"Lost Boy" is the debut single by Canadian singer

Ruth B Ruth Berhe (born July 2, 1995), better known by her stage name Ruth B., is a Canadian singer and songwriter from Edmonton, Alberta. She started by singing songs on Vine in early 2013. In November 2015, she released her debut extended play '' The ...

. It was released on February 12, 2015. She first released it by singing a six-second video on

Vine A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselv ...

in January 2015.

Composition and history

The piano pop ballad is written in the key of

G major G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor. The G major scale is: Notable compositi ...

cut time ''Alla breve'' also known as cut time or cut common timeis a musical meter notated by the time signature symbol (a C with a vertical line through it), which is the equivalent of . The term is Italian for "on the breve", originally meaning tha ...

with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 62 beats per minute. It follows a chord progression of EmG/DCG, and Berhe's vocals span from F₃ to B₄. In November 2014, she posted a Vine of her singing a line that she had made up, which was inspired by the television series ''

Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in the ...

''. The video went viral, and garnered around 84,000 likes within a week. Taking note of its popularity and with encouragement from her followers, she adapted it into a full song titled "Lost Boy", which she posted on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

on January 18, 2015 and was released on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

on February 12, 2015. Dozens of Vine and YouTube users posted covers, which helped further its popularity and increased Berhe's following on social media. Record labels took notice and she then signed with

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

in July 2015. Her debut EP, '' The Intro'', was released on November 27, 2015. It has four songs including "Lost Boy".

Music video

A music video for the song was released on YouTube on May 9, 2016. As of January 2021, the video has garnered over 149 million views.

Critical reception

Mike Wass of

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...

called it a "pretty ballad" and went on to say that " ost Boyis nostalgic, more than a little bittersweet and aptly showcases Ruth's smooth vocals."

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control 2015 songs 2015 debut singles 2010s ballads Columbia Records singles Music videos directed by Mark Pellington Pop ballads Songs about fictional male characters Songs about fictional female characters Ruth B. songs Sony Music singles