Boyfriend (Selena Gomez song) explained

Boyfriend
Type:single
Artist:Selena Gomez
Album:Rare (Deluxe)
Recorded:November 19, 2019[1]
Label:Interscope
Producer:The Roommates
Prev Title:Rare
Prev Year:2020
Next Title:Past Life
Next Year:2020

"Boyfriend" is a song by American singer Selena Gomez, included on the deluxe edition of her third studio album Rare (2020). The song was released as the album’s fourth and final single overall on April 9, 2020.

Background

Gomez wrote "Boyfriend" after having a text message conversation with co-writer Julia Michaels. "I want a boyfriend" was the original title of the song.[2] Gomez first revealed the song in an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on January 14, 2020, where she said it was an unreleased song from Rare.[3] She later announced the song would appear on the deluxe edition of Rare on April 6, 2020.[4] The next day she teased the song's lyrics "There's a difference between a want and a need. Some nights I just want more than me" on social media.[5] She wrote about the song's background saying:

Many of you know how excited I have been to release a song called 'Boyfriend.' It's a lighthearted song about falling down and getting back up time and time again in love, but also knowing that you don't need anyone other than yourself to be happy. We wrote it long before our current crisis, but in the context of today, I want to be clear that a boyfriend is nowhere near the top of my list of priorities. Just like the rest of the world, I'm praying for safety, unity and recovery during this pandemic.[6]

Composition

The song features a house beat[7] and an electropop pre-chorus.[8] In terms of music notation, "Boyfriend" was composed using common time, with a tempo of 92 beats per minute.[9] Gomez's vocal range spans from the low note of G3 to the high note of E5.

Music videos

The official music video premiered on YouTube on April 10, 2020. It features Gomez meeting boys in choosing who will be her new lover, but she realizes the boys are not sincere. Hence, Gomez uses magic perfume that transforms the boys into frogs and then puts them into a small cage and takes the boys who are turned into frogs with her to the car.[10] It was directed by Matty Peacock.[11] The video was nominated for Best Art Direction at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards.[12] Billboard named it one of the best music videos of 2020.[13]

Doll version

A doll music video for the song, directed by a fan, was released on April 29, 2020.[14]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[15]

Charts

Chart (2020)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[16] 54
Estonia (Eesti Ekspress)[17] 36
France (SNEP)[18] 159
Greece (IFPI)[19] 29
Lithuania (AGATA)[20] 22
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[21] 17
Netherlands (Single Tip)[22] 7
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[23] 1
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[24] 3

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormatLabel
VariousApril 9, 2020Interscope[25]
AustraliaApril 13, 2020Contemporary hit radioUniversal[26]
RussiaApril 17, 2020[27]
United KingdomInterscope[28]
ItalyMay 1, 2020Universal[29]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Selena Gomez's 'Boyfriend' Music Video Is Like The Bachelorette With A Dark Twist. Bailey. Alyssa. April 10, 2020. Elle. April 11, 2020.
  2. Selena Gomez's New Song 'Boyfriend' Was Born From a Text Message. Rowley. Glenn. April 10, 2020. Billboard. April 11, 2020.
  3. Web site: Selena Gomez Reacts to Wizards of Waverly Place Theme Inspiring Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy". The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. January 14, 2020. YouTube. April 9, 2020.
  4. selenagomez . 1247255304196067329 . The deluxe version of Rare, featuring 'Boyfriend,' 'She' and 'Souvenir,' is out April 9. You can presave it now and learn more about how to donate to the PLUS1 COVID-19 Fund in at the link in my bio. . April 6, 2020 . April 9, 2020.
  5. selenagomez . 1247616361775239168 . There’s a difference between a want and a need. Some nights I just want more than me. April 7, 2020 . April 9, 2020.
  6. Selena Gomez Unveils Deluxe Edition of 'Rare' With Three Unreleased Tracks: Listen. Kaufman. Gil. April 9, 2020. Billboard. April 9, 2020.
  7. Web site: Selena Gomez's Three New Rare Songs: Breaking Down The Fresh Bops. https://web.archive.org/web/20200411192049/http://www.mtv.com/news/3162682/selena-gomez-rare-deluxe-edition-boyfriend-souvenir-she/. dead. April 11, 2020. Roth. Madeline. April 9, 2020. MTV. April 11, 2020.
  8. Web site: Selena Gomez Goes Back to Her Wizard Ways by Turning Dates Into Frogs in "Boyfriend" Video. Pierre. Mekishana. April 10, 2020. PopSugar. April 11, 2020.
  9. Web site: Selena Gomez "Boyfriend" Sheet Music in D Major. April 10, 2020 . Musicnotes.com. April 11, 2020.
  10. Selena Gomez Endures Endless Bad Dates in Twisty 'Boyfriend' Video. Spanos. Brittany. Brittany Spanos. April 10, 2020. Rolling Stone. April 11, 2020.
  11. Selena Gomez's 'Boyfriend' Video Involves a Bunch of Frogs and It's Pure Art. Rowley. Glenn. April 10, 2020. Billboard. April 11, 2020.
  12. Web site: Mauch . Ally . Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga Lead 2020 VMA Noms as Show Introduces New Categories amid Pandemic . People . July 31, 2020 . EN.
  13. Billboard Staff. December 9, 2020. The 25 Best Music Videos of 2020. Billboard.
  14. Selena Gomez's 'Boyfriend' Video Re-Created Entirely With Dolls: Watch. Billboard. Rowley. Glenn. April 29, 2020. April 29, 2020.
  15. Web site: Credits / Rare (Deluxe) / Selena Gomez - TIDAL. Tidal. April 9, 2020.
  16. The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 20 April 2020. Australian Recording Industry Association. 1572. April 20, 2020.
  17. Web site: EESTI TIPP-40 MUUSIKAS: nublul on uus esikohahitt. Eesti Ekspress. Estonian. April 22, 2020.
  18. Web site: Top Singles (Week 16, 2020). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. French. 21 April 2020.
  19. Web site: Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 16/2020. IFPI Greece. May 1, 2020.
  20. Web site: 2020 16-os SAVAITĖS (balandžio 10-16 d.) SINGLŲ TOP100. AGATA. Lithuanian. April 17, 2020. April 17, 2020.
  21. Web site: Tipparade-lijst van week 18, 2020. Dutch. Tip parade list from week 18, 2020. Dutch Top 40. May 1, 2020.
  22. Web site: Dutchcharts.nl – Selena Gomez – Boyfriend. MegaCharts. Dutch. April 24, 2020.
  23. Web site: NZ Hot Singles Chart. Recorded Music NZ. April 20, 2020. April 18, 2020.
  24. Web site: Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 16. Sverigetopplistan. April 17, 2020.
  25. Web site: Rare (Deluxe) by Selena Gomez. Apple Music. April 9, 2020.
  26. Web site: Singles to Radio . . April 13, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200413154759/https://themusicnetwork.com/charts/issues/1284/1284-singles-to-radio/ . April 13, 2020 . Australia . live.
  27. Web site: Selena Gomez — Boyfriend . .
  28. Web site: BBC - Radio 1 Playlist. BBC. April 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200417124841/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3tqPdBWF9yMbTrfjWvfKV8t/radio-1-playlist. April 17, 2020.
  29. Web site: Selena Gomez "Boyfriend" . April 28, 2020 . radiodate.it.

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

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.