I Hate Boys

Last updated

"I Hate Boys"
Caguilera-i-hate-boys.jpg
Single by Christina Aguilera
from the album Bionic
ReleasedJune 28, 2010 (2010-06-28)
Recorded2010;
No Excuses (Los Angeles);
The Red Lips Room (Beverly Hills)
Genre
Length2:24
Label RCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Christina Aguilera singles chronology
"You Lost Me"
(2010)		"I Hate Boys"
(2010)		"Express"
(2010)
Licensed audio
"I Hate Boys" on YouTube

"I Hate Boys" is a song recorded by American recording artist Christina Aguilera for her sixth studio album, Bionic (2010). The song was written by Aguilera, Ester Dean, William Tyler, Bill Wellings, J. J. Hunter and Jamal Jones, who also handled the production of the track. "I Hate Boys" is a glam rock, pop rock and electropop song, containing elements of urban pop and synth-pop. Lyrically, it is a hate-driven song about ridiculing all boys.

Contents

"I Hate Boys" was released as the second and final single from Bionic in New Zealand and Australia. It was serviced to Australian radio on June 28, 2010, and released as a digital single in Australia and New Zealand on September 3. The song divided music critics; while some called it fun and a "girl anthem", others felt its lyrics were too juvenile and regarded it as filler. Upon the release of Bionic, "I Hate Boys" debuted at number 51 on the Gaon International Singles Chart during the week of June 6, 2010.

Background and release

Initially, "I Hate Boys" was supposed to be produced by Le Tigre. [1] Group member Johanna Fateman wrote about working with Aguilera on their official website:

"… While the giant sound of her stacked vocals and the pop sheen she lends to the tracks might seem at odds with Le Tigre's aesthetic roots, it really works. The songs have a lot of elements we're known for, like a garage guitar sound, schoolyard chants, new wave-y synths, electro beats, and somehow it all sounds crazily right with Christina's unbelievable voice." [1]

However, it was later revealed that the song was produced by Polow da Don and that Le Tigre only produced the song "My Girls". [2] Polow da Don talked about working with Aguilera in a Billboard interview, stating: "There's two things you need to know about Christina Aguilera: The first is that, as far as her singing goes, she's a professionally trained animal. And the other is that she knows exactly, absolutely what she wants." [3]

After "Not Myself Tonight", the song was released as the second single of the album in Australia and New Zealand. [4] [5] A digital single was released on the iTunes Store on September 3, 2010. [4] [5] It reached number twenty-eight on the Australian Airplay Chart. [6]

Composition

"I Hate Boys" was written by Aguilera, Jamal Jones, Ester Dean, William Tyler, Bill Wellings and J. J. Hunter, while production was handled by William Tyler & Polow da Don. [7] Don has worked with Aguilera on the previous singles "Not Myself Tonight" and "Woohoo". [2] "I Hate Boys" contains a sample from the 1973 track "Jungle Juice", by UK electronic act Elektrik Cokernut from their album Go Moog!. [8] It is an uptempo glam rock, pop and electropop song with elements of synth-pop and urban pop, featuring gang chants in the background. [2] [9] Lyrically, "I Hate Boys" is a hate-driven song about ridiculing and insulting all bad boys. [10] It begins with a drum beat similar to Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" (2008), according to Idolator's Becky Bain, who also wrote that "it sounds almost directly inspired by the trash-talk obnoxiousness found in Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend." [10]

Critical reception

"I Hate Boys" received mixed reviews from music critics. In a positive review, Leslie Simon of MTV Buzzworthy wrote that the track is "a fun, highly synth-pop gum-smacking, girls-night-out rally anthem." [2] Melinda Newman of HitFix called it a "pure pop infectious silliness." [11] Mesfin Fekadu from The Boston Globe praised the song, writing, "The male-bashing 'I Hate Boys' has the right mix of energy and sass that Aguilera somewhat lacks throughout the album." [12] The Scotsman wrote that the song is an "electro glam" that has "throwaway fun." [13] Allison Stewart from The Washington Post referred to it as a "tame, hand-clappy pop song" and compared the track to Gwen Stefani's songs. [14] Writing for Canadian music magazine Cokemachineglow , Lindsay Zoladz applauded the song for its "bombastic percussions". [15]

HollabackGirl.jpg
Avril Lavigne in Amsterdam, 2008 X (crop).jpg
Music critics found the song reminiscent of Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" (left) and Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" (right)

TJ of Neon Limelight gave a mixed review, calling it "sassy" but "would work better for an artist at least a decade younger than Aguilera", with its "painfully adolescent lyrics". [16] Becky Bain of Idolator wrote, "It's one of those pandering songs that will no doubt have young girls singing along, particularly the chorus, but it's a lazy one that leaves rubs us the wrong way." [10] Bradley Stern from MuuMuse named it a "filler, including the noisy, childish chant." [17] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune commented that "it's the kind of trite glitter-disco might've dispensed", while comparing it to Spice Girls' songs. [18] Eric Henderson gave to the song a negative review, writing, "Considering 'I Hate Boys' is closer than I ever thought Christina would ever come to recording a Daphne Aguilera track, it's ironically also one of many tracks on Bionic that sound tailor-made to accompany the opening credits of Johnny Weir's forthcoming reality show." [19]

In his retrospective commentary on Bionic, Daniel Megarry of the Gay Times called "I Hate Boys" a tongue-in-cheek post-breakup anthem — a "cult favourite moment" on the album. [20] Idolator's 2020 evaluation of the long play noted that the song "would have been a smash hit at any other time in Aguilera’s career". [21]

Track listing

Digital download [4]
  1. "I Hate Boys" – 2:24
  2. "Not Myself Tonight" (Laidback Luke Radio Edit) – 3:39

Credits and personnel

Recording locations
Personnel

Source: [22]

Charts

Chart (2010)Peak
position
Australia Airplay (ARIA) [6] 28
South Korea International (Gaon Download Chart) [23] 51

Release history

"I Hate Boys" release history
RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
AustraliaJune 28, 2010 Contemporary hit radio Sony [24]
September 3, 2010 Digital download [4]
New Zealand [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Aguilera</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1980)

Christina María Aguilera is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Recognized as an influential figure in music and having received widespread public interest, she is noted for her four-octave vocal range extending into the whistle register, artistic reinventions, and incorporating controversial themes into her music. Referred to as the "Voice of a Generation", she was also named a Disney Legend, in recognition for her contributions to The Walt Disney Company.

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

American singer Christina Aguilera has released nine studio albums, four extended plays (EPs), four compilation albums, one soundtrack album, 54 singles, and 17 promotional singles. After releasing the duet "All I Wanna Do" with Keizo Nakanishi in 1997 and later gaining recognition for her solo musical debut with "Reflection", the theme song for the Disney animated film Mulan (1998), Aguilera signed a multi-album contract with RCA Records in 1998.

<i>Bionic</i> (Christina Aguilera album) 2010 studio album by Christina Aguilera

Bionic is the sixth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on June 4, 2010, by RCA Records. Inspired by Aguilera's taste for electronic music, Bionic is characterized as an electropop, futurepop and R&B record. The first half consists of electronic songs incorporating synthesizers and electronic beats, while the second half displays a balladic production. The album's main themes include sex and feminism.

"Bionic" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera, taken from her sixth studio album of the same name (2010). The song was written by Aguilera, Kalenna Harper, John Hill and Switch, while production was done by the latter two. "Bionic" is an electronic number and has garnered comparisons to works by artists including Santigold and Janet Jackson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not Myself Tonight</span> 2010 single by Christina Aguilera

"Not Myself Tonight" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera for her sixth studio album Bionic (2010). It was released by RCA Records as the lead single from the album on April 2, 2010. Produced by Jamal Jones a.k.a. Polow da Don and co-written in collaboration with Greg Curtis, Ester Dean and Jason Perry, "Not Myself Tonight" is an electropop, electro-R&B and dance-pop song, which explores Aguilera's adoption of different personas on the dance floor.

"Woohoo" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera featuring rapper Nicki Minaj. The song was written by Aguilera, Onika Maraj, Claude Kelly, Ester Dean and Jamal "Polow da Don" Jones, and produced by Polow da Don, for Aguilera's sixth studio album, Bionic (2010). "Woohoo" was serviced to rhythmic contemporary crossover airplay as the album's second radio single on May 25, 2010. The song, which samples the 1972 song "Add már uram az esőt" by Hungarian singer Kati Kovács, is about oral sex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Lost Me</span> 2010 single by Christina Aguilera

"You Lost Me" is a song by American recording artist Christina Aguilera from her sixth studio album Bionic (2010). It was written by Aguilera, Sia, and producer Samuel Dixon. "You Lost Me" was released on June 25, 2010 by RCA Records as the third single from Bionic. The track is a down-tempo ballad that talks about an unfaithful man, who has left Aguilera's world "infected".

<i>Burlesque</i> (soundtrack) 2010 soundtrack album by Christina Aguilera and Cher

Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the film of the same name, released by Screen Gems, Inc and RCA Records on November 19, 2010. The soundtrack consists of ten songs sung by the film's stars, American singers Christina Aguilera and Cher; Aguilera sang eight of the tracks, while Cher performed the remaining two. The album is inspired by jazz music style, in style with Aguilera's fifth studio album Back to Basics (2006), but contrasting to her then-recent release Bionic (2010), which was recorded concurrently with Burlesque. Burlesque served as Cher's first album since the release of Living Proof nine years earlier.

"Express" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for the accompanying soundtrack album to her film Burlesque (2010). Written by Aguilera, C. "Tricky" Stewart and Claude Kelly and was produced by Stewart, "Express" is an uptempo electropop number. The track premiered on November 3, 2010 on On Air with Ryan Seacrest to promote the soundtrack. It was also released to Italian radio as a single on November 12, 2010, and to Australian radio on December 6.

"Show Me How You Burlesque" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for the accompanying soundtrack album to the film Burlesque (2010), which stars Aguilera. It was written by Aguilera, C. "Tricky" Stewart and Claude Kelly and was produced by Stewart. The song was released for digital download onto iTunes Store in 2010. Before being released, a demo version of the track, entitled "Spotlight" was leaked online.

"Elastic Love" is a song recorded by American recording artist Christina Aguilera, taken from her sixth studio album, Bionic (2010). The song was written by Aguilera, M.I.A., John Hill and Switch, while production was handled by the latter two. Originally, "Elastic Love" was recorded by M.I.A., but later it was given to Aguilera. However, M.I.A. was disappointed when Aguilera didn't want to do her "trademark warbling" in the studio. "Elastic Love" is an electro and electropop song with strong elements from 1980s new wave music. Lyrically, Aguilera compares her love to office supplies, from paperclips to rubber-bands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Your Body (Christina Aguilera song)</span> 2012 single by Christina Aguilera

"Your Body" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). It was written by Savan Kotecha, Max Martin, Shellback and Tiffany Amber, while its production was done by Martin and Shellback. RCA Records premiered the song on On Air with Ryan Seacrest on September 14, 2012, and later sent it to US contemporary hit and rhythmic radio stations two days later as the lead single from Lotus. "Your Body" is an R&B, electro, EDM and pop number with elements from dubstep and Eurodance. Its lyrics express Aguilera's desire to have sex with an anonymous partner.

<i>Lotus</i> (Christina Aguilera album) 2012 studio album by Christina Aguilera

Lotus is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera. RCA Records released the album on November 9, 2012. The album is Aguilera’s first effort following her divorce from Jordan Bratman. Its music incorporates pop styles with elements of dance-pop and rock in the form of upbeat songs and piano-driven ballads. Aguilera described the album as a "rebirth", drawing inspiration from events in her life, her appearance on The Voice, and her divorce. The album was recorded at Aguilera's home studio. As executive producer, she collaborated with a wide range of producers, including new partners Alex da Kid, Max Martin, Lucas Secon and Tracklacers.

"Army of Me" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera for her seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). It was co-written by Aguilera with Jamie Hartman, David Glass and Phil Bentley, with production done by Hartman and Tracklacers. Described by Aguilera as part two to her 2003 single "Fighter", she decided to record the song so that her newer, younger fans would have an empowering song to listen in case they were unfamiliar with her previous work. The song combines dance-pop and Eurodance genres; its instrumentation incorporates drum beats and rock guitars. "Army of Me" garnered mixed reviews from music critics. Many praised Aguilera's strong delivery of the song's message and branded it a potential single, while others criticized it for being too similar to "Fighter". Upon the release of Lotus, the song debuted on the South Korea international singles chart at number 103 with digital download sales of 2,689. Aguilera has performed the song at the 40th American Music Awards in the United States.

"Make the World Move" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). It features guest vocals from Cee Lo Green. The song was written by Alexander Grant, Mike Del Rio, Candice Pillay, Jayson DeZuzio, Dwayne Abernathy and Armando Trovajoli. Musically, the track is an up–tempo inspirational song, which combines dance, R&B and soul genres. Lyrically, it is a positive attitude song which features horns and synthesizers as part of its instrumentation.

"Let There Be Love" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). It was written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, with additional writing from Bonnie McKee, Oliver Goldstein, Oscar Holter and Jakke Erixson. Having originally collaborated with other producers in her earlier works, Aguilera stated that the "full circle" her career had taken became the right time to work with Martin. The song combines dance-pop, EDM and pop music genres, and is influenced by electronica and trance. Its instrumentation incorporates synths, drums and electronics.

"Blank Page" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera, taken from her seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). It was written by Aguilera, Chris Braide and Sia, with production done by Braide. Aguilera had worked with Furler on her previous two albums Bionic and Burlesque, both released in 2010. Following the release of Lotus, Aguilera revealed that Furler is one of her favorite people to work with and that she is very inspiring.

"Just a Fool" is a duet recorded by American singer songwriters Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton for Aguilera's seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). The track was written by Claude Kelly, Wayne Hector, and its producer Steve Robson. "Just a Fool" was sent to contemporary hit and hot adult contemporary radio stations in the United States by RCA Records as the second and final single from the album on December 4, 2012. The song is a country pop ballad which discusses the pain of a break-up.

<i>Liberation</i> (Christina Aguilera album) 2018 studio album by Christina Aguilera

Liberation is the eighth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. The album was released on June 15, 2018, through RCA Records. It is Aguilera's first studio album in six years, following her seventh studio album Lotus (2012). The album was Aguilera's last album under RCA Records as she parted ways in 2024. The singer started recording the album in late 2014, and throughout 2015 and 2017, Aguilera collaborated with a handful of producers and songwriters to reach her desired sound; Pharrell Williams and Linda Perry were in the studio in early stages and ended up not being on the album, while new collaborators such as Anderson .Paak, Kanye West, Che Pope, Mike Dean and Tayla Parx were confirmed to be on the album. It features collaborations with Demi Lovato, Keida, Shenseea, GoldLink, Ty Dolla Sign, 2 Chainz, and Lewis Hamilton under the pseudonym "XNDA".

References

  1. 1 2 "Christina Aguilera & Le Tigre – 'I Hate Boys' 'My Girls' – Stereogum". Stereogum. May 25, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Simon, Leslie (May 27, 2010). "Song You Need To Know: Christina Aguilera, 'I Hate Boys'". MTV Buzzworthy. Archived from the original on May 31, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  3. ↑ Wood, Mikael (May 14, 2010). "Christina Aguilera: 'Bionic' Billboard Cover Story And Video". Billboard . Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "iTunes – Music – I Hate Boys – Single by Christina Aguilera". iTunes Store (AU). 3 September 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 "iTunes – Music – I Hate Boys – Single by Christina Aguilera". iTunes Store (NZ). Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  6. 1 2 "Australian Music Report Weekly Hot 100". Aumreport.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2010. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  7. ↑ "I Hate Boys". AllMusic . Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  8. ↑ "I Hate Boys by Christina Aguilera Songfacts". Songfacts. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  9. ↑ Rubin, Michael (June 6, 2010). "Attack of the CLones". 34th Street Magazine . Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved April 12, 2020. For some reason, Bionic ends with a three-song coda then ventures back to electro-pop.
  10. 1 2 3 Bain, Becky (May 25, 2010). "Xtina's 'Elastic Love' Rocks—But You'll Have To Wait To See It Live". Idolator. SpinMedia . Retrieved May 17, 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  11. ↑ Newman, Melinda (June 7, 2010). "Review: Christina Aguilera's 'Bionic' shows a machine-like workmanship". HitFix. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  12. ↑ Fekadu, Mesfin (June 7, 2010). "Review: Aguilera has an identity crisis on new CD". The Boston Globe . The New York Times Company . Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Album review: Christina Aguilera, Bionic". The Scotsman . Johnston Press. June 6, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  14. ↑ Stewart, Allison (June 7, 2010). "Christina Aguilera's new album 'Bionic' is a mish-mash of Gaga and blah". The Washington Post . Retrieved June 7, 2010.
  15. ↑ Zoladz, Lindsay (June 21, 2010). "Record Review: Christina Aguilera – Bionic". Cokemachineglow . CMG. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  16. ↑ TJ (May 17, 2010). "New Music: Christina Aguilera Declares "I Hate Boys" On New 'Bionic' Track". Neon Limelight. Archived from the original on October 5, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  17. ↑ Stern, Bradley (June 7, 2012). "Christina Aguilera: Bionic (Album Review)". MuuMuse. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  18. ↑ Kot, Greg (June 7, 2010). "Turn It Up: Album review: Christina Aguilera, 'Bionic'". Chicago Tribune . Tribune Company. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Christina Aguilera: Bionic | Music Review". Slant Magazine. June 2, 2010. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
  20. ↑ Megarry, Daniel (June 4, 2020). "10 years on, Christina Aguilera's Bionic proves it really was ahead of its time". Gay Times . Gay Times Ltd. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  21. ↑ Wass, Mike (June 8, 2020). "10 Years Of Christina Aguilera's 'Bionic'". Idolator . Hive Media. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  22. ↑ (2010) Liner notes of Bionic by Christina Aguilera. RCA Records.
  23. ↑ "South Korea Gaon International Chart (Week: July 6, 2010 to July 12, 2010)". Gaon Chart. July 12, 2010. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Christina Aguilera – I Hate Boys – Issue 793". The Music Network . June 28, 2010. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
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.