If I Were a

Boy-Beyonce
(Queen B)
By Leah Kavanagh
About Beyonce
• Beyonce was born on September 4th,
1981 in Houston, Texas.
• She achieved fame in the late 1990s as
she was the lead singer of an R&B
group named destiny's child.
• Beyonce was clearly the leader of the
group and wrote them hit songs such
as 'Bootylicious'. The group eventually
split due to individual projects.
• Beyonce's first solo album was
entitled 'Dangerously in Love', and it
topped the charts around the world.
About Beyonce

• After several years of friendship and

dating, Beyoncé married Jay-Z on the
4th April 2008.
• On the 7th of January 2012, Beyoncé gave
birth to her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.
• Some of Beyoncé's most famous songs
are Run the world,  If I were a boy, Single
Ladies, Halo and Love on Top.
• She has received multiple Grammy awards
and still continues to create music today.
If I Were a Boy

• One of my favorite Beyonce songs is called 'If I

Were a Boy', so I'll be focusing on that today. 
• This song was produced and co-written by New
York based Toby Gad, who's other credits
include 'Big Girls don't Cry'.
• This song was released on October 13th, 2008.
• 'If I Were a Boy' ranked number 1 on UK charts, 3
on US and 3 on Germany.
• Comparing it to Beyoncé's more high paced and
fun songs , this track represented a
more heartfelt and serious sound from Beyonce.
Songs Inspiration
The songs inspiration was based on two things, the first was an emotional 
breakup that the songs co-writer had recently experienced. The second was,
while writing the song she and Toby Gad went out to lunch at a pizza
restaurant. Immediately she wanted to order pizza just like Toby but had to
stop herself as she was on a diet. In that moment she wished she was a boy
as its more usual they wouldn’t think for a second about the consequence's
food has on their weight. This opened a whole new way of thinking in the
writer's head and she was able to truly compare how much more simple it
can be for a boy. Along with that raised a flood of other thoughts relating to
things she would do if she was a man, and how she could be a 'better man"
than her past ex was.
Story of "If I was Boy"
• From listening to the song here is the message I
grasped. She was in a previous relationship where
her boyfriend was being disrespectful. The song is a
commentary on the double standards she has
observed in previous relationships between men
and women. She proceeds to explain how she
would act if the roles reversed. She gets across that
if she was a man, she would treat her girlfriend
better as she knows how it feels to be in a one-
sided and unfair relationship.
• In the song she chants If I were a boy, I think I could
understand how it feels to love a girl, I swear I'd be
a better man'. Here Beyonce is reiterating the
message she is sending. That she would treat them
how she knows every girl really wants to be treated
with courtesy and respect.
 Listen to it here: 
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=KRCj8-8rdT4

My
• I think that this is an empowering and
moving song. As a female it shows that we
don’t need to put up with nonsense boys
give us. We should learn to put ourselves

opinion
first and wait for them to realize they
actually need us, just like Beyonce has said
before Girls run the world!