sensato del Patio, Black Point, Lil Jon and El Cata

"Watagatapitusberry" is a collaborative effort by Black Point with American recording artist Pitbull, released on March 9, 2010 as the lead single from his fifth studio album, Armando (2010). The song features guest appearances from Dominican rappers Sensato del Patio, El Cata and Black Point, along with Lil Jon. It combines hip hop and "Latin pop-style theatricality".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goin' In</span> 2012 single by Jennifer Lopez featuring Flo Rida

"Goin' In" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez. The song features American rappers Flo Rida and Lil Jon, although the latter is uncredited for his part in the song. It was co-written by Joseph Angel, Tramar Dillard, David Quiñones, Sebastian Kole, Michael Warren and Jamahl "GoonRock" Listenbee, who also produced the song. It is featured on the soundtrack of the dance film Step Up: Revolution (2012) and on her first greatest hits album Dance Again... the Hits (2012). This is also the third song from the Step Up series to feature Flo Rida, after "Low" from Step Up 2: The Streets (2008) and "Club Can't Handle Me" from Step Up 3D (2010).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm on One</span> 2011 single by DJ Khaled

"I'm on One" is a song by American hip hop artist DJ Khaled, released as the second single from his fifth studio album, We the Best Forever. The hip hop song features Canadian rapper Drake and American rappers Rick Ross and Lil Wayne and features production from Canadian producers T-Minus, Nikhil S. and Noah "40" Shebib. It was released for digital download in the United States on May 20, 2011. Remixes and freestyles were released from rappers such as Tyga, Meek Mill, Jamie Drastik, including other rappers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mustard (record producer)</span> American record producer

Dijon Isaiah McFarlane, known professionally as Mustard, is an American record producer. He is a frequent collaborator with California-based hip hop artists YG and Ty Dolla Sign; he has produced various hit records for hip hop and R&B artists since his entrance into mainstream music with rapper Tyga's 2011 hit single "Rack City".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paranoid (Ty Dolla Sign song)</span> 2013 single by Ty Dolla $ign featuring B.o.B

"Paranoid" is a song by American singer Ty Dolla $ign featuring American rapper B.o.B, released on September 10, 2013 as the first single from the former's debut EP, Beach House EP (2014). Written by the artists alongside producer DJ Mustard, "Paranoid" is a hip hop song that lyrically describes being in fear of getting caught cheating.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Same Girl (Jennifer Lopez song)</span> 2014 promotional single by Jennifer Lopez

"Same Girl" is a song recorded by American entertainer Jennifer Lopez for her eighth studio album, A.K.A. (2014). The song was written by Lopez and Chris Brown in collaboration with the song's producers Antwan "Amadeus" Thompson, Charles "Chizzy" Stephens, and Ryan "Ryghtous" Tedder, while Cory Rooney handled vocal production of the song. A solo version of "Same Girl" was released on February 4, 2014, as the second promotional single from A.K.A.. An accompanying music video for the solo version of the song was directed by Steve Gomillion and Dennis Leupold in the Castle Hill neighbourhood of The Bronx, Lopez's hometown. This video embodies jennifer lopez in her home neighborhood with its residents. Among them are children, rappers, prostitutes, dancers who are living in South Bronx. "Same Girl" was remixed to feature fellow Bronx artist and rapper French Montana for its inclusion on the album. In 2022 a new orchestral version of the song was released in support of Lopez's Netflix documentary Halftime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This D</span> 2013 single by TeeFlii and DJ Mustard

"This D" is a song by American hip hop recording artist TeeFlii from his first official mixtape AnNieRuO'TAY 1. The song was released on October 2, 2013 by Excuse My Liquor and Epic Records as his debut single. It was produced by frequent collaborator DJ Mustard. After receiving a high amount of radio airplay, the song peaked at number 35 on the US Billboard Rhythmic chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Illest</span> 2013 single by Far East Movement featuring Riff Raff or ScHoolboy Q

"The Illest" is a song by American hip hop group Far East Movement. The song was co-written and produced by Norwegian music producer and songwriter Axident and Wallpaper. aka Ricky Reed, and features a guest appearance from American rapper Riff Raff. It was released digitally as a single on July 2, 2013 and has since peaked at number 18 on the US Billboard Hot Rap Songs. "The Illest" was featured as a bonus track and a single from the 2013 Special Edition release of their fourth studio album Dirty Bass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Luh Ya Papi</span> 2014 single by Jennifer Lopez featuring French Montana

"I Luh Ya Papi" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her eighth studio album, A.K.A. (2014). Featuring guest vocals from American rapper French Montana, the song was released on March 11, 2014 as the lead single from the album by Capitol Records. The song was written and produced by Noel "Detail" Fisher, with additional writing from Andre Proctor, Karim Kharbouch, and Lopez. Cory Rooney and Fisher provided vocal production for the song. Musically, "I Luh Ya Papi" is a hip hop song, backed with synths and metallic beats, that lyrically contains innuendoes and references to Lopez's body.

<i>A.K.A.</i> (album) 2014 studio album by Jennifer Lopez

A.K.A. is the eighth studio album by American singer Jennifer Lopez. It was released on June 13, 2014, by Capitol Records. Lopez started working on the album in February 2013, after the end of her first worldwide tour, the Dance Again World Tour. Originally scheduled to be released in November 2013, Lopez postponed the album release to 2014. Undecided between Same Girl and A.K.A. as the album's title, Lopez eventually chose the latter as the title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Booty (Jennifer Lopez song)</span> 2014 song by Jennifer Lopez ft. Iggy Azalea

"Booty" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her eighth studio album, A.K.A. (2014). It was written and produced by Cory Rooney, Lopez, and Benny Medina, with additional writing from Chris Brown, Pitbull, Diplo, and others. "Booty" samples "Dat a Freak", a song by Diplo and Swick, and it features Lopez's frequent collaborator Pitbull. Initially entitled "Big Booty", the song was first rejected by Lopez who did not like the idea of having a song with a title like that. However, after playing the demo for her kids and seeing that they enjoyed the track, Lopez was convinced to record it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L.A. Love (La La)</span> 2014 single by Fergie

"L.A. Love " is a song recorded by American singer Fergie. It was co-written by Fergie and the song's producer DJ Mustard, with additional writing credits from Shomari Wilson, Royce Thomas, and Theron Thomas. The remix version of the song, which features California rapper and DJ Mustard colleague YG, was included as the lead single on her second studio album Double Dutchess (2017). "L.A. Love " was used as background music in commercials for the 2015 Chrysler 200 and was also used as the theme song for the reality television series Kourtney and Khloé Take The Hamptons and Togetherness and video game NBA 2K16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayo (song)</span> Song by Chris Brown featuring Tyga

"Ayo" is a song by American singer Chris Brown and American rapper Tyga, released as the lead single from their collaboration album Fan of a Fan: The Album. It was produced by Nic Nac and Mark Kragen, whom the former Brown previously worked with on "Loyal".

References

  1. ↑ "Jennifer Lopez and French Montana Hit the Studio". Rap-Up . January 20, 2014. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Peterson, Jacques (January 23, 2014). "Jenny From The Block Returns With New Hip-Hop Single, "Girls"". Popdust. Archived from the original on January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Lopez, Jennifer, A.K.A. . Capitol Records (Universal Music Japan). Catalog. UICC 10004.
  4. 1 2 3 "Girls: Jennifer Lopez: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com . Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  5. 1 2 O'Mance, Brad (January 23, 2014). "Jennifer Lopez has shared a new song called 'Girls' with the world". Popjustice . Archived from the original on January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  6. ↑ Rodriguez, Priscilla (January 23, 2014). "Listen: J.Lo Drops New Single "Girls"". Latina . Archived from the original on February 13, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  7. 1 2 "New Music: Jennifer Lopez & DJ Mustard – 'Girls'". Rap-Up . January 22, 2014. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  8. ↑ Ellis, Stacy-Ann (January 22, 2014). "New Music: Jennifer Lopez 'Girls'". Vibe . Archived from the original on January 25, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  9. ↑ Reyes, Jon (January 23, 2014). "Jennifer Lopez's DJ Mustard-Produced Song 'Girls' Leaks". Theboombox.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  10. ↑ Willis, Jackie (January 23, 2014). "Listen: JLo Drops 'Girls' Track". ETonline . Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  11. 1 2 Copsey, Robert (January 23, 2014). "Jennifer Lopez debuts new R&B song 'Girls' – listen". Digital Spy . Archived from the original on January 28, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 "Girls (2014): Jennifer Lopez: MP3 Downloads". 7digital . Archived from the original on October 13, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  13. 1 2 "Girls: Jennifer Lopez: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.fr (in French). Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  14. 1 2 "Girls: Jennifer Lopez: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.de (in German). Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  15. 1 2 "Girls: Jennifer Lopez: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  16. 1 2 "Girls: Jennifer Lopez: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk . Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  17. 1 2 "Girls: Jennifer Lopez: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.es (in Spanish). Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  18. 1 2 3 "Jennifer Lopez feat Tyga – Girls (Remix)". Rap-Up . March 1, 2014. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Jennifer Lopez's 'Girls' Drops With DJ Mustard". The Huffington Post . January 23, 2014. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  20. ↑ Lopez, Jennifer. A.K.A . (Deluxe Edition – Target Exclusive). Capitol Records. Catalog. B002080002
  21. ↑ Daw, Robbie (January 23, 2014). "Jennifer Lopez's "Girls": Listen To Her DJ Mustard Collaboration". Idolator . Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  22. 1 2 "Gaon Download Chart". Gaon Chart . Archived from the original on March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Dubai Racing Club". Dubairacingclub.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  24. 1 2 3 Hamad, Marwa (March 30, 2014). "Jennifer Lopez knocks it out of the park at Dubai World Cup". Gulf News . Archived from the original on January 10, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Jennifer Lopez sweating it out for 2014 Dubai World Cup at Meydan". Emirates247.com. March 24, 2014. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  26. ↑ Campbell, Felicity (March 30, 2014). "Jennifer Lopez storms Dubai's Meydan". The National . Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  27. ↑ All citations concerning the set list for the January 20, 2016, show:
  28. ↑ Nied, Mike (May 5, 2020). "Jennifer Lopez Launches 'It's My Party World Tour,' See Photos & A Setlist". Idolator . United States. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.