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"If I Were a Boy" is a song by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé from her third studio album ''I Am... Sasha Fierce'' (2008). It was written by BC Jean and Toby Gad and Deejaycyfer, who also handled its production alongside Beyoncé. Inspired by the difficult break-up of a romantic relationship, the song was initially recorded by Jean, whose record company rejected it. Beyoncé then recorded her own version. Jean was upset when she learned that Beyoncé was releasing it as a single, but eventually they reached an agreement. "If I Were a Boy" was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008, as the album's lead single alongside "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". The two songs showcased the contrast between Beyoncé's personality and her aggressive onstage persona, Sasha Fierce. A Spanish version of the song, titled "Si Yo Fuera un Chico", was digitally released in Mexico and Spain. "If I Were a Boy" is a pop introspective ballad which draws influences from folk rock through its instrumentation of which includes acoustic guitars, drums and strings. The song's lyrics lament the misunderstandings between the genders and indict the male side of relationships. "If I Were a Boy" was well received by critics, who complimented Beyoncé's tormented and emotive vocal performance and called the song her best work to date. The single was a commercial success as it placed in the top ten on twenty-five different singles charts.〔 It topped the charts in more than eight European countries, including the United Kingdom, where it is Beyoncé's best-selling single. "If I Were a Boy" peaked at number three on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and earned multi-platinum certifications in Australia, Canada, and the US. The accompanying music video for "If I Were a Boy" was directed by Jake Nava and shot in black-and-white. With a theme of role reversal, it is conceptually similar to the American comedy film ''Freaky Friday'' (1976). A video for the Spanish version of the ballad was edited from the original clip. Beyoncé promoted "If I Were a Boy" through live performances at venues including ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', the 52nd Grammy Awards, and the I Am... World Tour (2009–10). The song has been covered several times on televised music competitions. American singer Reba McEntire sang a country version of the ballad on Country Music Television (CMT), and a studio version was released as the second single from her 2010 album, ''All the Women I Am''. ==Writing and production== "If I Were a Boy" was written by BC Jean and Toby Gad;〔 it is the opening ballad of the ''I Am ...'' disc of the double album ''I Am... Sasha Fierce''. It is the only song on either disc that Beyoncé did not co-write.〔 Most of the lyrics were written by Jean, who was inspired by the break-up of a romantic relationship. One day Jean and Gad visited a pizzeria in Times Square in New York City.〔 Although tempted, Jean refrained from eating pizza because she was dieting. She then thought that if she were a boy, she would have eaten without regret.〔 After reflecting on the idea, she concluded that she would have been a better man than her past lover.〔 Gad captured Jean's ideas on a pocket recorder, and they went to the studio the same day. Once there, she wrote the lyrics and melody in about 15 minutes. She then recorded the song in less than half an hour, with Gad on the guitar.〔 After completing her version of "If I Were a Boy", Jean presented it to her record company, which rejected the song.〔 Gad and Jean had co-written 12 songs, including "If I Were a Boy", for the singer's debut album. As the deal with Jean's record company fell apart, Gad marketed the songs to established artists.〔 Beyoncé liked "If I Were a Boy" and recorded her own version of it for her album ''I Am... Sasha Fierce''. Gad and Beyoncé produced the track in 2008 at Roc the Mic Studios and Strawberry Productions in New York City and at GAD Studios in Ibiza.〔 Gad did the musical arrangements, assisted in recording the music, and played the instruments alongside his brother Jens Gad and Reggie Syience Perry.〔 Jim Caruana recorded Beyoncé's vocals at Roc the Mic Studios.〔 Mark "Spike" Stent mixed the track with assistance from Matt Green at The Record Plant in Los Angeles.〔 "If I Were a Boy" was placed on the ''I Am...'' disc of ''I Am... Sasha Fierce'', as it is a ballad that shows Beyoncé's insecurities about love〔 and the person she is "underneath all the makeup, underneath the lights and underneath all the exciting star drama".〔 In an interview with ''Essence'' magazine, Beyoncé explained that "If I Were a Boy" is "broad" and different from her previous releases because it is not a traditional R&B song. She added, "I had to try it, because I remember Aretha Franklin said a great singer can sing anything and make it her own."〔 Beyoncé was also motivated by her audience's strong expectations from her as a singer.〔 While preparing her third solo album, Beyoncé wanted to experiment with stronger lyrics and record ballads like "If I Were a Boy" because, "the music and the emotion in the story is told so much better. It's a better connection because you can hear it and it's not all these other distractions. I really wanted people to hear my voice and hear what I had to say."〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「If I Were a Boy」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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