Boyfriend (Mabel song) explained

Boyfriend
Type:single
Cover:Mabel - Boyfriend.png
Artist:Mabel
Recorded:2019
Genre:Pop
Label:Polydor
Producer:Steve Mac
Chronology:Mabel
Prev Title:Loneliest Time of Year
Prev Year:2019
Boyfriend
Year:2020
Next Title:West Ten
Next Year:2020

"Boyfriend" is a song by English singer Mabel, released on 26 February 2020. The song appears as a digital reissue bonus track on Mabel's debut studio album High Expectations (2019). "Boyfriend" samples "Remember Me" (1997) by Blue Boy which in turn sampled "Woman of the Ghetto" (1969) by Marlena Shaw.[1]

Background

Mabel announced the song's release on 21 February 2020.[2] She described the song as "wanting someone in your life doesn't mean you can't still be dat bitchh".[3]

Composition

Musically, "Boyfriend" is an empowering upbeat pop anthem with a bumping production.[4] [5] [6] Lyrically, the song sees Mabel wanting a boyfriend, but saying how she doesn't necessarily need one: "I want a boyfriend... Even though a man ain't something I need".

This song is written in the key of B minor and has a tempo of 100 beats per minute.

Music video

The song's accompanying music video was directed by Isaac Rentz and was released on 26 February 2020.[7] [8] According to Mabel the video for "Boyfriend" was inspired by late American singer Aaliyah.[9] It sees Mabel make her ideal boyfriend in an underground computer laboratory. It is a gender-reverse flip of the 1985 film Weird Science.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[10]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2020)Peak
position
Croatia (HRT)[11] 55
Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard)[12] 27
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[13] 38
Romania (Airplay 100)<--Please do not change this to Romanian Top 100 or Media Forest. The Airplay 100 is Romania's national singles chart from 2012 onwards. For further information, see WP:GOODCHARTS-->[14] 53
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[15] 5

Year-end charts

Chart (2020)Position
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[16] 100
UK Singles (OCC)[17] 73

Release history

RegionDateFormatVersionLabel
Various26 February 2020OriginalPolydor
United Kingdom28 February 2020Contemporary hit radio[18]
Australia2 March 2020Universal[19]
Italy6 March 2020[20]
Various27 March 2020Tiësto RemixPolydor[21]
3 April 2020Endor Remix[22]
10 April 2020Digital Farm Animals & Franklin Remix[23]
1 May 2020Remixes EP[24]
12 June 2020Acoustic[25]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mabel delivers powerful message of self empowerment on 'Boyfriend'. 2020-02-26. NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs NME.COM. en-AU. 2020-02-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20200227225737/https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/music/mabel-new-single-boyfriend-self-empowerment-2615072. 2020-02-27. live.
  2. Mabel. 1230915120034873349. NEW MUSIC LOADINGGGGGG ARE YOU READY?! 26.02 https://Mabel.lnk.to/BoyfriendPreSave ...pic.twitter.com/GO2iaHvtmh. 21 February 2020. 27 February 2020.
  3. Web site: Mabel explains message behind new single Boyfriend. www.officialcharts.com. en. 2020-02-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20200226130448/https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/mabel-releases-new-single-boyfriend-and-explains-its-message-of-self-empowerment__28847/. 2020-02-26. live.
  4. Web site: Mabel Releases Anthemic New Single "Boyfriend" uDiscover. Stavropoulos. Laura. 2020-02-26. uDiscover Music. en-US. 2020-02-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20200227055226/https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/mabel-releases-new-single-boyfriend/. 2020-02-27. live.
  5. Web site: Mabel Makes Her '90s Aaliyah Dreams Come True In "Boyfriend" Video. Roth. Madeline. MTV News. en. 2020-02-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20200227055557/http://www.mtv.com/news/3157784/mabel-boyfriend-video/. 2020-02-27. dead.
  6. Web site: Mabel Releases Brand New Single, "Boyfriend". Umusic. en-US. 2020-02-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20200227225739/http://www.umusic.ca/press-releases/mabel-releases-brand-new-single-boyfriend/. 2020-02-27. live.
  7. Web site: Pick Up the Phone: Mabel Wants a 'Boyfriend'. 2020-02-26. MuuMuse. 2020-02-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20200227225737/https://muumuse.com/2020/02/mabel-boyfriend-video.html/. 2020-02-27. live.
  8. Web site: Mabel - Boyfriend (Official Video). MabelVEVO. Feb 26, 2020. YouTube. 28 February 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20200301093736/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi3c-9qzrPY. 1 March 2020. live.
  9. Web site: Mabel Makes Her '90s Aaliyah Dreams Come True In 'Boyfriend' Video. 2020-02-26. MTV News. 2020-03-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20200315104405/http://www.mtv.com/news/3157784/mabel-boyfriend-video/. 2020-03-15. dead.
  10. Web site: Boyfriend / Mabel. Tidal. 27 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200227225736/https://listen.tidal.com/album/132431788/credits. 27 February 2020. live.
  11. Web site: Croatia ARC TOP 100. HRT. 9 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200324072420/https://radio.hrt.hr/clanak/arc-100-datum-23-ozujka-2020/224923/. 24 March 2020. live.
  12. Web site: Mabel Chart History: Mexico Ingles Airplay. Billboard. 8 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20191204053255/https://www.billboard.com/music/Mabel/chart-history/MIN. 4 December 2019. live.
  13. Web site: NZ Hot Singles Chart. Recorded Music NZ. 9 March 2020. 7 March 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200319193321/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/hotsingles?chart=4828. 19 March 2020. live.
  14. News: Top Airplay 100 - Saint Jhn face legea!. Top Airplay 100 – Saint Jhn makes the rules!. Arvunescu, Victor. 27 April 2020. 29 April 2020. Romanian. Un site de muzică.
  15. Web site: Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 10. Sverigetopplistan. 7 March 2020.
  16. Web site: Rádiós Top 100 - hallgatottsági adatok alapján - 2020. 4 February 2021. Mahasz.
  17. Web site: End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2020. Official Charts Company. 5 January 2021.
  18. Web site: BBC - Radio 1 Playlist. BBC. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200228150435/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3tqPdBWF9yMbTrfjWvfKV8t/radio-1-playlist. 2020-02-28. 2020-02-28.
  19. Web site: Singles To Radio. The Music Network. 2020-03-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20200302200336/https://themusicnetwork.com/charts/issues/1278/1278-singles-to-radio/. 2020-03-02. live.
  20. Web site: MABEL "Boyfriend" (Radio Date: 06/03/2020). radiodate.it. en. 2020-03-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20200303221422/http://radiodate.it/radio-date/mabel-boyfriend-200270-06-03-2020-radiodate/. 2020-03-03. live.
  21. Web site: Boyfriend (Tiësto Remix) - Single by Mabel on Apple Music. 27 March 2020. Apple Music. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200327222956/https://music.apple.com/us/album/boyfriend-ti%25C3%25ABsto-remix-single/1502708648. 27 March 2020. 27 March 2020.
  22. Web site: Boyfriend (Endor Remix) - Single. Apple Music. 10 April 2020.
  23. Web site: Boyfriend (Digital Farm Animals & Franklin Remix) - Single. Apple Music. 10 April 2020.
  24. Web site: Boyfriend (Remixes) - EP by Mabel on Apple Music. Apple Music. 21 February 2021.
  25. Web site: Boyfriend (Acoustic) - Single by Mabel on Apple Music. Apple Music. 21 February 2021.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Boyfriend (Mabel song)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.