IF I WERE A BOY ~ BEYONCE

"If I Were a Boy" is a pop song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. "If I Were a Boy" is different from her previous songs as the song is not a traditional R&B one. The lyrics of the song are a reference to an expression of sadness about misunderstanding between the genders and an indictment of the male side of relationships. The song stands as the only song on either disc of I Am... Sasha Fierce that Knowles did not co-write. The song fueled controversy in the sense that Jean affirmed that "If I Were a Boy" was her song. After Jean's version of the song was rejected by her record company, Gad took back the song and started marketing them to established artists. In this way, Knowles ended up recording "If I Were a Boy" for I Am... Sasha Fierce. Upon its release, "If I Were a Boy" was generally well-received by music critics who praised Knowles' tormented performance, emotional and passionate vocals and called the song her best work to date. "If I Were a Boy" was covered by American country singer Reba McEntire and a studio version was released as the second single from her 2010 album, All the Women I Am.