Boyfriend (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Boyfriend


Caption = Limited Edition Single, Available For One Week
Artist = Ashlee Simpson
from Album = I Am Me
Released = September 16, 2005
Format = CD single, digital download, 12-inch single
Recorded = Henson Recording Studio, Hollywood, California
Genre = Pop rock, pop punk, teen pop, garage rock
Length = 2:59
Writer = Kara Dioguardi, John Shanks, Ashlee Simpson
Label = Geffen Records
Producer = John Shanks
Certification = Gold (RIAA)
Reviews = * Bill Lamb, About.com (3.5/5) [http://top40.about.com/od/singles/gr/asimpboyfriend.htm link]
Last single = "La La"
(2005)
This single = "Boyfriend"
(2005)
Next single = "L.O.V.E."
(2005)
Misc = Audiosample
Upper caption = Audio sample
Name = Boyfriend
Audio file = BoyfriendSample.ogg

"Boyfriend" is a single by American singer Ashlee Simpson, the first from her 2005 album "I Am Me" (see 2005 in music). It has rock-guitar music produced by John Shanks, who collaborated with Simpson on her 2004 debut album "Autobiography", and like all the songs on "I Am Me", it was written by Simpson, Shanks and Kara DioGuardi. "Boyfriend" reached the top 20 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

ong information

The lyrics of the song consist of Simpson insisting to another girl that "You really got it wrong: I didn't steal your boyfriend." Simpson has denied rumors that the song refers to an alleged relationship with Wilmer Valderrama, ex-boyfriend of Lindsay Lohan, saying "It's not about one person in particular, it's just something every girl can relate to...It's a song about [how] every girl out there sometimes thinks you stole her boyfriend. It's just making fun of that." She has, however, said that the song was her way of making fun of something she went through, and has said that she leaves the question of who the song is about up to the imagination; in one interview, Ryan Seacrest observed that she grinned every time she denied that it was about "anyone in particular". ["Larry King Live", October 22, 2005. (see [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0510/22/lkl.01.html transcript] )]

The song has been described as "a punky love triangle jam". [Jonah Weiner, "Sister Act 2", "Blender", December 2005, page 117.] One review noted its rock guitar positively while saying that the song lacked "distinctiveness". [Bill Lamb, [http://top40.about.com/od/singles/gr/asimpboyfriend.htm "Boyfriend" review] , top40.about.com.]

Originally, "L.O.V.E." had been planned to be released as the first single from "I Am Me", but "Boyfriend" soon replaced itCorey Moss, [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1507602/20050815/story.jhtml "Ashlee Says New Single Isn't Directed At Lindsay Lohan"] , MTV News, August 15, 2005.] ("L.O.V.E." did, however, become the album's second single).

Months after it was promoted in the U.S., "Boyfriend" began to be promoted in the UK; Simpson went to the UK and performed the song on television shows there in January and February 2006. It was the only song from "I Am Me" released in the UK due to the commitments Simpson had in the U.S.

A popular well known remix was done by Eddie Baez. The remix had rock and dance elements mixed together.

Music video

The single's music video, directed by Marc Webb, was filmed in Los Angeles, California over two days, August 31–September 1, 2005. ["Making the Video"; see also [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1508725/20050831/story.jhtml "For The Record: Quick News On Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, Andre 3000, Ashlee Simpson, Dillinger Escape Plan & More"] , MTV News, August 31, 2005.] It was the subject of an episode of the MTV show "Making the Video" that aired on September 12, [ [http://www.ashleesimpsonmusic.com/news/default.aspx?dt=09-01-2005 "Boyfriend" Video Premiere On MTV"] , AshleeSimpsonMusic.com, September 12, 2005. See also the [http://www.tv.com/making-the-video/boyfriend/episode/499625/summary.html TV.com page on this episode.] ] with the completed video premiering at the end of the episode. Simpson appeared to premiere the video on "Total Request Live" on September 13, [ [http://www.tv.com/trl/september-13-2005/episode/539713/summary.html Episode summary for "TRL", September 13, 2005] , TV.com.] and it debuted on the "TRL" top ten countdown on September 14 at #9, rising to number #3 the next day, and reaching #1 on September 20. [ [http://www.popfusion.net/records/recaparchive/2005_09.html TRL Archive - September 2005] , Popfusion.net.] It spent a total of three days at #1, and was on the countdown for 32 days, with its last day being November 7. [ [http://www.popfusion.net/records/recaparchive/2005_11.html TRL Archive - November 2005] , Popfusion.net.]

The video starts off with a car chase as Simpson is pursued by the police. Eventually she evades them and reaches a junkyard, where she and her band perform the song before a crowd of young people. At the end of the video Simpson jumps into the arms of Efren Ramirez and he carries her away.

The music video won the award for Best Pop Video at the MTV Australia Video Music Awards in April 2006. [ [http://www.mtvasia.com/News/200604/13013323.html "Ashlee Simpson, The Veronicas Among The Winners At MTV Australia Video Music Awards"] , MTV News, April 13, 2006.]

Chart performance

"Boyfriend" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in September at #71 [Barry A. Jeckell, [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001137512 "West Mines More No. 1s With 'Gold Digger'"] , Billboard.com, September 15, 2005.] thanks in part to its strong downloads, and in its second week of release, it climbed from #71 to #24 (also rising from #32 to #7 on the Hot Digital Songs chart), [Barry A. Jeckell, [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001178998 "Kanye Keeps Digging No. 1 Single"] , Billboard.com, September 22, 2005.] making it Simpson's second biggest hit on the Hot 100 to date ("Pieces of Me" reached #5 on the Hot 100 in 2004). Though it continued to drop for a couple of weeks after reaching #24, it later rebounded on the charts and hit a new peak of #19, making "Boyfriend" Simpson's second top twenty U.S. hit. In its 17th week on the chart, after falling out of the top 50, "Boyfriend" rebounded from #75 to #34; this put it ahead of "L.O.V.E.", Simpson's second "I Am Me" single, which was at #36 and also rising on the Hot 100.

"Boyfriend" is also Ashlee's third song to reach the top 10 in Australia, where it debuted on the chart for the week ending October 31 and had the highest debut of the week at #8; this was her highest debut to date on the ARIA chart. However, it wasn't able to be her highest peak ("Pieces of Me" reached #7), since it fell to #9 on the following week, then to #10 in its third week on the chart and to #12 in its fourth week. "Boyfriend" was also accredited as a gold single in Australia. [ [http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-singles-2005.htm ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2005 Singles] , Aria.com.au.]

In Canada, "Boyfriend" peaked at #99.

In the UK, "Boyfriend" was released on 30 January 2006 and charted in early February. It debuted and peaked at number 12 (spending four weeks in the top 40), [ [http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=1159 "Boyfriend" chart positions by week] , Chart Stats - UK Singles & Albums Chart Statistics.] her lowest charting single so far (although it was her third top 20 hit), behind "Pieces of Me" (peaking at #4) and "La La" (peaking at #11).

"Boyfriend" was on the RIANZ Top 40 Singles chart in New Zealand from November 2005 to January 2006. The song debuted at #23 in early November, where it remained in its second week, before rising to #21 in its third week. It then fell to number 30 before rising back to number 26 in its fifth week. In its sixth week it fell again to number 37, and was then off the chart for two weeks before returning at number 40; subsequently it fell off the chart again for one week and then returned at number 37 for its eighth and final week on the chart. [ [http://www.rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart.asp Top 40 Singles Chart] , RIANZ, weeks 7 November 2005–16 January 2006.]

The song reached number 19 in Norway. [ [http://lista.vg.no/album_info.php?AlbumOp=show&albumId=4769&albumtype=song&albumtype_id= http://lista.vg.no/album_info.php?AlbumOp=show&albumId=4769&albumtype=song&albumtype_id=] "Lista.vg.no" ] In Austria, it debuted and peaked at number 45. [ [http://charts.orf.at/oe3/records/117505/main?charttype=single&tmp=11360 http://charts.orf.at/oe3/records/117505/main?charttype=single&tmp=11360] "Charts.orf.at" ]

Performances

Simpson performed "Boyfriend" on Sessions@AOL on the Internet [ [http://popdirt.com/article42390.html "Ashlee Simpson Performs On Sessions@AOL"] , Popdirt.com, October 9, 2005.] and subsequently on "Saturday Night Live" on the October 8/9 episode, as the second of her two performances that night (the first being "Catch Me When I Fall"). [ [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1511229/20051010/story.jhtml "For The Record: Quick News On Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Ashlee Simpson, U2, Madonna & More"] , MTV News, October 10, 2005.] On the album's U.S. release date, October 18, she performed the song on "Good Morning America" [ [http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/WomensConcert/story?id=1224690 "Ashlee Simpson's Big Comeback"] , ABC News, October 18, 2005.] and "Total Request Live", [ [http://www.popfusion.net/records/recaparchive/2005_10.html TRL Archive - October 2005] , Popfusion.net.] and then on the October 21 episode of "The Tonight Show" [ [http://popdirt.com/article42803.html "Ashlee Simpson Performs On 'The Tonight Show'"] , Popdirt.com, October 23, 2005.] and the October 24 episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show". [ [http://www.tv.com/the-ellen-degeneres-show/barbra-streisand-ashlee-simpson/episode/545240/summary.html Episode summary for "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", October 24, 2005] , TV.com.] Aside from these performances, she also sings "Boyfriend" on tour.

In January 2006, she performed the song on "Top of the Pops Reloaded" in the UK. Ashlee then went on to perform "Boyfriend" on the UK's "Top Of The Pops" on February 5. [ [http://popdirt.com/article45537.html Ashlee Simpson Performs on 'Top of the Pops'"] , Popdirt.com, February 6, 2006; [http://www.tv.com/top-of-the-pops-uk/5th-february-2006/episode/637291/summary.html?tag=ep_list;title;4 Episode summary] at TV.com.] On April 12, she sang "Boyfriend" at the MTV Australia Video Music Awards (which she also hosted), before starting to sing "L.O.V.E."

Track listing and formats

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Boyfriend".

#"Boyfriend"
#"Boyfriend" (Instrumental)
#"La La" (Fernando Garibay Edit)
#"Boyfriend" (Video)

*UK CD maxi single
#"Boyfriend"
#"Boyfriend" (Garcia & Page remix)
#"La La" (Fernando Garibay edit)
#"Boyfriend" (video)

*UK CD single
#"Boyfriend"
#"Pieces of Me" (album version)

*Benelux CD single
#"Boyfriend"
#"Boyfriend" (Frantic Remix)

Remixes and other versions

*Boyfriend [Album Version] 3:00
*Boyfriend [Instrumental] 2:58
*Boyfriend [Eddie Baez *Boyfriend Dub] 3:17
*Boyfriend [Eddie Baez Radio Edit] 4:20
*Boyfriend [Eddie's Mix Show Edit] 7:11
*Boyfriend [Frantic Remix] 5:45
*Boyfriend [Garcia & Page Radio Edit] 3:33
*Boyfriend [Garcia and Page Remix] 6:48
*Boyfriend [Chris Young Mix] 7:59
*Boyfriend [Eddie Baez Anthem Extended Mix] 10:04

Charts

References

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGxqpm26-Gk "Boyfriend" music video on YouTube]
* [http://music.aol.com/video/boyfriend-aol-sessions/ashlee-simpson/1413503 Video of Simpson performing "Boyfriend" at Sessions@AOL]