Run the World (Girls)
Encyclopedia
"Run the World" is a song performed by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles
. It was written by Terius "The-Dream" Nash
, Knowles, Nick "Afrojack" van de Wall
, Wesley "Diplo" Pentz, David "Switch" Taylor
, and Adidja Palmer
and produced by Switch, The-Dream, Knowles and Shea Taylor. The song's development was motivated by the fact that Knowles wanted something different – a mixture of different cultures and eras, a new sound, and a message which would give women strength. An unedited demo
of the song, then thought to be titled "Girls (Who Run the World)", was leaked on the internet on April 18, 2011. "Run the World" was officially released on April 21, 2011 as the lead single
from Knowles' fourth studio album, 4
(2011).
The song samples of "Pon de Floor
" by Major Lazer
, following the same alternative hip hop
-dancehall
genres, mixed with Knowles' pop and R&B styles. The song's title and lyrics comprise an unapologetically aggressive message promoting female empowerment
. "Run the World" initially divided critics; some complimented the song's sample and Knowles' aggressiveness while others criticized the song's musical direction. Several critics compared "Run the World" to other singles released by Knowles with similar themes such as "Independent Women" (2000), "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
" (2008), and "Diva
" (2009), stating that "Run the World" takes a more direct and assertive approach towards female empowerment.
The single reached number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100
chart, and reached the top ten in Australia, Belgium, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland and South Korea. "Run the World" was also a top twenty hit in Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Francis Lawrence
and was filmed in California
in three days. It received widespread critical acclaim, with critics affirming that Knowles started a dance revolution and favoring the heavily-choreographed visuals of the music video.
Knowles promoted the song with high-profile live performances, notably at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards
and on the French X Factor
. Although her performance at the Billboard Music Awards was well received by critics, it ignited controversy surrounding the production due to visual similarities to a performance by Italian pop star Lorella Cuccarini
in February 2010 at the 60th Sanremo Music Festival in Italy. "Run the World" was used to awake the crew of the final mission
of the US Space Shuttle
Atlantis
and was dedicated to Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus
. Heather Morris, covered "Run the World" for the American television show Glee
episode "Asian F
".
in early March 2011, Shea Taylor confirmed that 4 lead single
would premiere at the end of April. "Run the World" was written by Terius Nash
, Knowles, Nick van de Wall
, Thomas Wesley Pentz, Dave Taylor
, and Adidja Palmer
. It was produced by Switch, The-Dream, Knowles and Taylor. "Run the World" was recorded by DJ Swivel and Pat Thrall
at MSR Studios, New York City, and was mixed by Serban Ghenea
at MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach. Before release, the song's title was rumored to be "Girls (Who Run the World)". On April 14, 2011, two portions of the song leaked online
while an unfinished demo
of "Run the World (Girls)" was leaked online on April 18, 2011.
After having been awarded the Millennium Award by Billboard
in early May 2011, recognizing her career achievements and influence in the music industry, Knowles was interviewed by the monthly magazine; she discussed her solo career and her fourth studio album. When asked about the boldness of "Run the World", Knowles said:
Between June 16 and June 27, 2011, one song from 4 each day was available to listen to on Knowles' official website, together with its accompanying photographs from the album packaging and a quote. On June 27, 2011, "Run the World (Girls)" was the twelfth song to be made available. In the accompanying quote, Knowles said: "I try to write songs that will bring out the best in all of us and keep us close together. I think about saying the things that women want to say but sometimes are not confident enough to say. I am going to continue to write those songs that give women strength."
on iTunes Store
s worldwide the same day. According to Digital Spy
, the single was available on iTunes, and podcast
service Concrete Loop, without payment a few hours before its official release "Run the World (Girls)" was released to mainstream
, urban contemporary
and urban adult contemporary
radio on April 26, 2011. According to MTV News
, "Run the World (Girls)" was well received by Knowles' fans on Twitter
. A Digital EP
with three remixes of the song was released in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the UK, on September 2, 2011.
The cover art
for "Run the World (Girls)" was previewed on April 20, 2011. On the cover, Knowles strikes a bold pose while standing in sand. With her fist in the air covered in forearm protectors, Knowles wears a hip cut draping yellow Emilio Pucci
dress and black stiletto boots. The Los Angeles Times
wrote that the photograph points to a "...post-apocalyptic war zone, donning an elaborate gold headdress and holding a red flag emblazoned with a black 'B'." The photograph was taken on April 14, 2011. Tray Hova of Vibe magazine complimented the cover art of the single, stating that Knowles looks "...resplendent as hell" on the cover and that "Nobody's complaining about Bey season here." Eleanor Young, in Marie Claire
, described the cover art as "...sizzling". Ray Rogers of Billboard stated that Knowles "...clearly transmits her trademark message of female empowerment".. Becky Bain of Idolator
described the cover as "...pretty disappointing", and that, with a "...ballistic, over-the-top club banger" song like "Run the World (Girls)", she expected something more than a body shot of Knowles, and criticized the cover for being confusing regarding the location of the photography. However, Bain complimented Knowles on her choice of stilettos as "...serious business".
and pop
song. Jocelyn Vena of MTV News described the song as a "...club banger" and "...female empowerment/girl power type of song", like several of Knowles' previous singles, including "Independent Women" (2000)—with Destiny's Child
—and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
" (2008). Shea Taylor said that the track draws more from pop music than R&B, and is reminiscent of Michael Jackson
's prime work. "Run the World (Girls)" also incorporates dancehall
influences in the tradition of "Get Me Bodied
" (2007). The "...high energy" song contains elements of go-go, and is set to a marching militaristic drum
beat sampled from the club song, "Pon de Floor
" by Major Lazer
and Vybz Kartel
. "Run the World" also consists of heavy synth pangs
and sharp Africa
n percussion
is represented by intense, band-style drumming.
A review in The Huffington Post
, and Kevin O'Donnell of Spin
magazine, noted that "Run the World (Girls)" features "...shout vocals" and "...raw chanting". In an interview with Ray Rogers of Billboard, Knowles stated that this was something she wanted to showcase in 4: "I used a lot of the brassiness and grittiness in my voice that people hear in my live performances, but not necessarily on my records." Kathy McCabe of Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph
likened "Run the World" to "Single Ladies" and "Diva
" (2009). Johnston Breihan of The Village Voice
compared "Run the World (Girls)" to schoolyard chants, due to its "...cheer-team beats" and the repetitive use of the word "Girls". Billboard magazine's critic Jem Aswad described the song's production, lyrics and Knowles' vocals:
Rap-Up
stated that Knowles is dominant over men in "Run the World". Bill Lamb of About.com
described the song's lyrics as a declaration that women run the world. "Run the World" opens with a short piano solo and a heavy beat. Knowles chants: "Girls! / We run this mutha / Girls! / Who run the world."the song moves into smoother, more persuasive but still boastful lyrics: "I think I need a barber/ None of these ho's can fight me/ I'm so good with this/ I remind you I'm so 'hood with this." The song then features a breakdown
, which serves as its bridge
. With gooey harmonies and sultry vocals, Knowles affirms that her "...persuasion can build a nation". She then delivers the repetitive hook
and chorus lines
. In the second verse, Knowles sings that education gives women strength and independence. Other lyrics of this theme include the line: "...smart enough to make these millions, strong enough to bear the children, then get back to business." Jocelyn Vena of MTV News said that Knowles sings in her signature staccato
style on the second verse of the song. She repeats the chorus after the bridge lines and her vocals fade out as the song finishes.
magazine described "Run the World (Girls)" as "...kind of a monster — aggressive and intense and totally committed". He also called the song "...declarative" and felt that as a lead single
, it was "...bluntly effective." Rap-Up described its beat as "...hypnotizing". Matt Donnelly of The Los Angeles Times
compared "Run the World (Girls)" to several of Knowles' previous singles, stating that the song has a "...harder edge" than "Independent Women Pt. 1", nevertheless, it does not contain "...the gritty, futuristic chic" of "Diva
" (2009). Latifah Muhammad of AOL
's The Boombox commented that "Run the World (Girls)" took a different route for Knowles, stating that its message was "...much more unapologetically aggressive" than that of "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". Complimenting its beat, Muhammad wrote that Knowles remains "...draped fittingly" beneath the song's "...insistent marching beat." Jenna Clarke of The Sydney Morning Herald
called it an "...infectious sounding track" having a "..catchy dance beat" with "...empowering lyrics" and that the song showcases "..a grittier sounding Beyoncé", yet still following the "power footsteps" of her other chart topping hits such as "Single Ladies" and "Crazy In Love" (2003). Kevin O'Donnell of Spin
magazine described the song as "...a rousing girl power anthem", which resembles "Single Ladies" and "If I Were a Boy
" (2008), and that "Run The World (Girls)" is "...far rowdier" than any of those songs because of its "...synth squiggles and raw chanting." Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post
considered "Run the World (Girls)" to be "...one of the most exciting tracks" Knowles has ever released. Bill Lamb of About.com
awarded "Run the World (Girls)" four and a half stars out of five, commenting that it seamlessly works as "...a natural progression" for Knowles' music from her work with Destiny's Child
onwards, further writing:
Jocelyn Vena of MTV News called "Run the World (Girls)" a "...sassy [song with] girl-power lyrics paired with [a] club appeal", further writing that the song is "...loud and proud in its relentless message", and that Knowles "...is clearly rallying the troops to her side". Andrew Winistorfer of Prefix Magazine said that some listeners will consider themselves "...to be too cool for Beyoncé", and would "...hate this before [they] hear it." Winistorfer also wrote that "Run the World (Girls)" reminded him of Rihanna
in 2004 and that those who had not realized that "..women are powerful via a Beyoncé song, [will] never learn." Nick Minichind of VH1
lauded the song for several pointed comments on empowerment which according to him, "...are skillfully weaved into the lyrics, without feeling out of place." He also wrote that "Run the World (Girls)" restores girls' own subjectivity and that the bridge shows a "...practically Cleopatra-channeling Beyoncé." Lewis Corner from Digital Spy
described "Run the World (Girls)" as "...yet another female-empowerment revolution that is sure to dominate dancefloors this summer". Robert Copsey, also writing for Digital Spy, awarded the song four stars out of five, complimenting the "...earthy beats, hypnotising hooks and militant drums pound[ing] relentlessly as Queen B declares it's 'GRLZ who run this mutha' with more woman-friendly conviction than Geri Halliwell
at a Spice Girls
convention circa 1998." He also added that "...with no identifiable structure, the uber-trendy, uber-squiggly Major Lazer 'Pon De Floor' sample is free to roam as it sees fit; adding up to an aggressive, head-spinning and ferocious club stomper. Tom Breihan of Pitchfork Media
wrote that "Run the World (Girls)" is "...as devotedly pro-female as the title would lead you to expect", and is "..as dancefloor-directed" as Knowles gets, in the tradition of "Get Me Bodied" and "Single Ladies".
"Run the World (Girls)" also garnered mixed reviews from critics who, while commending Knowles for taking risks, agreed that the song was too divergent from her previous work. Slant Magazine
's Sal Cinquemani wrote "[Knowles] misses the mark big time here" and called the song "...plain daft". He, however, praised the song's bridge, "...which features B's warm, gooey harmonies and the lyric 'My persuasion can build a nation.'" Despite lauding "Run the World (Girls)" for its "...demandingly aggressive message" and its "...club-status beat", Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly
noted the continuation of past themes, wrote that he wanted to see Knowles "...switching lanes a bit content-wise [...] She is fully capable of making a classic album as genius and relatable as Lauryn Hill
's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
." Adam Rosenberg of Rolling Stone
awarded the song three and a half stars out of five, writing that "From 'Independent Women' to 'Single Ladies', girl power has long been Beyoncé's Topic A, and 'Run the World (Girls)' is a blistering return to the theme. She forsakes fashionable sounds — no Eurodisco synths! — to belt over Diplo and Switch's ferocious dancehall beat. The message is party-hearty feminism. But with [Lady] Gaga, Britney [Spears], Katy [Perry], Rihanna and Taylor [Swift] all vying to be the queen of pop, you can bet Beyoncé is not looking to share the throne." Maura Johnston of The Village Voice
disapproved of the song's lack of structure, calling it "...a bit overstuffed, but fairly enjoyable". "Run the World (Girls)" received a Teen Choice Award for Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Track at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards
. It is also nominated for 'Best Single' at the 2011 Virgin Media
Music Awards.
outlets, the single debuted on the UK Singles Chart
at number 18 on April 24, 2011. A week later it had risen to number 11 and debuted at number five on the UK R&B chart. The song descended the chart for five consecutive weeks to number 45 before rising again to number 23 on the singles chart and from number 12 to number 6 on the R&B chart on May 29, 2011 when the music video was released. In Ireland, the single debuted at number 11 on April 28, 2011, the highest chart entry that week and in France, "Run the World (Girls)" debuted at number 33 with 2,065 copies sold. It peaked at number 12. On May 1, 2011, the song entered the Australian Singles Chart
at number 12, being the highest new entry that week, and at number six on its urban chart. One day later, "Run the World (Girls)" debuted at number 21 in New Zealand, where it was the highest new entry that week. "Run the World (Girls)" declined in the charts in Australia and New Zealand. However, after the release of its music video, the single rose from number 42 to number 15 on the ARIA Singles Chart and peaked at number 4 on its urban chart on May 30, 2011. The following week, it climbed to number 10 on the singles chart, where it peaked. It was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) for sales of over 70,000 copies. The video release helped "Run the World (Girls)" re-enter the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 26 on May 23, 2011 and it peaked the following week at number nine. "Run the World (Girls)" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ) for sales of over 7500 copies.
"Run the World (Girls)" debuted at number 40 on Canadian Hot 100
chart issue dated May 7, 2011. Paul Tuch of Nielsen SoundScan
called the debut "...impressive" as the song was released between digital and radio charts. It remains Knowles' highest entry as a solo artist on the chart. After declining in the chart for three consecutive weeks, "Run the World (Girls)" left the chart in the week ending May 28, 2011. For the week ending June 11, 2011, the single recovered from number number 60 to number 16 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart, becoming the greatest chart mover and the greatest digital gainer titles. For the issue dated May 7, 2011, "Run the World (Girls)" debuted at number 23 on the US Hot Digital Songs
chart with 77,000 downloads sold. It also debuted at position 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100
chart and debuted at number 65 on the Radio Songs
chart with 18 million listener impressions the same week. For the same issue date, "Run the World (Girls)" was the highest debut on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart, opening at number 41. The following week, the single declined 39% in downloads selling a total of 47,000, to number 39 on the Hot Digital Songs chart. It also fell to number 71 on the Radio Songs chart with 16.2 million listener impressions. The song fell to number 48 on the Hot 100 chart issue dated May 14, 2011. "Run the World (Girls)" was the highest debut starting at number 37 on the US Pop Songs chart issue dated May 21, 2011. For the same week ending, the song continued to descend the Hot 100 chart to number 65. One week later, the single debuted at number 43 on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart, becoming Knowles' nineteenth solo entry on that chart. The same week, the single fell to number 76 on the Hot 100 chart. After descending the Hot 100 chart for four consecutive weeks, "Run the World (Girls)" recovered 26 places, moving from number 76 to number 50 for the week ending June 4, 2011, promoted by the song's re-entry on the Hot Digital Songs chart at number 44 after the video's release. The following week, the single escalated to number 29 on the Hot 100 chart, which was its peak, as it descended the Hot 100 chart in subsequent weeks. "Run the World (Girls)" peaked at number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart issue dated July 9, 2011. As of June 29, 2011, "Run the World (Girls)" had sold 424,000 downloads. On July 29, 2011, the song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) for having sold of over half a million digital copies.
The music video for "Run the World (Girls)" was directed by Francis Lawrence
Knowles worked with eight choreographers, including Frank Gatson and Sheryl Murakami. The executive producer was Missy Galanida. Filming took place in the Mojave Desert
and Inglewood, California
. Images from the Mojave shoot were leaked online on April 12, 2011, showing Knowles standing in a smoky, post-apocalyptic war zone, wearing a gladiator outfit and a gold crown, and waving a red flag with a "B" logo. She was surrounded by dancers in brightly colored skirts, black military-style jackets and peaked caps. Other images showed an army of women posing against a ravaged car with the word "Révolution" sprayed on it. Posters of Knowles' face are seen behind the women. On April 13, more images were leaked, showing Knowles standing on sand wearing a bright yellow dress, black knee-high boots and gloves. On April 20, 2011, a teaser for the music video was released on Knowles' official website which described the video as a "B Revolution". It opened with dawn breaking behind a barbed-wire fence, cutting to the word "Révolution" painted in red on a broken-down car. Knowles then appeared riding a black horse. The video was filmed between April 11, 2011 and April 13, 2011. In an interview with MTV News on April 18, 2011, director Francis Lawrence discussed the music video:
On May 4, 2011, another 20-second clip of the music video was released, showing a troupe of females in a rural location, however Knowles is not seen during the clip. A third teaser was released on May 10, 2011, showing Knowles standing in front of a burning car, riding a horse and assembling an army in a post-apocalyptic clip. At a private listening party held on May 12, 2011 for 4, Knowles offered a small group of fans a preview of five songs from the album and the official video for "Run the World (Girls)", which reportedly features a lion and Knowles writhing around in sand. The video was scheduled for release on May 13, 2011 at 12:01 a.m, however Vevo
confirmed that the release would be delayed because Knowles was "...perfecting it". The video premiered on American Idol
on May 18, 2011. The director's cut of the music video is included on the deluxe version of 4. The video was released on July 1, 2011 but was leaked on June 29, 2011.
kwaito
dance group Tofo Tofo and French duo Les Twins
to appear in the video. Tofo Tofo taught Knowles native dance moves for the video's routine. Choreographer Frank Gatson told MTV News that the video was intended to reflect several genres of dance moves:
According to Billy John of Yahoo! Music
, the militaristic themes of the video for "Run the World (Girls)" borrow from Tina Turner
's 1979 film Mad Max
and Janet Jackson
's 1989 music video for "Rhythm Nation
". In most of the dancing, Knowles uses a minimalistic approach, sometimes focusing on a movement that accentuates the sample of "Pon de Floor"'s rapid dancehall rhythm. Knowles opens with "...an intricate, 20-second shoulder bounce" while other dances focus on her legs, feet, or hands; she varies her style between late 1980s hip hop, jazz, street and African moves. According to The Daily Mail
, part of "Run the World (Girls)"' dance routine seems to have been inspired by Riverdance
, an Irish stepdancing
stage show notable for its rapid leg movements and high scissor kicks while body and arms are kept largely stationary. Knowles reprises some of her previous videos including "Crazy In Love" (2003), "Baby Boy" (2003) and "Déjà Vu" (2006).
In her 2003 music video for "Crazy in Love", Jay-Z
throws a lighter on the floor, starting a fire along a trail of gasoline leading to a car. This scene was repeated for Knowles' 2009 music video for "Diva
" (2009) where Knowles throws a lighter. In the music video for "Run the World (Girls)", a car explodes while Knowles sings. According to The Guardian
, the music video also recalls the work of South African photographer Pieter Hugo
's images of Nigerian circus entertainers who perform with hyenas on chains, in a scene where Knowles holds two hyenas on chains. In an interview with the New York Post, Missy Galanida said that Knowles never had to hold the hyena and that no one was allowed on set when the hyena was being filmed. Francis Lawrence kept two hyenas on set, but used only one and did not make them wear chains, despite wanting to do so, because they were not allowed to do that. Galanida added: "They are actually the hardest animals to shoot, and the most dangerous, so you have to be very careful. We basically duplicated them and added the chains." The work of photographer, Ed Kashi
is echoed in sequences of buffalo, Knowles dancing on sand and cars burning.
from fall/winter 2010. For a dance routine in sand, she wears a black fringed Norma Kamali outfit, followed by a Givenchy dress in a scene depicting Knowles with two larger-than-life hyenas. During a scene involving warriors, Knowles is wearing a black cut-out dress shown at Jean Paul Gaultier's spring couture show. A short Gareth Pugh
dress with golden sequins and two gowns by Emilio Pucci
– one lime green with a plunging neckline, the other emerald green with an asymmetrical cut – complete Knowles' outfits.
team of men charge towards the battlefield as a sample from Major Lazer's "Pon de Floor" is played. As the male forces arrive, Knowles, is wearing a large golden helm and is surrounded by a lion, a large group of women prepared for battle and banners featuring Knowles insignia. As the song begins, Knowles removes her armor and confronts the male army, engaging in a series of shoulder-thrusting dance routines.
Knowles dances seductively towards the men as scenes of Knowles wearing several outfits are seen, the first of which is a white evening gown as she grasps the chains of two chained hyenas. As the confrontation escalates, Knowles appears next to several flaming vehicles, and she undergoes another costume change. Returning to the main plot, the video shows Knowles in front of a small group of her female army, wearing a yellow ensemble and black heeled-boots. As the dancing commences, scenes of the two clashing armies are seen while Knowles writhes in sand. The females, now an even larger group, are shown dancing, using powerful and emphatic movements, in front of the male army with alternating costumes and several flags in the background. The video ends with the front line of females confronting the men face-to-face, raising their right arms and saluting to them as Knowles rips off the male general's badge, placing it on herself.
wrote that he "...humbly bow[s] down to the Houston, Texas queen..." and that Beyoncé unveils "...her masterful game plan" in the "Run The World (Girls)" video. He called it Knowles' best video in her near 15-year career and concluded that "...while the set design is compelling, the true treat is Beyoncé's dancing. Beyoncé has always been a good dancer. 'Run The World (Girls)' is "America's Best Dance Crew
" fly [...] It's refreshing to see Beyoncé, at this stage of her career, making a return embodying the passion and hunger of a new artist with a whole lot to prove." Gina Serpe of E! Online wrote that "...for anyone still laboring under the illusion that Beyoncé does not mean business, well, just watch this video. Described by B herself as 'futuristic', 'electronic' and 'African', the 29-year-old fused all that and more into a still remarkably cohesive music video." CBS News
wrote, "We got to hand it to Beyoncé, she’s asking the right question: Who will run the world? She’s got the right answer too… Girls! [...] Beyoncé still has a smoking hot video that’s blowing up on the web and we can’t blame a girl for putting it out there." The Huffington Post wrote that Knowles largely brings back the elements that made "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"'s video a "mega hit": women's empowerment, and a brand new dance. Jarett Wieselman, writing for the New York Post complimented Knowles' wardrobe and dancing in the video and wrote that "...the couture is ill to death. Same goes for Beyoncé's true bread and butter: the dancing. New moves, shapes and ideas ensure the lyrics 'my persuasion can build a nation" remain absolutely true'."
James Montgomery of MTV News wrote, "Queen B returns to claim her throne" and that Knowles' message in the video "...hammers the point home with all the subtlety of a jackhammer", and called it "...a pneumatically powered anthem" and "...a big, brash thing, full of elaborate, hip-displacing dance routines, haute-couture costuming, wide-screen cinematography and expensive-looking sets." Larry Fitzmaurice of Pitchfork Media wrote that "...a thousand YouTube
bedroom dancers flood[ing] the Internet with their own takes" were to come in the near future. Rolling Stone praised Knowles' dances and wrote that it "...is the latest addition to the canon of dance pop videos with over-the-top apocalyptic imagery." Nick Neyland of Prefix Magazine wrote, "Did Beyonce just make the best music video of 2011?" and that it has "...big budget extravagance, full of preposterous costumes and ridiculously over the top dance routines." Popjustice described several scenes from the video as amazing while Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly wrote that: "...with all due respect to her contemporaries, no one brings it like Beyoncé when it comes to her steps—intricate, fun, and executed flawlessly. Britney Spears
' moves are all but gone. And though Gaga
tried, she could not hold a candle to her two-time partner in crime, especially in 'Video Phone'." Wete concluded that the video is a contender for best dance video of 2011. Sarah Anne Hughes of The Washington Post
wrote that Knowles uses "...the non-violent tactic of dance to fight off some bad guys in riot gear." and that Knowles' alter ego
, Sasha Fierce, "...is out in full force as she uses an army of swiveling and shimmying women, her middle finger and two hyenas on leashes to keep control of a post-apocalyptic society." Ann Lee from Daily Metro wrote that Knowles looked "...sensational" in the video, and referred to her hip-moving dance as "Bootylicious
". Becky Bain of Idolator wrote that the "...epic clip" contains choreography that "...rival[s] the moves in 'Single Ladies'".
The Daily Mail commented that: "...it’s difficult to imagine that Riverdance
star Michael Flatley
would one day be a source of inspiration for the singer. The Irish dancing phenomenon has seemingly been given a whole new lease of life by Beyoncé incorporating some of the rapid leg movements and high scissor kicks into the video [...] There is no doubting Beyoncé has brought some new and inspired dance moves to the table, and Riverdance fans the world over will not be able to miss the singer's attempts at Flatley-style footwork. Beyoncé's moves in 'Run the World (Girls)' will no doubt spark dance trends the world over." Bill Lamb of About.com wrote that the "...dancing is stellar and filled with unique new moves." Billboard magazine wrote, "Beyoncé makes a triumphant return in the elaborate music video for new single 'Run the World (Girls)' after creating classic clips for 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)', 'Crazy in Love', and 'Ring the Alarm'." Arielle Loren of CLUTCH
magazine commented that "...all of the traditional feminist criticism of her 'Run the World (Girls)' video is just another example of the disconnect between intellectual theory and real life." and called the video an anthem for contemporary women who are not afraid of being "...powerful, driven, smart, and sexy" and that almost every woman can feel some sort of empowerment from Knowles' music. She concluded: "When Beyoncé sings about girls running the world while busting African-dance-influenced choreography and swiveling her hips, it should remind all women that it is okay to run this mother f***er and still appreciate our breasts, move our hips, and showcase our multidimensionality (and sexiness) in a public way. Beyoncé's video provides one more signal that women need a new movement. Can we finally declare first
, second
, and third wave feminism
as history? Has the fourth wave of feminism finally arrived?" Maura Johnston of The Village Voice wrote that, in contrast to Knowles' videos for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Diva" and "Crazy in Love", the one for "Run the World (Girls)" is "...a positively maximalist affair [...] though the power of (admittedly well-done) choreography."
in the categories Best Female Video
, Best Choreography
, and Best Cinematography
. It won the Best Choreography category. On September 19, 2011, the video was nominated for the 'Best Video' award at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards. On November 27, 2011, the video won 'Best Dance Performance' at the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards
. It is also being nominated for 'Best Video' at the 2011 Virgin Media Music Awards and 'Favorite Music Video' at the 2012 People's Choice Awards
.
in Chicago. The special aired on May 23, 2011. Knowles wore a tuxedo leotard with red heels and was accompanied by 40 female back-up dancers. The show was organized to commemorate the 25th and final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show
. Celebrities including Madonna
, Tom Hanks
, John Legend
, Dakota Fanning
, Tom Cruise
and his wife Katie Holmes
were present. Knowles altered the bridge's lyrics, singing: "Oprah, your persuasion can build a nation." The crowd held up blue lights in the arena as Knowles sang the song twice while the Winfrey danced. According to the Chicago Tribune
, Knowles "...received the loudest applause" of the show. Knowles performed "Run the World (Girls)" live at the 2011 Billboard Music Award
s ceremony at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 22, 2011. It was the song's first performance on network television. Knowles interacted with video projections on the stage backdrop. The set opened with the roaring head of a tiger, after which Knowles appeared wearing a "...metallic spider's web dress". A set of flapping wings was projected before Knowles started dancing in front of an array of random, abstract images. A sea of birds descended from the top of the frame. Images of Knowles were projected and simultaneously performed Knowles' dance routine. She caught a set of virtual drumsticks and played snares on the projection. Finally, 100 back-up dancers emerged to dance collectively to "Run the World (Girls)"
During her promotional tour of Europe, Knowles performed at several festivals and made a only a limited amount of television appearances. Knowles performed the song at a private concert in Nice
, France
, on June 20, 2011. One week later, Knowles flew to the United Kingdom
to serve as the closing act at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival
on June 26, 2011, where "Run the World (Girls)" was featured as the second to last song on the 90 minute set list, before finishing with "Halo
". Knowles was also the solo female ever to headline the Pyramid stage in over twenty years. Knowles then returned to France, where she performed the song along with her live band on Le Grand Journal
in June 2011.
"Run the World (Girls)" was sung live by Knowles on June 28, 2011 on the French X Factor
. She donned a Roman-styled white dress for the night. Midway through the song, she climbed onto and dance on the judges' desk. Knowles returned later in the show to perform the second single from the album, "Best Thing I Never Had
".
On July 1, 2011, Knowles gave a free concert on Good Morning America
as part of its Summer Concert Series, for which she wore a yellow crochet dress, gold stilettos and her hair in bushy locks. The set included "Run the World (Girls)"; Rolling Stone called Knowles' performance "...downright frenetic". Knowles also performed "Run the World (Girls)" live on August 14, 2011 during her 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé
shows in Roseland Ballroom
, New York City, to an audience of 3,500. Knowles wore a gold dress and performed with her all-female band and backing singers, called the Mamas. Jason Newman of Rap-Up write that ["Run the World (Girls)"] utilized flamboyant light displays to bring elaborate routines to a smaller stage, though most of the time, Beyoncé viewed the reduced space as advantageous over limiting." Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly wrote that "Run the World (Girls)" was among the several highlights of the show. Joycelyn Vena of MTV News wrote that: "...it was [Knowles'] ability to throw a party during faster jams like 'Party', 'Countdown', 'End of Time' and 'Run the World (Girls)' that put on full display her range as a performer, dancing and singing live the entire night."
in February 2010 at the 60th Sanremo Music Festival. Billy Johnson, Jr of Yahoo! Music wrote: "Kenzo Digital, who spent a month creating Beyoncé's interactive video, told Yahoo! News
that Lorella concert footage is only part of the inspiration for Knowles' show: "[The Cuccarini artists] are awesome and do incredible work as well, but there are a lot of different inspirations for where our piece came from." In a Yahoo! Amplified interview with Daniel Kreps, Digital said : "It's just a bare white screen. It's a technique in video art since the [19]80s in terms of frontal projection and interactive things. That's really nothing new. It's not even a new technology. It's just an incredibly simple, awesome storytelling device, and with a performer like Beyoncé it becomes incredibly powerful." Knowles later responded through an interview with AOL Music, saying she was inspired after finding Cuccarini's performance online: "My makeup artist showed me the performance of Lorella Cuccarini a year ago, and it inspired me so much. I then met with the talented people who worked on it. The technology and concept were so genius. She was inspired after discovering Cuccarini's performance online. Thank God for YouTube
or I would have never been exposed to something so inspiring. I never worked so hard on anything in my life as that performance for the Billboard Awards."
"Run the World (Girls)" was used in a commercial for Knowles' fragrance, Pulse
(2011). Released on August 18, 2011, the 15-second advertisement, directed by Jake Nava
, shows Knowles wearing a metallic gown and walking through lights an instrumental version of the song plays in the background.
A dancer who had worked with Knowles, Heather Morris, covered "Run the World (Girls)" for the American television show Glee
episode "Asian F
", which aired on , 2011. Morris danced to the song wearing a leather cheerleading skirt. Amy Lee of The Huffington Post called Morris' the dance choreography "...amazing" and Kristen Dos Santos of E! News called Morris' performance "...knockout" and that it might be Glees best performance to date. Morris' version debuted at number 91 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and at number 47 on the US Hot Digital Songs chart for the week ending October 22, 2011. It also peaked at number 130 on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending October 15, 2011.
.
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
. It was written by Terius "The-Dream" Nash
The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
, Knowles, Nick "Afrojack" van de Wall
Afrojack
Nick van de Wall, born 9 September 1987, commonly known by his stage name Afrojack, is a Grammy Award winning Dutch music producer and DJ. Born and raised in Spijkenisse, Netherlands, He was listed as number 7 on DJ Mags top 100 DJs of 2011...
, Wesley "Diplo" Pentz, David "Switch" Taylor
Switch (DJ)
Switch is a UK-based DJ, songwriter, sound engineer and record producer. He is best known for his work with M.I.A. and Santigold.In the fidget house genre, Switch runs his own music label "Dubsided", as well as the label Counterfeet, established in 2006 with fellow producer Sinden...
, and Adidja Palmer
Vybz Kartel
Adidja Palmer , better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist, songwriter and businessman. He has many nicknames, including Addi Teacher and Gaza Emperor.-Biography:...
and produced by Switch, The-Dream, Knowles and Shea Taylor. The song's development was motivated by the fact that Knowles wanted something different – a mixture of different cultures and eras, a new sound, and a message which would give women strength. An unedited demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
of the song, then thought to be titled "Girls (Who Run the World)", was leaked on the internet on April 18, 2011. "Run the World" was officially released on April 21, 2011 as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from Knowles' fourth studio album, 4
4 (Beyoncé Knowles album)
4 is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, released through Columbia Records on June 24, 2011. Three weeks before its scheduled release, 4 leaked in full. The twelve-song set marks the first release by Knowles since separating professionally with father and manager,...
(2011).
The song samples of "Pon de Floor
Pon de Floor
"Pon de Floor" is a song by Major Lazer, which is made up of Diplo and Switch. It was released in 2009 by Mad Decent and Downtown Records as the second single from Major Lazer's first studio album, Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do . The duo wrote the song and produced it with Afrojack, while...
" by Major Lazer
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is a collaborative musical project from DJ/Producers Diplo and Switch.-Background:Made up of DJs Diplo and Switch, the two were introduced after working with M.I.A.. The duo's first album Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do was released on June 16, 2009, on Downtown Records. It was...
, following the same alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...
-dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
genres, mixed with Knowles' pop and R&B styles. The song's title and lyrics comprise an unapologetically aggressive message promoting female empowerment
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
. "Run the World" initially divided critics; some complimented the song's sample and Knowles' aggressiveness while others criticized the song's musical direction. Several critics compared "Run the World" to other singles released by Knowles with similar themes such as "Independent Women" (2000), "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
"Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...
" (2008), and "Diva
Diva (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Diva" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. The song was written and produced by Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, Sean Garrett, and Knowles for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce . It was released as the album's third overall single in the United States alongside the third...
" (2009), stating that "Run the World" takes a more direct and assertive approach towards female empowerment.
The single reached number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, and reached the top ten in Australia, Belgium, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland and South Korea. "Run the World" was also a top twenty hit in Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Francis Lawrence
Francis Lawrence
Francis Lawrence is an American music video and film director.-Life and career:Lawrence was born in Vienna, Austria. His father is a physicist who taught at California State University, Northridge and his mother is V.P. Technology at a PR agency. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of three...
and was filmed in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in three days. It received widespread critical acclaim, with critics affirming that Knowles started a dance revolution and favoring the heavily-choreographed visuals of the music video.
Knowles promoted the song with high-profile live performances, notably at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards
Billboard Music Award
The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011...
and on the French X Factor
X Factor (France)
X Factor is a French television music talent show to find new singing talent after public auditions, intermediate tests, and live shows.The first series was broadcast on Mondays, from September to December 2009, on W9 and RTL-TVI ....
. Although her performance at the Billboard Music Awards was well received by critics, it ignited controversy surrounding the production due to visual similarities to a performance by Italian pop star Lorella Cuccarini
Lorella Cuccarini
Lorella Cuccarini is an Italian dancer, singer, television host and actress.-Albums:* Lorel * Voci * Voglia di fare * Le più belle canzoni -Singles:* "Sugar Sugar" * "Kangarù"...
in February 2010 at the 60th Sanremo Music Festival in Italy. "Run the World" was used to awake the crew of the final mission
STS-135
STS-135 was the final mission of the American Space Shuttle program. It used the orbiter Atlantis and hardware originally processed for the STS-335 contingency mission, which was not flown. STS-135 launched on 8 July and was originally scheduled to land on 20 July 2011, but the mission was...
of the US Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis
The Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States...
and was dedicated to Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus
Sandra Magnus
Sandra Hall Magnus is an American engineer and a NASA astronaut. She returned to Earth with the crew of STS-119 Discovery on March 28, 2009, after having spent 134 days in orbit. She was assigned to the crew of STS-135, the final mission of the Space Shuttle...
. Heather Morris, covered "Run the World" for the American television show Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
episode "Asian F
Asian F
"Asian F" is the third episode of the third season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 47th overall. Written by series co-creator Ian Brennan and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, it first aired on Fox in the United States on October 4, 2011...
".
Background and development
In an interview with The Capital FM NetworkThe Capital FM Network
Capital is a radio network of nine Independent Local Radio stations in the United Kingdom which are owned and operated by Global Radio, launching on 3 January 2011. Capital was previously known as Mix, One, Galaxy and Hit Music at various times...
in early March 2011, Shea Taylor confirmed that 4 lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
would premiere at the end of April. "Run the World" was written by Terius Nash
The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
, Knowles, Nick van de Wall
Afrojack
Nick van de Wall, born 9 September 1987, commonly known by his stage name Afrojack, is a Grammy Award winning Dutch music producer and DJ. Born and raised in Spijkenisse, Netherlands, He was listed as number 7 on DJ Mags top 100 DJs of 2011...
, Thomas Wesley Pentz, Dave Taylor
Switch (DJ)
Switch is a UK-based DJ, songwriter, sound engineer and record producer. He is best known for his work with M.I.A. and Santigold.In the fidget house genre, Switch runs his own music label "Dubsided", as well as the label Counterfeet, established in 2006 with fellow producer Sinden...
, and Adidja Palmer
Vybz Kartel
Adidja Palmer , better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist, songwriter and businessman. He has many nicknames, including Addi Teacher and Gaza Emperor.-Biography:...
. It was produced by Switch, The-Dream, Knowles and Taylor. "Run the World" was recorded by DJ Swivel and Pat Thrall
Pat Thrall
Pat Thrall is an American rock guitarist. Thrall is a native of the San Francisco area, and began his recording career in 1972. He played guiatar,vocals and percussion with the group Cookin Mama album: new day , that also had this brother Preston Thrall on percussion.Thrall has worked with former...
at MSR Studios, New York City, and was mixed by Serban Ghenea
Serban Ghenea
Serban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band...
at MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach. Before release, the song's title was rumored to be "Girls (Who Run the World)". On April 14, 2011, two portions of the song leaked online
Internet leak
An Internet leak occurs when a party's confidential information is released to the public on the Internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such...
while an unfinished demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
of "Run the World (Girls)" was leaked online on April 18, 2011.
After having been awarded the Millennium Award by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
in early May 2011, recognizing her career achievements and influence in the music industry, Knowles was interviewed by the monthly magazine; she discussed her solo career and her fourth studio album. When asked about the boldness of "Run the World", Knowles said:
It's definitely riskier than something a bit more... simple. I just heard the track and loved that it was so different: it felt a bit African, a bit electronic and futuristic. It reminded me of what I love, which is mixing different cultures and eras — things that typically don't go together — to create a new sound. I can never be safe; I always try and go against the grain. As soon as I accomplish one thing, I just set a higher goal. That's how I've gotten to where I am.
Between June 16 and June 27, 2011, one song from 4 each day was available to listen to on Knowles' official website, together with its accompanying photographs from the album packaging and a quote. On June 27, 2011, "Run the World (Girls)" was the twelfth song to be made available. In the accompanying quote, Knowles said: "I try to write songs that will bring out the best in all of us and keep us close together. I think about saying the things that women want to say but sometimes are not confident enough to say. I am going to continue to write those songs that give women strength."
Release and artwork
After the single leaked on the internet, it was released early. "Run the Worlds (Girls)" premiered on US radio on April 21, 2011, at 8 a.m. EST, and was made available for downloadMusic download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
s worldwide the same day. According to Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
, the single was available on iTunes, and podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
service Concrete Loop, without payment a few hours before its official release "Run the World (Girls)" was released to mainstream
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
, urban contemporary
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
and urban adult contemporary
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
radio on April 26, 2011. According to MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, "Run the World (Girls)" was well received by Knowles' fans on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. A Digital EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
with three remixes of the song was released in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the UK, on September 2, 2011.
The cover art
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
for "Run the World (Girls)" was previewed on April 20, 2011. On the cover, Knowles strikes a bold pose while standing in sand. With her fist in the air covered in forearm protectors, Knowles wears a hip cut draping yellow Emilio Pucci
Emilio Pucci
Emilio Pucci, Marquis of Barsento , was a Florentine Italian fashion designer and politician. He and his eponymous company are synonymous with geometric prints in a kaleidoscope of colours.-Early life:...
dress and black stiletto boots. The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wrote that the photograph points to a "...post-apocalyptic war zone, donning an elaborate gold headdress and holding a red flag emblazoned with a black 'B'." The photograph was taken on April 14, 2011. Tray Hova of Vibe magazine complimented the cover art of the single, stating that Knowles looks "...resplendent as hell" on the cover and that "Nobody's complaining about Bey season here." Eleanor Young, in Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Marie Claire is a monthly women's magazine first published in France but also distributed in other countries with editions specific to them and in their languages. While each country shares its own special voice with its audience, the United States edition focuses on women around the world and...
, described the cover art as "...sizzling". Ray Rogers of Billboard stated that Knowles "...clearly transmits her trademark message of female empowerment".. Becky Bain of Idolator
Idolator (website)
Idolator is a music blog. Created by the blog network Gawker Media in August 2006, Idolator was later sold to rival blog network Buzz Media, which also owns music blog Stereogum. From the 2007 departure of original head writer Brian Raftery until November 2009, the blog's head writer was Maura...
described the cover as "...pretty disappointing", and that, with a "...ballistic, over-the-top club banger" song like "Run the World (Girls)", she expected something more than a body shot of Knowles, and criticized the cover for being confusing regarding the location of the photography. However, Bain complimented Knowles on her choice of stilettos as "...serious business".
Composition
"Run the World" is an R&BContemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
song. Jocelyn Vena of MTV News described the song as a "...club banger" and "...female empowerment/girl power type of song", like several of Knowles' previous singles, including "Independent Women" (2000)—with Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
—and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
"Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...
" (2008). Shea Taylor said that the track draws more from pop music than R&B, and is reminiscent of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's prime work. "Run the World (Girls)" also incorporates dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
influences in the tradition of "Get Me Bodied
Get Me Bodied
"Get Me Bodied" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. The song was written by Beyoncé Knowles, Sean Garrett, Solange Knowles, Angela Beyince, Makeba Riddick, and Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, and produced by Swizz Beatz, Beyoncé and Sean Garrett, for Knowles' second solo studio...
" (2007). The "...high energy" song contains elements of go-go, and is set to a marching militaristic drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
beat sampled from the club song, "Pon de Floor
Pon de Floor
"Pon de Floor" is a song by Major Lazer, which is made up of Diplo and Switch. It was released in 2009 by Mad Decent and Downtown Records as the second single from Major Lazer's first studio album, Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do . The duo wrote the song and produced it with Afrojack, while...
" by Major Lazer
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is a collaborative musical project from DJ/Producers Diplo and Switch.-Background:Made up of DJs Diplo and Switch, the two were introduced after working with M.I.A.. The duo's first album Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do was released on June 16, 2009, on Downtown Records. It was...
and Vybz Kartel
Vybz Kartel
Adidja Palmer , better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist, songwriter and businessman. He has many nicknames, including Addi Teacher and Gaza Emperor.-Biography:...
. "Run the World" also consists of heavy synth pangs
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
and sharp Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
is represented by intense, band-style drumming.
A review in The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
, and Kevin O'Donnell of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine, noted that "Run the World (Girls)" features "...shout vocals" and "...raw chanting". In an interview with Ray Rogers of Billboard, Knowles stated that this was something she wanted to showcase in 4: "I used a lot of the brassiness and grittiness in my voice that people hear in my live performances, but not necessarily on my records." Kathy McCabe of Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News Corporation.The Tele, as it is also known, was founded in 1879. From 1936 to 1972, it was owned by Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press. That year it was sold to...
likened "Run the World" to "Single Ladies" and "Diva
Diva (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Diva" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. The song was written and produced by Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, Sean Garrett, and Knowles for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce . It was released as the album's third overall single in the United States alongside the third...
" (2009). Johnston Breihan of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
compared "Run the World (Girls)" to schoolyard chants, due to its "...cheer-team beats" and the repetitive use of the word "Girls". Billboard magazine's critic Jem Aswad described the song's production, lyrics and Knowles' vocals:
"Run the World (Girls)" is a complex but catchy track that's actually more reminiscent of M.I.A.M.I.A. (artist)Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
and Santigold than Sasha Fierce. The song combines a dancefloor-defying military drumbeat, a sample from Switch's group Major Lazer, an unconventional song structure and some incongruously pretty, layered melodics that are basically chanted but still employ [Knowles'] full vocal range. The lyrics, however, are just as female-empowering as we've come to expect. There's much more to the song than first meets the ear-it confuses on first listen but coalesces beautifully with repeated plays.
Rap-Up
Rap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
stated that Knowles is dominant over men in "Run the World". Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
described the song's lyrics as a declaration that women run the world. "Run the World" opens with a short piano solo and a heavy beat. Knowles chants: "Girls! / We run this mutha / Girls! / Who run the world."the song moves into smoother, more persuasive but still boastful lyrics: "I think I need a barber/ None of these ho's can fight me/ I'm so good with this/ I remind you I'm so 'hood with this." The song then features a breakdown
Break (music)
In popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main parts of the song or piece....
, which serves as its bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
. With gooey harmonies and sultry vocals, Knowles affirms that her "...persuasion can build a nation". She then delivers the repetitive hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
and chorus lines
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
. In the second verse, Knowles sings that education gives women strength and independence. Other lyrics of this theme include the line: "...smart enough to make these millions, strong enough to bear the children, then get back to business." Jocelyn Vena of MTV News said that Knowles sings in her signature staccato
Staccato
Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...
style on the second verse of the song. She repeats the chorus after the bridge lines and her vocals fade out as the song finishes.
Critical reception
Amos Barshad writing for the New YorkNew York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine described "Run the World (Girls)" as "...kind of a monster — aggressive and intense and totally committed". He also called the song "...declarative" and felt that as a lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
, it was "...bluntly effective." Rap-Up described its beat as "...hypnotizing". Matt Donnelly of The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
compared "Run the World (Girls)" to several of Knowles' previous singles, stating that the song has a "...harder edge" than "Independent Women Pt. 1", nevertheless, it does not contain "...the gritty, futuristic chic" of "Diva
Diva (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Diva" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. The song was written and produced by Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, Sean Garrett, and Knowles for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce . It was released as the album's third overall single in the United States alongside the third...
" (2009). Latifah Muhammad of AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
's The Boombox commented that "Run the World (Girls)" took a different route for Knowles, stating that its message was "...much more unapologetically aggressive" than that of "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". Complimenting its beat, Muhammad wrote that Knowles remains "...draped fittingly" beneath the song's "...insistent marching beat." Jenna Clarke of The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
called it an "...infectious sounding track" having a "..catchy dance beat" with "...empowering lyrics" and that the song showcases "..a grittier sounding Beyoncé", yet still following the "power footsteps" of her other chart topping hits such as "Single Ladies" and "Crazy In Love" (2003). Kevin O'Donnell of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine described the song as "...a rousing girl power anthem", which resembles "Single Ladies" and "If I Were a Boy
If I Were a Boy
"If I Were a Boy" is a pop song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. It was composed by Toby Gad and BC Jean. Jean initially recorded her version of the song which was rejected by Jean's record company. Knowles then recorded a new version for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce...
" (2008), and that "Run The World (Girls)" is "...far rowdier" than any of those songs because of its "...synth squiggles and raw chanting." Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
considered "Run the World (Girls)" to be "...one of the most exciting tracks" Knowles has ever released. Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
awarded "Run the World (Girls)" four and a half stars out of five, commenting that it seamlessly works as "...a natural progression" for Knowles' music from her work with Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
onwards, further writing:
There is no mistake ['Run the World (Girls)'] is a Beyonce record, and it is thrilling in its ability to push even further into exploration of [Beyonce's artistry]. If there is one current recording artist that would surprise no one in singing about running the world, it would be Beyoncé. What is left for a musical star of her caliber, owner of 16 Grammy Awards, and a movie star as well? Female empowerment has always been a key element of the music of Beyoncé from Destiny's Child's 'Independent Women, Part 1' through her own 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)'. It just has never been so overt as a declaration that women do, in fact, run the world [...] The aggressive, addictive rhythm track and words of female power are enough to make this song stand out among current pop releases, but it is the break beginning with a sultry Beyoncé seducing us with, 'My persuasion can build a nation', that sends it all over the top.
Jocelyn Vena of MTV News called "Run the World (Girls)" a "...sassy [song with] girl-power lyrics paired with [a] club appeal", further writing that the song is "...loud and proud in its relentless message", and that Knowles "...is clearly rallying the troops to her side". Andrew Winistorfer of Prefix Magazine said that some listeners will consider themselves "...to be too cool for Beyoncé", and would "...hate this before [they] hear it." Winistorfer also wrote that "Run the World (Girls)" reminded him of Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
in 2004 and that those who had not realized that "..women are powerful via a Beyoncé song, [will] never learn." Nick Minichind of VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
lauded the song for several pointed comments on empowerment which according to him, "...are skillfully weaved into the lyrics, without feeling out of place." He also wrote that "Run the World (Girls)" restores girls' own subjectivity and that the bridge shows a "...practically Cleopatra-channeling Beyoncé." Lewis Corner from Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
described "Run the World (Girls)" as "...yet another female-empowerment revolution that is sure to dominate dancefloors this summer". Robert Copsey, also writing for Digital Spy, awarded the song four stars out of five, complimenting the "...earthy beats, hypnotising hooks and militant drums pound[ing] relentlessly as Queen B declares it's 'GRLZ who run this mutha' with more woman-friendly conviction than Geri Halliwell
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English pop singer-songwriter, author and actress. After coming to international prominence in the late 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1998 and released her album Schizophonic...
at a Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
convention circa 1998." He also added that "...with no identifiable structure, the uber-trendy, uber-squiggly Major Lazer 'Pon De Floor' sample is free to roam as it sees fit; adding up to an aggressive, head-spinning and ferocious club stomper. Tom Breihan of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
wrote that "Run the World (Girls)" is "...as devotedly pro-female as the title would lead you to expect", and is "..as dancefloor-directed" as Knowles gets, in the tradition of "Get Me Bodied" and "Single Ladies".
"Run the World (Girls)" also garnered mixed reviews from critics who, while commending Knowles for taking risks, agreed that the song was too divergent from her previous work. Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
's Sal Cinquemani wrote "[Knowles] misses the mark big time here" and called the song "...plain daft". He, however, praised the song's bridge, "...which features B's warm, gooey harmonies and the lyric 'My persuasion can build a nation.'" Despite lauding "Run the World (Girls)" for its "...demandingly aggressive message" and its "...club-status beat", Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
noted the continuation of past themes, wrote that he wanted to see Knowles "...switching lanes a bit content-wise [...] She is fully capable of making a classic album as genius and relatable as Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is the debut solo album by American musician Lauryn Hill, released August 25, 1998, on Columbia Records. Recording sessions for the album took place from late 1997 to June 1998, and were held primarily at Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica...
." Adam Rosenberg of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
awarded the song three and a half stars out of five, writing that "From 'Independent Women' to 'Single Ladies', girl power has long been Beyoncé's Topic A, and 'Run the World (Girls)' is a blistering return to the theme. She forsakes fashionable sounds — no Eurodisco synths! — to belt over Diplo and Switch's ferocious dancehall beat. The message is party-hearty feminism. But with [Lady] Gaga, Britney [Spears], Katy [Perry], Rihanna and Taylor [Swift] all vying to be the queen of pop, you can bet Beyoncé is not looking to share the throne." Maura Johnston of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
disapproved of the song's lack of structure, calling it "...a bit overstuffed, but fairly enjoyable". "Run the World (Girls)" received a Teen Choice Award for Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Track at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
. It is also nominated for 'Best Single' at the 2011 Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
Music Awards.
Chart performance
Three days after its release to digital downloadMusic download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
outlets, the single debuted on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number 18 on April 24, 2011. A week later it had risen to number 11 and debuted at number five on the UK R&B chart. The song descended the chart for five consecutive weeks to number 45 before rising again to number 23 on the singles chart and from number 12 to number 6 on the R&B chart on May 29, 2011 when the music video was released. In Ireland, the single debuted at number 11 on April 28, 2011, the highest chart entry that week and in France, "Run the World (Girls)" debuted at number 33 with 2,065 copies sold. It peaked at number 12. On May 1, 2011, the song entered the Australian Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
at number 12, being the highest new entry that week, and at number six on its urban chart. One day later, "Run the World (Girls)" debuted at number 21 in New Zealand, where it was the highest new entry that week. "Run the World (Girls)" declined in the charts in Australia and New Zealand. However, after the release of its music video, the single rose from number 42 to number 15 on the ARIA Singles Chart and peaked at number 4 on its urban chart on May 30, 2011. The following week, it climbed to number 10 on the singles chart, where it peaked. It was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) for sales of over 70,000 copies. The video release helped "Run the World (Girls)" re-enter the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 26 on May 23, 2011 and it peaked the following week at number nine. "Run the World (Girls)" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
(RIANZ) for sales of over 7500 copies.
"Run the World (Girls)" debuted at number 40 on Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
chart issue dated May 7, 2011. Paul Tuch of Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
called the debut "...impressive" as the song was released between digital and radio charts. It remains Knowles' highest entry as a solo artist on the chart. After declining in the chart for three consecutive weeks, "Run the World (Girls)" left the chart in the week ending May 28, 2011. For the week ending June 11, 2011, the single recovered from number number 60 to number 16 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart, becoming the greatest chart mover and the greatest digital gainer titles. For the issue dated May 7, 2011, "Run the World (Girls)" debuted at number 23 on the US Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart with 77,000 downloads sold. It also debuted at position 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and debuted at number 65 on the Radio Songs
Radio Songs
Radio Songs is an album of duo Robin and Linda Williams on the Red House Records label, released in 2007.Radio Songs consists of recordings made when performing on Garrison Keillor's NPR radio program A Prairie Home Companion. Although Robin and Linda first appeared on the show regularly in 1976,...
chart with 18 million listener impressions the same week. For the same issue date, "Run the World (Girls)" was the highest debut on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart, opening at number 41. The following week, the single declined 39% in downloads selling a total of 47,000, to number 39 on the Hot Digital Songs chart. It also fell to number 71 on the Radio Songs chart with 16.2 million listener impressions. The song fell to number 48 on the Hot 100 chart issue dated May 14, 2011. "Run the World (Girls)" was the highest debut starting at number 37 on the US Pop Songs chart issue dated May 21, 2011. For the same week ending, the song continued to descend the Hot 100 chart to number 65. One week later, the single debuted at number 43 on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart, becoming Knowles' nineteenth solo entry on that chart. The same week, the single fell to number 76 on the Hot 100 chart. After descending the Hot 100 chart for four consecutive weeks, "Run the World (Girls)" recovered 26 places, moving from number 76 to number 50 for the week ending June 4, 2011, promoted by the song's re-entry on the Hot Digital Songs chart at number 44 after the video's release. The following week, the single escalated to number 29 on the Hot 100 chart, which was its peak, as it descended the Hot 100 chart in subsequent weeks. "Run the World (Girls)" peaked at number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart issue dated July 9, 2011. As of June 29, 2011, "Run the World (Girls)" had sold 424,000 downloads. On July 29, 2011, the song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) for having sold of over half a million digital copies.
Background and release
 |
The environment, I have to give her and Francis that credit. She really challenged Francis on finding a world that's unique to her. We could have easily done it in downtown L.A. We could have easily done it in downtown New York, but it was really important to her to find a world that was unique to her look and image to her new project | |
The music video for "Run the World (Girls)" was directed by Francis Lawrence
Francis Lawrence
Francis Lawrence is an American music video and film director.-Life and career:Lawrence was born in Vienna, Austria. His father is a physicist who taught at California State University, Northridge and his mother is V.P. Technology at a PR agency. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of three...
Knowles worked with eight choreographers, including Frank Gatson and Sheryl Murakami. The executive producer was Missy Galanida. Filming took place in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
and Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
. Images from the Mojave shoot were leaked online on April 12, 2011, showing Knowles standing in a smoky, post-apocalyptic war zone, wearing a gladiator outfit and a gold crown, and waving a red flag with a "B" logo. She was surrounded by dancers in brightly colored skirts, black military-style jackets and peaked caps. Other images showed an army of women posing against a ravaged car with the word "Révolution" sprayed on it. Posters of Knowles' face are seen behind the women. On April 13, more images were leaked, showing Knowles standing on sand wearing a bright yellow dress, black knee-high boots and gloves. On April 20, 2011, a teaser for the music video was released on Knowles' official website which described the video as a "B Revolution". It opened with dawn breaking behind a barbed-wire fence, cutting to the word "Révolution" painted in red on a broken-down car. Knowles then appeared riding a black horse. The video was filmed between April 11, 2011 and April 13, 2011. In an interview with MTV News on April 18, 2011, director Francis Lawrence discussed the music video:
"I just shot a Beyoncé video at the beginning of this last week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, which was fun, and I hadn't done a video since 2009. It'll be big, it'll probably be one of the bigger Beyoncé music videos ever done. And, I can say that I think the song is unbelievable. The Gaga thing took me by surprise, 'cause I've done videos for probably 15 years, and I had forgotten what it felt like to have a video premiere and have it be anticipated and have it explode. And yeah I hope the same for Beyoncé, but I don't know if that's gonna happen. It is a fantastic song, so I really hope that song catches for her, and I think the video's gonna be really fun and cool and different for her."
On May 4, 2011, another 20-second clip of the music video was released, showing a troupe of females in a rural location, however Knowles is not seen during the clip. A third teaser was released on May 10, 2011, showing Knowles standing in front of a burning car, riding a horse and assembling an army in a post-apocalyptic clip. At a private listening party held on May 12, 2011 for 4, Knowles offered a small group of fans a preview of five songs from the album and the official video for "Run the World (Girls)", which reportedly features a lion and Knowles writhing around in sand. The video was scheduled for release on May 13, 2011 at 12:01 a.m, however Vevo
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
confirmed that the release would be delayed because Knowles was "...perfecting it". The video premiered on American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
on May 18, 2011. The director's cut of the music video is included on the deluxe version of 4. The video was released on July 1, 2011 but was leaked on June 29, 2011.
Development
Knowles hired 242 dancers, MozambicanMozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
kwaito
Kwaito
Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the 1990s. It is a variant of house music featuring the use of African sounds and samples. Typically at a slower tempo range than other styles of house music, Kwaito often contains catchy melodic and percussive loop samples,...
dance group Tofo Tofo and French duo Les Twins
Les Twins
Larry and Laurent Bourgeois, popularly known as "Les Twins", are a French hip hop dancer duo, of Guadelupian origin, known for their New Style dancing. They are a part of a larger crew known as Criminalz Crew, a group that ranges from b-boys to hip hop and more. They appeared on the show...
to appear in the video. Tofo Tofo taught Knowles native dance moves for the video's routine. Choreographer Frank Gatson told MTV News that the video was intended to reflect several genres of dance moves:
"We prepared a lot for it. We had seen something on YouTube; we had seen these three guys from Africa, this Mozambique African dance troupe [...] we were like, 'Wow, this is an amazing movement.' And that movement has always been in the back of our head for the last year. From there, we talked about a lot of concepts. [..] We say, 'Share the light, you sparkle brighter,' and we share our light with a lot of new, creative people. I feel like we really nailed it and, again, my hats off to the Tofo Tofo guys [from Africa], because none of us could imitate that. We had to bring them around to learn that [move], which is really, really interesting. They had such a great vocabulary of movement. That was probably one of the most beautiful experiences for Beyoncé. They were so humbled. It was hard finding them. They were really in a remote area; we had to get the embassy people involved. That was a process that took about two months or more. Beyoncé really loved them and I'm pretty sure we'll see them again. It was magical."
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
, the militaristic themes of the video for "Run the World (Girls)" borrow from Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
's 1979 film Mad Max
Mad Max
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
and Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
's 1989 music video for "Rhythm Nation
Rhythm Nation
"Rhythm Nation" is the second single from American R&B and pop singer Janet Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 .-Background:...
". In most of the dancing, Knowles uses a minimalistic approach, sometimes focusing on a movement that accentuates the sample of "Pon de Floor"'s rapid dancehall rhythm. Knowles opens with "...an intricate, 20-second shoulder bounce" while other dances focus on her legs, feet, or hands; she varies her style between late 1980s hip hop, jazz, street and African moves. According to The Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, part of "Run the World (Girls)"' dance routine seems to have been inspired by Riverdance
Riverdance
Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
, an Irish stepdancing
Irish stepdance
Irish stepdance is a type of performance dance originated in Ireland from traditional Irish dance, characterised by solo dancers who dance with hands by their sides and upper body stiff, making quick, intricate movements of the feet, often with a troupe. Irish stepdancing was popularized by the...
stage show notable for its rapid leg movements and high scissor kicks while body and arms are kept largely stationary. Knowles reprises some of her previous videos including "Crazy In Love" (2003), "Baby Boy" (2003) and "Déjà Vu" (2006).
In her 2003 music video for "Crazy in Love", Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
throws a lighter on the floor, starting a fire along a trail of gasoline leading to a car. This scene was repeated for Knowles' 2009 music video for "Diva
Diva (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Diva" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. The song was written and produced by Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, Sean Garrett, and Knowles for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce . It was released as the album's third overall single in the United States alongside the third...
" (2009) where Knowles throws a lighter. In the music video for "Run the World (Girls)", a car explodes while Knowles sings. According to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, the music video also recalls the work of South African photographer Pieter Hugo
Pieter Hugo
Pieter Hugo was born 1976 and grew up in Cape Town, South Africa. He is a South African photographer who primarily works in portraiture and whose work engages with both documentary and art traditions with a focus on African communities. - Early Life :...
's images of Nigerian circus entertainers who perform with hyenas on chains, in a scene where Knowles holds two hyenas on chains. In an interview with the New York Post, Missy Galanida said that Knowles never had to hold the hyena and that no one was allowed on set when the hyena was being filmed. Francis Lawrence kept two hyenas on set, but used only one and did not make them wear chains, despite wanting to do so, because they were not allowed to do that. Galanida added: "They are actually the hardest animals to shoot, and the most dangerous, so you have to be very careful. We basically duplicated them and added the chains." The work of photographer, Ed Kashi
Ed Kashi
Ed Kashi is an American photojournalist and member of VII Photo based in the Greater New York area. Kashi's award-winning work spans from high-end print photojournalism to experimental film...
is echoed in sequences of buffalo, Knowles dancing on sand and cars burning.
Fashion
In the video for "Run the World (Girls)", Knowles' outfits include armor, a high priestess' headdress, lingerie and runway couture Knowles is first seen wearing a red and gold embroidered dress with thigh-high boots, both by Alexander McQueenAlexander McQueen
Lee Alexander McQueen, CBE was a British fashion designer and couturier best known for his in-depth knowledge of bespoke British tailoring, his tendency to juxtapose strength with fragility in his collections, as well as the emotional power and raw energy of his provocative fashion shows...
from fall/winter 2010. For a dance routine in sand, she wears a black fringed Norma Kamali outfit, followed by a Givenchy dress in a scene depicting Knowles with two larger-than-life hyenas. During a scene involving warriors, Knowles is wearing a black cut-out dress shown at Jean Paul Gaultier's spring couture show. A short Gareth Pugh
Gareth Pugh
Gareth Pugh is an English fashion designer. He currently lives and works in Paris.-Career:At 14, Pugh began working as a costume designer for the English National Youth Theatre. He started his fashion education at City of Sunderland College and finished his degree in Fashion Design at Central...
dress with golden sequins and two gowns by Emilio Pucci
Emilio Pucci
Emilio Pucci, Marquis of Barsento , was a Florentine Italian fashion designer and politician. He and his eponymous company are synonymous with geometric prints in a kaleidoscope of colours.-Early life:...
– one lime green with a plunging neckline, the other emerald green with an asymmetrical cut – complete Knowles' outfits.
Synopsis
The video begins with Knowles riding a black horse over an open, deserted plain. As the horse lifts off the ground, scenes of Knowles standing atop a ruined vehicle are shown, as she leads a large army of women. Additional scenery includes a large bull in the middle of the battleground and a large banner featuring an African themed drawing of Knowles. A woman seemingly nailed on a cross is later seen. As several scantily clad women are shown, a SWATSWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
team of men charge towards the battlefield as a sample from Major Lazer's "Pon de Floor" is played. As the male forces arrive, Knowles, is wearing a large golden helm and is surrounded by a lion, a large group of women prepared for battle and banners featuring Knowles insignia. As the song begins, Knowles removes her armor and confronts the male army, engaging in a series of shoulder-thrusting dance routines.
Knowles dances seductively towards the men as scenes of Knowles wearing several outfits are seen, the first of which is a white evening gown as she grasps the chains of two chained hyenas. As the confrontation escalates, Knowles appears next to several flaming vehicles, and she undergoes another costume change. Returning to the main plot, the video shows Knowles in front of a small group of her female army, wearing a yellow ensemble and black heeled-boots. As the dancing commences, scenes of the two clashing armies are seen while Knowles writhes in sand. The females, now an even larger group, are shown dancing, using powerful and emphatic movements, in front of the male army with alternating costumes and several flags in the background. The video ends with the front line of females confronting the men face-to-face, raising their right arms and saluting to them as Knowles rips off the male general's badge, placing it on herself.
Reception
The video received general acclaim from critics. On the night of the video's premiere, Rap-Up complimented Knowles on starting a "...dance revolution", her "...heavily-choreographed visuals" and "...menagerie of wild animals, outrageous fashion, and epic dance sequences". Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine wrote: "Beyoncé comes off like a barely sentient but cohesive and rational human being in real life. Too much so for a star of her stature. Her reserve of crazy is far from bottomless, and she seems to save it all for her music videos, and I love her for that [...] [The video is] awesome in distressingly fragmented ways." Billy Johnson of Yahoo! MusicYahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
wrote that he "...humbly bow[s] down to the Houston, Texas queen..." and that Beyoncé unveils "...her masterful game plan" in the "Run The World (Girls)" video. He called it Knowles' best video in her near 15-year career and concluded that "...while the set design is compelling, the true treat is Beyoncé's dancing. Beyoncé has always been a good dancer. 'Run The World (Girls)' is "America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...
" fly [...] It's refreshing to see Beyoncé, at this stage of her career, making a return embodying the passion and hunger of a new artist with a whole lot to prove." Gina Serpe of E! Online wrote that "...for anyone still laboring under the illusion that Beyoncé does not mean business, well, just watch this video. Described by B herself as 'futuristic', 'electronic' and 'African', the 29-year-old fused all that and more into a still remarkably cohesive music video." CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
wrote, "We got to hand it to Beyoncé, she’s asking the right question: Who will run the world? She’s got the right answer too… Girls! [...] Beyoncé still has a smoking hot video that’s blowing up on the web and we can’t blame a girl for putting it out there." The Huffington Post wrote that Knowles largely brings back the elements that made "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"'s video a "mega hit": women's empowerment, and a brand new dance. Jarett Wieselman, writing for the New York Post complimented Knowles' wardrobe and dancing in the video and wrote that "...the couture is ill to death. Same goes for Beyoncé's true bread and butter: the dancing. New moves, shapes and ideas ensure the lyrics 'my persuasion can build a nation" remain absolutely true'."
James Montgomery of MTV News wrote, "Queen B returns to claim her throne" and that Knowles' message in the video "...hammers the point home with all the subtlety of a jackhammer", and called it "...a pneumatically powered anthem" and "...a big, brash thing, full of elaborate, hip-displacing dance routines, haute-couture costuming, wide-screen cinematography and expensive-looking sets." Larry Fitzmaurice of Pitchfork Media wrote that "...a thousand YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
bedroom dancers flood[ing] the Internet with their own takes" were to come in the near future. Rolling Stone praised Knowles' dances and wrote that it "...is the latest addition to the canon of dance pop videos with over-the-top apocalyptic imagery." Nick Neyland of Prefix Magazine wrote, "Did Beyonce just make the best music video of 2011?" and that it has "...big budget extravagance, full of preposterous costumes and ridiculously over the top dance routines." Popjustice described several scenes from the video as amazing while Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly wrote that: "...with all due respect to her contemporaries, no one brings it like Beyoncé when it comes to her steps—intricate, fun, and executed flawlessly. Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
' moves are all but gone. And though Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
tried, she could not hold a candle to her two-time partner in crime, especially in 'Video Phone'." Wete concluded that the video is a contender for best dance video of 2011. Sarah Anne Hughes of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
wrote that Knowles uses "...the non-violent tactic of dance to fight off some bad guys in riot gear." and that Knowles' alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
, Sasha Fierce, "...is out in full force as she uses an army of swiveling and shimmying women, her middle finger and two hyenas on leashes to keep control of a post-apocalyptic society." Ann Lee from Daily Metro wrote that Knowles looked "...sensational" in the video, and referred to her hip-moving dance as "Bootylicious
Bootylicious
"Bootylicious" is a song by American R&B group Destiny's Child. It was written and produced by Rob Fusari, Falonte Moore, and band member Beyoncé Knowles for the band's third studio album Survivor , and contains a prominent sample from the 1981 recording "Edge of Seventeen," as written and...
". Becky Bain of Idolator wrote that the "...epic clip" contains choreography that "...rival[s] the moves in 'Single Ladies'".
The Daily Mail commented that: "...it’s difficult to imagine that Riverdance
Riverdance
Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
star Michael Flatley
Michael Flatley
Michael Ryan Flatley is an American Irish dancer, choreographer, actor, musician and occasional television presenter. He became internationally known for Irish dance shows Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames, and Celtic Tiger...
would one day be a source of inspiration for the singer. The Irish dancing phenomenon has seemingly been given a whole new lease of life by Beyoncé incorporating some of the rapid leg movements and high scissor kicks into the video [...] There is no doubting Beyoncé has brought some new and inspired dance moves to the table, and Riverdance fans the world over will not be able to miss the singer's attempts at Flatley-style footwork. Beyoncé's moves in 'Run the World (Girls)' will no doubt spark dance trends the world over." Bill Lamb of About.com wrote that the "...dancing is stellar and filled with unique new moves." Billboard magazine wrote, "Beyoncé makes a triumphant return in the elaborate music video for new single 'Run the World (Girls)' after creating classic clips for 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)', 'Crazy in Love', and 'Ring the Alarm'." Arielle Loren of CLUTCH
CLUTCH (magazine)
CLUTCH was a literary magazine begun in 1991 by co-editors Daniel Hodge and Lawrence Oberc in Lexington, Kentucky.The magazine grew out of the editors' interests and experiences in the subculture of alternative presses and little magazines, as well as their previous experience in working on the...
magazine commented that "...all of the traditional feminist criticism of her 'Run the World (Girls)' video is just another example of the disconnect between intellectual theory and real life." and called the video an anthem for contemporary women who are not afraid of being "...powerful, driven, smart, and sexy" and that almost every woman can feel some sort of empowerment from Knowles' music. She concluded: "When Beyoncé sings about girls running the world while busting African-dance-influenced choreography and swiveling her hips, it should remind all women that it is okay to run this mother f***er and still appreciate our breasts, move our hips, and showcase our multidimensionality (and sexiness) in a public way. Beyoncé's video provides one more signal that women need a new movement. Can we finally declare first
First-wave feminism
First-wave feminism refers to a period of feminist activity during the 19th and early twentieth century in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. It focused on de jure inequalities, primarily on gaining women's suffrage .The term first-wave was coined retroactively in the 1970s...
, second
Second-wave feminism
The Feminist Movement, or the Women's Liberation Movement in the United States refers to a period of feminist activity which began during the early 1960s and lasted through the early 1990s....
, and third wave feminism
Third-wave feminism
Third-wave feminism is a term identified with several diverse strains of feminist activity and study whose exact boundaries in the historiography of feminism are a subject of debate, but often marked as beginning in the 1980s and continuing to the present...
as history? Has the fourth wave of feminism finally arrived?" Maura Johnston of The Village Voice wrote that, in contrast to Knowles' videos for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Diva" and "Crazy in Love", the one for "Run the World (Girls)" is "...a positively maximalist affair [...] though the power of (admittedly well-done) choreography."
Awards and nominations
On July 20, 2011, the video received three nominations at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards2011 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2011 MTV Video Music Awards took place on August 28, at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. On July 20, the nominees were announced...
in the categories Best Female Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video is one of the original general awards that has been handed out every year since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, however, the award was briefly renamed Female Artist of the Year, and it awarded the artist's whole body of work...
, Best Choreography
MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Choreography in a Video....
, and Best Cinematography
MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Award winners for Best Cinematography in a Video. Madonna is the biggest Winner in this category with 3 wins....
. It won the Best Choreography category. On September 19, 2011, the video was nominated for the 'Best Video' award at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards. On November 27, 2011, the video won 'Best Dance Performance' at the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
. It is also being nominated for 'Best Video' at the 2011 Virgin Media Music Awards and 'Favorite Music Video' at the 2012 People's Choice Awards
People's Choice Awards
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble and Survivor magnate Mark Burnett...
.
Live performances
Knowles' first live performance of "Run the World (Girls)" was on May 17, 2011 on Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular at the United CenterUnited Center
The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
in Chicago. The special aired on May 23, 2011. Knowles wore a tuxedo leotard with red heels and was accompanied by 40 female back-up dancers. The show was organized to commemorate the 25th and final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
. Celebrities including Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
, John Legend
John Legend
John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
, Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning
Hannah Dakota Fanning , better known as Dakota Fanning, is an American actress. Fanning's breakthrough performance was in I Am Sam in 2001. As a child actress, she appeared in high-profile films such as Man on Fire, War of the Worlds, and Charlotte's Web...
, Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
and his wife Katie Holmes
Katie Holmes
Katherine Noelle "Katie" Holmes is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003. Her movie roles have included the blockbuster Batman Begins along with art house films such as The Ice Storm and thrillers...
were present. Knowles altered the bridge's lyrics, singing: "Oprah, your persuasion can build a nation." The crowd held up blue lights in the arena as Knowles sang the song twice while the Winfrey danced. According to the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, Knowles "...received the loudest applause" of the show. Knowles performed "Run the World (Girls)" live at the 2011 Billboard Music Award
Billboard Music Award
The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011...
s ceremony at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 22, 2011. It was the song's first performance on network television. Knowles interacted with video projections on the stage backdrop. The set opened with the roaring head of a tiger, after which Knowles appeared wearing a "...metallic spider's web dress". A set of flapping wings was projected before Knowles started dancing in front of an array of random, abstract images. A sea of birds descended from the top of the frame. Images of Knowles were projected and simultaneously performed Knowles' dance routine. She caught a set of virtual drumsticks and played snares on the projection. Finally, 100 back-up dancers emerged to dance collectively to "Run the World (Girls)"
During her promotional tour of Europe, Knowles performed at several festivals and made a only a limited amount of television appearances. Knowles performed the song at a private concert in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, on June 20, 2011. One week later, Knowles flew to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to serve as the closing act at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival 2011
The 2011 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts was held from 22–26 June 2011. Tickets for the festival went on sale from 9 am on Sunday 3 October 2010, over 37 weeks before the festival was set to begin, with a deposit of £50 being paid, while the whole cost of a ticket is £195...
on June 26, 2011, where "Run the World (Girls)" was featured as the second to last song on the 90 minute set list, before finishing with "Halo
Halo (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Halo" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce . Columbia Records released the song as the fourth single of the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 20, 2009. It was composed by Ryan Tedder, Evan Bogart, and...
". Knowles was also the solo female ever to headline the Pyramid stage in over twenty years. Knowles then returned to France, where she performed the song along with her live band on Le Grand Journal
Le Grand Journal (Canal+)
Le Grand Journal is a French nightly news and talk show airing every weekday evening on Canal+. Debuting on August 30, 2004, it was created and hosted by Michel Denisot. Originally a one-hour program, it expanded to two hours in 2005. Even though the show is broadcast on the premium channel Canal+,...
in June 2011.
"Run the World (Girls)" was sung live by Knowles on June 28, 2011 on the French X Factor
X Factor (France)
X Factor is a French television music talent show to find new singing talent after public auditions, intermediate tests, and live shows.The first series was broadcast on Mondays, from September to December 2009, on W9 and RTL-TVI ....
. She donned a Roman-styled white dress for the night. Midway through the song, she climbed onto and dance on the judges' desk. Knowles returned later in the show to perform the second single from the album, "Best Thing I Never Had
Best Thing I Never Had
"Best Thing I Never Had" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé Knowles for her fourth studio album, 4 . It was released by Columbia Records on June 1, 2011, as the second single from the album. "Best Thing I Never Had" was composed by Patrick "J. Que" Smith, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds,...
".
On July 1, 2011, Knowles gave a free concert on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
as part of its Summer Concert Series, for which she wore a yellow crochet dress, gold stilettos and her hair in bushy locks. The set included "Run the World (Girls)"; Rolling Stone called Knowles' performance "...downright frenetic". Knowles also performed "Run the World (Girls)" live on August 14, 2011 during her 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé
4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé
4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé was a revue by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles. Held in four non-consecutive nights in August 2011, the concerts were part of Knowles' campaign in support of her fourth studio album 4 . Knowles performed to a standing room-only audience at the Roseland...
shows in Roseland Ballroom
Roseland Ballroom
The Roseland Ballroom is a multi-purpose hall, in a converted ice skating rink, with a colorful ballroom dancing pedigree, in New York City's theatre district, on West 52nd Street....
, New York City, to an audience of 3,500. Knowles wore a gold dress and performed with her all-female band and backing singers, called the Mamas. Jason Newman of Rap-Up write that ["Run the World (Girls)"] utilized flamboyant light displays to bring elaborate routines to a smaller stage, though most of the time, Beyoncé viewed the reduced space as advantageous over limiting." Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly wrote that "Run the World (Girls)" was among the several highlights of the show. Joycelyn Vena of MTV News wrote that: "...it was [Knowles'] ability to throw a party during faster jams like 'Party', 'Countdown', 'End of Time' and 'Run the World (Girls)' that put on full display her range as a performer, dancing and singing live the entire night."
Controversy
Following her performance at the Billboard Music Awards, Knowles initially received widespread praise from fans, critics and celebrities. However, the following day, critics voiced concerns about similarities to a performance by Italian pop star Lorella CuccariniLorella Cuccarini
Lorella Cuccarini is an Italian dancer, singer, television host and actress.-Albums:* Lorel * Voci * Voglia di fare * Le più belle canzoni -Singles:* "Sugar Sugar" * "Kangarù"...
in February 2010 at the 60th Sanremo Music Festival. Billy Johnson, Jr of Yahoo! Music wrote: "Kenzo Digital, who spent a month creating Beyoncé's interactive video, told Yahoo! News
Yahoo! News
Yahoo! News is an Internet-based news aggregator provided by Yahoo!. It features Top Stories, U.S. National, World, Business, Entertainment, Science, Health, Weather, Most Popular, News Photos, Op/Ed, and Local news....
that Lorella concert footage is only part of the inspiration for Knowles' show: "[The Cuccarini artists] are awesome and do incredible work as well, but there are a lot of different inspirations for where our piece came from." In a Yahoo! Amplified interview with Daniel Kreps, Digital said : "It's just a bare white screen. It's a technique in video art since the [19]80s in terms of frontal projection and interactive things. That's really nothing new. It's not even a new technology. It's just an incredibly simple, awesome storytelling device, and with a performer like Beyoncé it becomes incredibly powerful." Knowles later responded through an interview with AOL Music, saying she was inspired after finding Cuccarini's performance online: "My makeup artist showed me the performance of Lorella Cuccarini a year ago, and it inspired me so much. I then met with the talented people who worked on it. The technology and concept were so genius. She was inspired after discovering Cuccarini's performance online. Thank God for YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
or I would have never been exposed to something so inspiring. I never worked so hard on anything in my life as that performance for the Billboard Awards."
Usage in media and Heather Morris cover
Knowles pre-recorded a message to the astronauts of the final mission of the US Space Shuttle Atlantis on July 16, 2011. With "Run the World (Girls)" playing in the background, Knowles said: "Good morning Atlantis. This is Beyoncé. Sandy, Chris, Doug, and Rex, you inspire all of us to dare to live our dreams—to know that we are smart enough and strong enough to achieve this. This song is especially for my girl Sandy and all the women who have taken us to space with them, and the girls who are our future explorers.""Run the World (Girls)" was used in a commercial for Knowles' fragrance, Pulse
Pulse (perfume)
Pulse is the third women's fragrance created by Beyoncé Knowles with Bruno Jovanovic and Loc Dong of IFF, endorsed by Beyoncé Knowles. The ad's tagline is "Feel the Power." Pulse comes in an upside-down chrome-and-blue bottle, neatly tucked into a holographic carton, inspired by Knowles' fashion...
(2011). Released on August 18, 2011, the 15-second advertisement, directed by Jake Nava
Jake Nava
Jake Nava was born on 17 August and grew up in northern London. He currently lives in eastern London.He graduated from the University of WestministerJake Nava is an English-born music video and film director.-Filmography:MUSIC VIDEOS...
, shows Knowles wearing a metallic gown and walking through lights an instrumental version of the song plays in the background.
A dancer who had worked with Knowles, Heather Morris, covered "Run the World (Girls)" for the American television show Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
episode "Asian F
Asian F
"Asian F" is the third episode of the third season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 47th overall. Written by series co-creator Ian Brennan and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, it first aired on Fox in the United States on October 4, 2011...
", which aired on , 2011. Morris danced to the song wearing a leather cheerleading skirt. Amy Lee of The Huffington Post called Morris' the dance choreography "...amazing" and Kristen Dos Santos of E! News called Morris' performance "...knockout" and that it might be Glees best performance to date. Morris' version debuted at number 91 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and at number 47 on the US Hot Digital Songs chart for the week ending October 22, 2011. It also peaked at number 130 on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending October 15, 2011.
Format and track listing
-
- Digital download
- "Run the World (Girls)" (Single Version) – 3:56
-
- Digital Remix Single
- "Run the World (Girls)" [Chris Lake Remix] – 6:24
- "Run the World (Girls)" [Kito Remix] – 3:37
- "Run the World (Girls)" [Billionaire Remix] – 5:19
Credits and personnel
Credits are taken from 4 liner notesLiner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
.
- AfrojackAfrojackNick van de Wall, born 9 September 1987, commonly known by his stage name Afrojack, is a Grammy Award winning Dutch music producer and DJ. Born and raised in Spijkenisse, Netherlands, He was listed as number 7 on DJ Mags top 100 DJs of 2011...
– writingSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer... - Diplo – writing
- Jordan "DJ Swivel" Young – recording
- Serban GheneaSerban GheneaSerban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band...
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - John Hanes – mix engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Beyoncé KnowlesBeyoncé KnowlesBeyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, writing, co-production
- The-DreamThe-DreamTerius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
– writing, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Vybz KartelVybz KartelAdidja Palmer , better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist, songwriter and businessman. He has many nicknames, including Addi Teacher and Gaza Emperor.-Biography:...
– writing - Phil Seaford – mixing assistance
- SwitchSwitch (DJ)Switch is a UK-based DJ, songwriter, sound engineer and record producer. He is best known for his work with M.I.A. and Santigold.In the fidget house genre, Switch runs his own music label "Dubsided", as well as the label Counterfeet, established in 2006 with fellow producer Sinden...
– writing, production - Shea Taylor – co-production
- Pat ThrallPat ThrallPat Thrall is an American rock guitarist. Thrall is a native of the San Francisco area, and began his recording career in 1972. He played guiatar,vocals and percussion with the group Cookin Mama album: new day , that also had this brother Preston Thrall on percussion.Thrall has worked with former...
– recording - Pete Wolford – mix engineering assistance
Weekly charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
10 |
| Australian Urban Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
4 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Flanders) |
14 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Wallonia) |
5 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
16 |
| Czech Airplay Chart | 43 |
| Danish Singles Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
27 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
25 |
| French Singles Chart | 12 |
| German Black Chart | 2 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
11 |
| Italian Singles Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
20 |
| Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... |
6 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 9 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 9 |
| Polish Dance Chart (ZPAV Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... ) |
43 |
| Scottish Singles Chart | 9 |
| Slovak Airplay Chart | 29 |
| South Korea Gaon International Chart Gaon Chart The Gaon Chart is a national record chart of South Korea. It is complied by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; with an aim to create a national chart for Korea similar to the Billboard charts and Oricon charts... |
2 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 21 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
22 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
11 |
| UK R&B Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
5 |
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
29 |
| US Hot Dance Club Songs | 1 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
30 |
| US Pop Songs | 37 |
Certifications
| Region | Certifications |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Platinum |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Gold |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Gold |
Radio dates and release history
| Country | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | April 21, 2011 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
| Australia | Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts... |
|
| United States | April 26, 2011 | Contemporary hit radio |
| Urban radio Urban contemporary Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music... |
||
| Urban adult contemporary radio Urban Adult Contemporary Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast... |
||
| Australia | September 2, 2011 | Digital EP Extended play An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact... |
| New Zealand | ||
| Europe | ||
| United Kingdom | ||