If I Were A Boy Poetic Devices
"If I Were a Boy," sung by Beyoncé Knowles, is a popular song that reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2008. Surprisingly enough, Beyoncé herself did not right the original song. Songwriter, BC Jean, wrote the hit single around 2005, however, it was rejected by her label company. Knowles heard it and recorded her own version that was released by Columbia Records. There were rumors speculating that "Queen B" had stolen the song, because Jean did not know anything about it until after it was rerecorded. Both parties denied the accusation, saying that they had eventually reached an agreement after the event.
0:22 This marks the introduction of the drums and essentially the beat to the song. Prior to this, Beyoncé was singing acoustically …show more content…
with only a minimal amount of guitar in the background. Although the tempo itself does not change, the addition of the drums lifts the tone of the song and adds more complexity to the texture. This creates a more typical "pop" and upbeat kind of song.
0:43 Here Beyoncé changes over to the chorus.
Though the melody does not differ too much from the introduction, Beyoncé's singing style makes the transition clear. There is much more power and force behind her vocals as opposed to the more relaxed tone of the first verse. She also shifts the melody up an octave to increase the intensity of the chorus when compared to the other verses. This provides a more poignant listening experience.
1:59 This marks the first time we hear a change from the ongoing melody. Beyoncé's voice is accompanied by a harmony underneath that adds an emphasis to this portion of the song, as well as changing the texture again. This serves to build the excitement and tension and is the beginning of the Beyoncé's continued melisma.
2:07 This marks the return of the chorus. Beyoncé once again utilizes melisma to increase the intensity of the melody and add more depth to her vocals. The rhythm of the melody is also slightly syncopated at times instead of being on the beat as it was before. Both of these elements keep the listener wondering where she is going to go next vocally and rhythmically. She also incorporates a harmony underneath the second half of the chorus to once again add to the complexity of the texture. All of these factors create a much more emotional version of the chorus as opposed to the first go around, where it was more
straightforward.
2:53 This is the first time Beyoncé breaks away from the melody we have heard all throughout the song. There is a change in key as she slows the beat down and allows her vocals to carry this portion. This creates a huge shift in the mood and overall tone from the chorus to the bridge.
3:14 Here we hear Beyoncé return to the same pitch and tempo as the beginning of each of the verses, instead of returning to the chorus as we expected her to. The guitar in the background is also more complex than the chords heard previously, which adds to the build-up before the climax of the song.
3:25 This marks the last transition to the chorus and the climax of the song, and instead of making this clear to the listener, Beyoncé blends it in with the previous verse so that the chorus is upon us before we even expected it. This does not detract from the intensity of the climax, because her vocals and slight changes in rhythm build an extremely passionate mood, texture, and melody
Although it was written and has the melodic tune as a break-up song, this ballad brings to light the social issue of gender polarization, a concept created by Sandra Belm in her book "The Lenses of Gender: Transforming the Debate on Sexual Inequality." Gender polarization is "the ubiquitous organization of social life around the distinction between male and female." (Belm, 1993) In other words, it describes feminine and masculine roles as polar opposite and not socially accepted by the other sex. "If I Were a Boy" describes the activities and actions that would be socially acceptable if she was male, such as "drinking beer with the guys and chase after girls." The lyrics "if I were a boy, I'd put myself first," which alludes to the notion that it is acceptable for men to put themselves first, while women are supposed to look out for and put others before themselves. The official music video further drives this concept by demonstrating that it's okay for men to cheat on women by laughing it off, but it portrays the woman as heartless when acting in the same manner as the male. The power and intensity in Beyoncé's voice during the chorus allows female listeners to resonate with the anger she feels and the emotional impact as the song progresses.
0:22 This marks the introduction of the drums and essentially the beat to the song. Prior to this, Beyoncé was singing acoustically …show more content…
with only a minimal amount of guitar in the background. Although the tempo itself does not change, the addition of the drums lifts the tone of the song and adds more complexity to the texture. This creates a more typical "pop" and upbeat kind of song.
0:43 Here Beyoncé changes over to the chorus.
Though the melody does not differ too much from the introduction, Beyoncé's singing style makes the transition clear. There is much more power and force behind her vocals as opposed to the more relaxed tone of the first verse. She also shifts the melody up an octave to increase the intensity of the chorus when compared to the other verses. This provides a more poignant listening experience.
1:59 This marks the first time we hear a change from the ongoing melody. Beyoncé's voice is accompanied by a harmony underneath that adds an emphasis to this portion of the song, as well as changing the texture again. This serves to build the excitement and tension and is the beginning of the Beyoncé's continued melisma.
2:07 This marks the return of the chorus. Beyoncé once again utilizes melisma to increase the intensity of the melody and add more depth to her vocals. The rhythm of the melody is also slightly syncopated at times instead of being on the beat as it was before. Both of these elements keep the listener wondering where she is going to go next vocally and rhythmically. She also incorporates a harmony underneath the second half of the chorus to once again add to the complexity of the texture. All of these factors create a much more emotional version of the chorus as opposed to the first go around, where it was more
straightforward.
2:53 This is the first time Beyoncé breaks away from the melody we have heard all throughout the song. There is a change in key as she slows the beat down and allows her vocals to carry this portion. This creates a huge shift in the mood and overall tone from the chorus to the bridge.
3:14 Here we hear Beyoncé return to the same pitch and tempo as the beginning of each of the verses, instead of returning to the chorus as we expected her to. The guitar in the background is also more complex than the chords heard previously, which adds to the build-up before the climax of the song.
3:25 This marks the last transition to the chorus and the climax of the song, and instead of making this clear to the listener, Beyoncé blends it in with the previous verse so that the chorus is upon us before we even expected it. This does not detract from the intensity of the climax, because her vocals and slight changes in rhythm build an extremely passionate mood, texture, and melody
Although it was written and has the melodic tune as a break-up song, this ballad brings to light the social issue of gender polarization, a concept created by Sandra Belm in her book "The Lenses of Gender: Transforming the Debate on Sexual Inequality." Gender polarization is "the ubiquitous organization of social life around the distinction between male and female." (Belm, 1993) In other words, it describes feminine and masculine roles as polar opposite and not socially accepted by the other sex. "If I Were a Boy" describes the activities and actions that would be socially acceptable if she was male, such as "drinking beer with the guys and chase after girls." The lyrics "if I were a boy, I'd put myself first," which alludes to the notion that it is acceptable for men to put themselves first, while women are supposed to look out for and put others before themselves. The official music video further drives this concept by demonstrating that it's okay for men to cheat on women by laughing it off, but it portrays the woman as heartless when acting in the same manner as the male. The power and intensity in Beyoncé's voice during the chorus allows female listeners to resonate with the anger she feels and the emotional impact as the song progresses.