"Run the World (Girls)" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé, from her fourth studio album 4 (2011), released as the lead single from the album on April 21, 2011. It was written and produced by Beyoncé, The-Dream and Switch with additional production by Shea Taylor, while heavily sampling "Pon de Floor" by Major Lazer written by Nick "Afrojack" van de Wall, Wesley "Diplo" Pentz and The song's development was motivated by Beyoncé wanting to do 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" premiered on US radio on April 21, 2011, and was digitally released the same day.
"Run the World" is an electropop and R&B song that heavily samples "Pon de Floor" by Major Lazer. In an interview with Pitchfork published on February 12, 2012, Santi “Santigold” White asserts that she had previously done some writing for Beyoncé and was the first person to show her the “Pon de Floor” video, which inspired Beyoncé and her producers to make a similar song.
The song's title and lyrics comprise an unapologetically aggressive message promoting female empowerment. "Run the World" received mixed reviews by critics; some complimented the song's sample, its musical direction, and Beyoncé's aggressiveness, while others criticized the continuation of past themes and stated that they wanted to see Beyoncé covering new topics. Some critics compared "Run the World" to Beyoncé's other singles with similar themes such as "Independent Women" (2000) – with Destiny's Child, and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (2008) among others, wanting to see Beyonce move past these same familiar themes.
In the United States, the song was moderately successful, peaking at number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It fared better in some international markets, reaching the top ten in Australia, Belgium, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Norway. It was also a top 20 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 over a three-day span. The video won Best Choreography at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards and Best Dance Performance at the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards.
Beyoncé promoted the single with live performances at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards and on the French X Factor. Her performance at the Billboard Music Awards ignited controversy surrounding the production due to visual similarities to a performance by Italian entertainer Lorella Cuccarini in February 2010 at the 60th Sanremo Music Festival in Italy. "Run the World" was used to awaken the crew of the final mission of the US Space Shuttle Atlantis and was dedicated to Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus.
Background and development[]
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In an interview with The Capital FM Network in early March 2011, Shea Taylor confirmed that 4's lead single would premiere at the end of April. "Run the World" was written by Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Beyoncé, Nick van de Wall, Thomas Wesley Pentz, Dave Taylor, and Adidja Palmer. It was produced by Switch, The-Dream, and Beyoncé. "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. In an interview with Billboard, Beyoncé described the song:
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 Beyoncé's 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, Beyoncé 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[]
[edit] After the single leaked on the internet, it was released early. "Run the World (Girls)" premiered on US radio on April 21, 2011, at 8 am. EST, and was made available for download on iTunes Stores 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 Beyoncé's 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, Beyoncé strikes a bold pose while standing in sand. With her fist in the air covered in forearm protectors, Beyoncé 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 Beyoncé 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 "hideous". Ray Rogers of Billboard stated that Beyoncé "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 Beyoncé, and criticized the cover for being confusing regarding the location of the photography. However, Bain complimented Beyoncé on her choice of stilettoes as "...serious business".