"Bad Boys" is a song by British recording artist

Alexandra Burke Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke (born 25 August 1988) is a British singer, songwriter and actress. She won the fifth series of the British television series ''The X Factor'' in 2008, and has been signed to Epic Records, RCA Records and Syc ...

. The song is her second single after winning the fifth series of ''

The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...

'', and the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from her debut album, '' Overcome''. The song features American rapper

Flo Rida Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), better known by his stage name Flo Rida (, ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 breakout single " Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital dow ...

. It was written by

busbee Michael James Ryan Busbee (June 18, 1976 – September 29, 2019), known professionally as Busbee, was an American songwriter, record producer, publisher, record label executive, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his work in both po ...

Lauren Evans Lauren Evans (born February 3, 1983) is an American singer and platinum-selling songwriter. She is an ASCAP Award Winner and has written hit singles for Alexandra Burke, Monrose, Jordin Sparks, and Camila. As a songwriter, Evans has achieved f ...

, Alex James, and was produced by The Phantom Boyz. It was first released for digital download on 12 October 2009. The song is an uptempo electrohop song, lyrically about becoming attracted to dangerous men. "Bad Boys" received positive reviews from critics, commending its production and composition as well as Burke's vocals. The song topped the charts in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the top ten of Sweden, the Netherlands, Hungary, Norway, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Belgium (Wallonia) and the top twenty of several other countries. The song's accompanying music video takes place in an alleyway and a warehouse, and follows Burke's adventure when her convertible breaks down. The song has been performed a number of times, including on the sixth series of ''The X Factor''.

Background and composition

Burke premiered the song on 25 August 2009, on ''

The Chris Moyles Show ''The Chris Moyles Show'' is the title given to two differing versions of a radio programme hosted by Chris Moyles, originally broadcast as Radio 1 Breakfast from 5 January 2004 to 14 September 2012 before transferring three years later on 21 ...

''. Before its release, '' The Sun'' had leaked lyrics from the song online. In an interview with ''

Popjustice Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 by UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for ''NME'', ''The Guardian'', ''Attitude'' and many others. It is composed of the work of editor Robinson, features editor Michael Cra ...

'' when asked about the song, Burke said, "I've got a passion against liars, but I do like myself a bad boy. All young girls my age go for them, we just don't like to admit it, because we always go for them". The song is described as having a "stomping electro- R&B tune". The intro has been described as "a demented elasticated siren effect bouncing from speaker to speaker", which has been called a hybrid of

Girls Aloud Girls Aloud were an pop girl group that was created through the ITV talent show '' Popstars: The Rivals'' in 2002. The group comprised singers Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. The group achieved a str ...

's "

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

", and

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

' "

Womanizer Womanizer may refer to: * "Womanizer" (term), a promiscuous heterosexual man * "Womanizer" (song), a 2008 song by Britney Spears * "Womanizer", a 1977 song by Blood, Sweat & Tears from '' Brand New Day'' * ''Womanizer'', a 2004 album by Absolute ...

", but with a more "euphoric disco feel". According to ''Popjustice'', the song is lyrically about "fancying dangerous men". Flo Rida appears in the intro and during the middle eight.

Critical reception

The song received mostly positive reviews commending Burke's vocals and the mainstream R&B/pop feel and production of the song. Matthew Chisling of ''

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

'' called the track "the most brilliant, perfect mainstream pop single of 2009", commending the song's synthesized beat and larger-than-life chorus, and Flo Rida's rap, stating that it made Burke "the prime UK import for the North American market". ''

'' called the song "brilliant" and "phenomenal", commending the song's "Womanizer"-like intro and the chorus's strong melodic topline. The review praised Burke's vocals, calling them " Whitneyish in parts" and compared them to

Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her mus ...

. Although the review noted the song was not built for Burke's extreme vocals, it said, "that there's something quite exciting about an incredible singer being forced to follow a very strong and melodic topline instead of going all over the show." Bill Lamb of

About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...

also said the song was reminiscent of

, and said, "Big international success seems a real possibility as Burke steps into the battle for R&B-pop diva crown." Nick Levine of ''

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...

'' said the song complimented Burke's "sass and all-around performance skill" rather than a ballad would, and called the song "fun", pulling off a "minor pop miracle- turning a cameo by Flo Rida into a good thing". Alexis Petrids of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' noted although some may see the single as "generic", and "currently pop's factory-default setting", he ascertained the song was "a superior example of the type, furnished with an effortlessly unshakeable chorus". Although Harry Guerin of ''

RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...

'' noted the production and formula of the music was a flaw of the album, he noted that that technique worked in "Bad Boys". Simon Price of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' was more critical of the song, calling it a "pale imitation" of

' "Womanizer".

Chart performance

"Bad Boys" debuted at number one on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, replacing

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's "

Oopsy Daisy "Oopsy Daisy" is a song by British rapper Chipmunk. It features uncredited vocals by R&B singer Dayo Olatunji, who performs the bridge and chorus. The song was produced by the pop production duo Kyle James & Parker Ighile, who co-wrote the to ...

", and becoming both Burke and Flo Rida's second chart-topper, selling over 187,000 copies in its first week, a total of 860,000 copies to date. The song also debuted on the

Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...

at number one. The song fell off the top spot in the second week, ceding the throne to

Cheryl Cole Cheryl Ann Tweedy (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and television personality. Born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne, she rose to fame in late 2002 upon winning a place in Girls Aloud, a girl group created through ITV's '' Popstars: ...

's "

Fight for This Love "Fight for This Love" is the debut solo single by English singer and Girls Aloud member Cheryl (singer), Cheryl Cole, recorded for her debut studio album, ''3 Words'' (2009). It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the lead single on ...

". It was certified platinum in the United Kingdom, and spent 25 consecutive weeks in the top seventy-five on the UK Singles Chart. The song also charted within the top ten of Sweden, the Netherlands, Hungary, Norway, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Belgium (Wallonia). It charted within the top twenty of Finland, Belgium (Flanders), and Germany, twenty-two in Austria, and thirty-nine in Denmark. While the track failed to chart in Australia on the Singles Chart, it peaked at #11 on the Physical Singles Chart In the UK, 'Bad Boys' is the 18th biggest download of all time.

Music video

The video was filmed from 31 August to 1 September 2009 in various locations in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, directed by

Bryan Barber Bryan Barber (born December 20, 1970) is a music video and motion picture filmmaker. He has directed many music videos for popular artists, including Outkast's " The Way You Move" and "The Whole World". Barber is known for sprinkling scenes fro ...

. The clip starts with Alexandra dressed in a one-piece black leather suit, as her car has broken down in a bad part of town. It then cuts to Flo Rida who sings the opening lines of the song. Next, Burke performs various dance moves in deserted streets while being followed by several men. The video then shows Alexandra entering a bar in a mirrored silver dress, which has been compared to

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

around the '' janet.'' era, where she is mobbed by more of these men. She then performs more dance routines, before a fight ensues between the men in the bar over Alexandra and Flo Rida performs his part in the song. During his rap, there are scenes where Alexandra backflips off a bar table, and pushes two men powerfully over a bar and through a door. The video then shows Alexandra dancing with more men in a deserted parking lot. David Whitehouse of ''Wonderland Magazine'' declared the "Bad Boys" video as "the birth of a pop star". After commenting that America generates better, glossier pop than the British, such as the "holy trinity of 21st century pop music",

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...

, and

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

, Whitehouse said that the video looked and sounded American, "dripping" with "dollar signs and expensive lenses". The review commending Burke's look in the video calling her, "the gutsier, sassier alternative to the anaemic, high school warbling of, say,

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...

or the pre-pubescent offal piped into our children by

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...

." Whitehouse stated, "It has pomposity, big dance routines, cars built like tanks, moody street hunks (also built like tanks), stunts, jewellery and a rapper, Flo Rida, who in honesty, could have been anyone". He went on to say, "If we want to make a megastar, let the Americans do it for us. They make megastars. If Alexandra Burke is going to be the pop star we want her to be, she’s going the right way about it".

Live performances and promotion

Burke performed Bad Boys on the sixth series of ''The X Factor''s first week results show on 11 October 2009. Flo Rida joined Burke on stage. She then performed the on ''

GMTV GMTV (an acronym for Good Morning Television), now legally known as ITV Breakfast Broadcasting Limited, was the name of the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor/licensee, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 ...

'' on 13 October 2009 at London's

G-A-Y G-A-Y is a long-running gay nightclub, based at Heaven in Charing Cross, London. It started in 1976, and for many years was based at the London Astoria. History G-A-Y started in 1976 in the Sundown club in the basement of the London Astoria (l ...

and at Wembley Arena on 17 October 2009. She also performed it on Ireland's Childline concert in Dublin. Burke also performed the song, as well as others from her while presenting the launch of the Viva Network in the UK and Ireland. She returned for the finale of the sixth series of ''The X Factor'', where she and past runner-up

JLS JLS (an initialism of Jack the Lad Swing) are an English boyband, which consists of members Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, Marvin Humes, and JB Gill, originally formed by Williams. They initially signed to Tracklacers production company ...

performed a melody of the song and their hit, "

Everybody in Love "Everybody in Love" is a song by English boyband JLS from their self-titled debut album (2009). The song was released as a digital download on 1 November 2009, followed by a physical release the following day. The song became the band's secon ...

". Burke also performed the song at

The O2 Arena The O2 Arena, commonly known as the O2 (stylised as The O2 arena), is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of the O2 entertainment complex on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the s ...

in London for the

Jingle Bell Ball The Jingle Bell Ball is a concert held annually in December since 2008 (except for 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic), by the radio station Capital FM at The O2. Artists that have headlined the concert include Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Li ...

, while also appearing on '' Cheryl Cole's Night In'' to perform the solo version. "Bad Boys" was also the background music in ''

Dancing On Ice ''Dancing on Ice'' is a British television series presented by Phillip Schofield alongside Holly Willoughby from 2006 to 2011, who then returned in 2018, and Christine Bleakley from 2012 to 2014. The series features celebrities and their profe ...

'' during the first week when introducing the male celebrities. In week seven of the fifth season of ''Dancing on Ice'', actress

Emily Atack Emily Jane Atack (born 18 December 1989) is an English actress, comedian, and television personality. She is best known for playing Charlotte Hinchcliffe on the E4 comedy series ''The Inbetweeners'' (2008-2010), and for her roles in Keith Lemo ...

danced to the song and achieved her highest score at the time in the show. In the UK, Burke also performed it on '' Ant and Dec's Push The Button'' on 13 March 2010, and is set to perform it on ''

T4 on the Beach T4 on the Beach was an annual British one-day music event which was held on the beach at Weston-super-Mare and televised on Channel 4. The event began in 2003 as Pop Beach in Great Yarmouth, changing to the current title and venue in 2005. The d ...

'' on 4 July 2010. Burke also performed the song while promoting '' Overcome'' on her European Promo Tour. She performed "Bad Boys" live on the 20th Concert in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

, on Queensday in the Netherlands at the

Radio 538 Radio 538 () is a Dutch commercial radio station that was founded in Hilversum, Netherlands in 1992. It is the second-most listened to radio station in the Netherlands. Radio 538 refers to the wavelength on which Radio Veronica used to broadcast ...

Museumplein The Museumplein (; ) is a public space in the Museumkwartier neighbourhood of the Amsterdam-Zuid borough in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Located at the Museumplein are three major museums – the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Stedelijk Museum � ...

, and on the Dutch ''

''.

Track listing

;UK & Australian Maxi CD # "Bad Boys" (Melvin K Watson Jr, Larry Summerville Jr,

Busbee Michael James Ryan Busbee (June 18, 1976 – September 29, 2019), known professionally as Busbee, was an American songwriter, record producer, publisher, record label executive, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his work in both po ...

, Lauren Evans, Alex James) # "Dangerous" (Hitesh Ceon, Kim Ofstad, Andrea Martin) # "Bad Boys" ( Moto Blanco Radio Mix) ; UK iTunes digital download # "Bad Boys" # "Bad Boys" (Moto Blanco Extended Vocal Mix) ;German 2-Track CD # "Bad Boys" # "Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen) ;German & Austrian iTunes EP # "Bad Boys" # "Bad Boys" (Solo Version) # "Hallelujah" # "Bad Boys" (Moto Blanco Extended Vocal Mix) # "Bad Boys" (Video) ;Digital EP # "Bad Boys" (feat. Flo Rida) - 3:27 # "Dangerous" - 3:10 # "Bad Boys" (Solo Version) - 3:14 # "Bad Boys" (Moto Blanco Radio Mix) - 3:23 # "Bad Boys" (Moto Blanco Extended Vocal Mix) - 7"11 # "Bad Boys" (Moto Blanco Dub) - 8:10

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

Official website
* {{authority control 2009 singles 2009 songs Alexandra Burke songs Flo Rida songs Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Scotland UK Singles Chart number-one singles Songs written by Lauren Evans Songs written by Alex James (songwriter) Songs written by busbee Songs written by Flo Rida Syco Music singles