"Boys" is a single made by Charli XCX. It charted #1 on New Zealand Heatseekers and it was peaked on top 10 in Belgium and US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.
Background[]
“Boys” is one of the rare songs in Charli’s catalog that she didn’t have a hand in writing. It was penned by four boys and two girls: Emily Warren, Ingrid Andress, Cass Lowe, Michael Pollack, Ari Leff, and Jerker Hansson.
The Sun asked Andress about the experience of writing the song. She replied: "It felt very random considering it all started in my friend's bedroom with a bottle of red wine. Michael Pollock, Lauv and I have been friends for a while, so it was just another Friday night writing something we thought it was fun. Never in a million years did I think Charli would like it. But she brought it to life."
The song samples Super Mario. Charli told Triple J: "I knew that sound was going to either drive people totally crazy or people were going to be obsessed with it."
Theme[]
In an interview for Glamour, Charli simply said: "It's a song called 'Boys,' and it's just about dreaming about boys, basically. That's it. It's very simple."[1]
Critical Reception[]
Pitchfork named the song the 'Best New Track', and in a review contributor Eve Barlow wrote that "Boys" is "deceptively simple-sounding and unfussy," and "a reminder that [Charli XCX is] one of the best at knowing how to have fun; her convivial bop sounds as effortless as something dreamed up between lunch and dinner." The song was placed on several critics' lists for best of the year.
Year-End Lists[]
| Publication | Name | Accolade |
|---|---|---|
| Complex | The Best Songs of 2017 | 42 |
| Entertainment Weekly | Best Songs of 2017 | 19 |
| Esquire | 50 Best Songs of 2017 | N/A |
| The Fader | The 101 Best Songs of 2017 | 54 |
| The Guardian | The Top 100 Tracks of 2017 | 2 |
| NME | Best Songs of the Year 2017 | 2 |
| Noisey | The 100 Best Songs of 2017 | 23 |
| Pitchfork | The 100 Best Songs of 2017 | 10 |
| Pretty Much Amazing | The Best Songs of 2017 | 18 |
| Rolling Stone | 50 Best Songs of 2017 | 23 |
Music Video[]
Directed by Charli XCX herself, alongside Kendrick Lamar collaborator Sarah McColgan, the song's music video features a huge amount of famous male musicians mugging for the camera.
As Charli XCX sings about how her "head is spinning thinking 'bout boys," the clip is filled with the guys participating in an assortment of often bizarre activities. We see Mac DeMarco licking a guitar, Brendan Urie reclining on a spread of red rose pedals, and a shirtless Diplo surrounded by puppies. The British songstress even makes a quick appearance near the end, sporting a drawn-on mustache.
Charli XCX - Boys -Behind The Scenes-
Speaking with BBC Radio 1, Charli XCX explained how the visual represents a complete gender role reversal. "They're basically doing all the sexy things that girls usually do in videos," she said. "I was like, look I want to make this video, I'm directing it, I'm not in it. I just want to kind of flip the male gaze on its head and have you guys do the sexy stuff."
It turns out that Joe Jonas was the catalyst for the clip. Charli told Billboard magazine that she had a thought of Jonas "eating really sexily, which is a weird thought for me to be thinking - sorry, Joe." That image prompted the songstress to come up with a collection of guys doing a bunch of different sexy things. "I basically wanted to hit up as many people as possible," she said.[2]
Behind the Scenes[]
Lyrics[]
I was busy thinkin' 'bout boys, boys, boys
Always busy dreamin' 'bout boys, boys, boys
Head is spinnin' thinkin' 'bout boys
I need that bad boy to do me right on a Friday
And I need that good one to wake me up on a Sunday
That one from work can come over on Monday night
I want 'em all, I want 'em all
And when they finally leave me, I'm all alone but
I'm lookin' down and my girls are blowin' my phone up
Them twenty questions, they askin' me where I'm at
Didn't hit 'em back
I'm sorry that I missed your party
I wish I had a better excuse like
I had to trash the hotel lobby
But I was busy thinkin' 'bout boys, boys, boys
Always busy dreamin' 'bout boys, boys, boys
Head is spinnin' thinkin' 'bout boys
In every city I've got one with different ringtones
Flyin' from L.A. all the way to Puerto Rico
My girls are callin' me askin' me where I'm at
Didn't hit 'em back
I'm sorry that I missed your party
I wish I had a better excuse like
I can't even lie you got me
I was busy thinkin' 'bout boys, boys, boys
Always busy dreamin' 'bout boys, boys, boys
Head is spinnin' thinkin' 'bout boys
Don't be mad, don't be mad at me (no, no, no, no)
Darling, I can't stop it even if I wanted
Don't be mad, don't be mad at me (no, no, no, no)
Missed what you were sayin', I was miles away, yeah
Don't be mad, don't be mad
Not like I had a choice
I was busy thinkin' 'bout boys, boys, boys
Always busy dreamin' 'bout boys, boys, boys
I was busy thinkin' 'bout boys, boys, boys
Always busy dreamin' 'bout boys, boys, boys
Head is spinnin' thinkin' 'bout boys
Remixes[]
The single had three official remixes released digitally, that were later re-released as an EP along with an acoustic version of the song.
- "Boys" (Droeloe Remix) – 3:36
- "Boys" (Nevada Remix) – 3:08
- "Boys" (Acoustic) – 2:55
- "Boys" (Coldabank Remix) – 3:56
Live Performances[]
Charts[]
| Chart
(2017) |
Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratip Flanders) | 16 |
| Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia) | 4 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100) | 60 |
| Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100) | 41 |
| France (SNEP) | 159 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 55 |
| Netherlands (Single Tip) | 24 |
| New Zealand Heatseekers (RMNZ) | 1 |
| Philippines (Philippine Hot 100) | 41 |
| Scotland (Official Charts Company) | 26 |
| Slovakia (Rádio Top 100) | 60 |
| Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) | 17 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company) | 31 |
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard) | 10 |
Certifications[]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Silver | 200,000 |
| United States | Gold | 500,000 |
Trivia[]
- There was one boy Charli couldn't get for the video. The singer tweeted that she wanted Seth Rogen to re-create Britney Spears' python pose, but the comic actor declined.
- This is one of the rare songs on Charli's catalogue where she didn't participate on writing.