Crazy in Love (Beyoncé Knowles song)

"Crazy in Love" is a song by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé featuring guest vocals from American rapper Jay-Z. It was written by Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Rich Harrison, and produced by the last two. "Crazy in Love" is a pop, hip hop, and R&B love song with elements of 1970s soul and funk; its lyrics describe a romantic obsession that causes the narrator to act out of character. It contains a sample of the Chi-Lites's 1970 song "Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)", resulting in the group's Eugene Record receiving a writing credit. "Crazy in Love" was released as the lead single from Beyoncé's debut solo album, '' Dangerously in Love'' (2003), on May 18, 2003, by Columbia Records.

"Crazy in Love" reached number one on the United States ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and the UK singles chart, and it reached the top five on charts in Australasia and various European territories. Music critics acclaimed the catchy production, Jay-Z's rap verse, and Beyoncé's vocals and "uh-oh, uh-oh" hook. At the 46th Annual Grammy Awards in 2004, "Crazy in Love" won Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The single has been ranked among several best-of lists, including ''Rolling Stone'''s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (2021); it was honored as the greatest song of the 2000s decade by VH1 (2009), the best pop song of the 21st century by ''NME'' (2013), and the greatest song of the 21st century by ''Rolling Stone'' (2018).

The song's accompanying music video features Beyoncé in various dance sequences. It won three awards at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, and its director, Jake Nava, won the Music Video Production Association award for Best R&B Video in 2004. Since 2003, "Crazy in Love" has been a staple in Beyoncé's live performances and concert tours. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) recognized "Crazy in Love" as one of the most performed songs of 2004. Artists including David Byrne have covered the song, and it has been used in various television shows and other media.

Development and production

By July 2002, Beyoncé had already recorded several songs which would appear on '' Dangerously in Love''. Columbia Records planned to release the album in October 2002; however, the release was postponed several times to capitalize on the success of American rapper Nelly's 2002 single "Dilemma," which features Beyoncé's former Destiny's Child colleague Kelly Rowland. These delays allowed Beyoncé to record more songs for the album.

Before meeting Beyoncé, Rich Harrison had conceptualized the beat of the song. He had sampled the hook's instrumentation from the 1970 song "Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)," which had originally been written and composed by Eugene Record, frontman of the Chicago-based vocal group the Chi-Lites. When Harrison first played the beat to his friends, they could not "dig it," and this made him realize that he had conceived something special, which people would appreciate better after hearing the whole record. Thus Harrison decided not to market the selection, and instead, he waited for the right artist to record it: "I had it in the chamber, I had not really shopped it much, because sometimes you do not want to come out of the bag before it's right. People do not really get it and you will leave them with a foul taste in their mouth."

Harrison was pleasantly surprised when he got a call from Beyoncé, who was working on one of the most anticipated albums of the year. However, things did not turn up according to his plans the following day, as he was late and was still suffering the effects of a hangover. When Harrison played the sample to Beyoncé in the studio, the singer initially had doubts about the "sound so full of blaring fanfare;" it seemed too retro and according to her, no one used horn riffs in the 21st century. Nevertheless, Beyoncé accepted the sample, much to Harrison's delight, and gave him two hours to write and compose the song while she went out to shop for a birthday present for Destiny's Child bandmate Kelly Rowland.

Harrison confessed that it was not easy for him to come up with the lyrics to "Crazy in Love" in that length of time. But two hours later, he had written the verses and the hook, in spite of being hung over. Harrison had also made provision for a backing track; he played all the instruments on the track. The bridge was written by Beyoncé, who was inspired by looking at herself in the mirror; as she was not wearing matching clothes and her hair was untidy, she kept saying, "I'm looking so crazy right now." Harrison sang back to her and said, "That's the hook." It also inspired the title of the song. After that Beyoncé had filled up the middle eight, she came up with the catchphrase – "Uh-oh, uh-oh, you know" – alongside Harrison.

Featured artist Jay-Z became involved late in the song's production. Around 3 am, he came to the studio and recorded a rap verse, which he improvised in about ten minutes. The recording of "Crazy in Love" took place nearly three months following the meeting of Beyoncé with Harrison.

Music and lyrics

"Crazy in Love" is performed in the key of D. It incorporates influences of 1970s-style funk, hip hop, and soul. As commented by Robert Webb of ''The Independent'', the old soul influences in the song seem to have been derived from the horn hook, which samples the 1970 song "Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)." Having a " go-go vibe", "Crazy in Love" is built on a hip hop beat. Beyoncé told ''The Sunday Herald'' that the beat is "so hard that it makes your heart hurt." The song's tempo is a moderate 100 beats per minute, in common time. Beyoncé's vocal range spans around one and a half octaves in the song, from the low note of B₃ to the high note of F₅. "Crazy in Love" uses two major chords, B♭ and G, a minor third apart. One of the main vocal riffs uses the traditional cowbell rhythm often found in samba music. Lisa Verrico of ''The Times'' magazine wrote that "Crazy in Love" makes use of big drums and bits of brass.

According to Natalie Nichols of the ''Los Angeles Times'', the lyrics of "Crazy in Love" reference a state of romantic obsession. Beyoncé said that the song talks "about how, when you are falling in love, you do things that are out of character and you do not really care because you are just open." Anthony DeCurtis of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote that "Crazy in Love" has "such a cauldron of energy" that Beyoncé sounds "loose and sexy," gripped by emotions she "can neither understand nor control." The lyrics are composed in the traditional verse-chorus form. Jay-Z opens the song with a brief spoken verse-rap, containing the lyrics: "Yes! So crazy right now. Most incredibly, it's your girl, B. It's your boy, Young. You ready?" After Beyoncé delivers the "uh-oh, uh-oh" catchphrase, Jay-Z continues the monologue. Beyoncé begins the first verse, followed with the whistle-backed chorus. She repeats the "uh-oh, uh-oh" phrase, leading to the second verse. The chorus follows, giving way to the second verse-rap which contains the lyrics: "Jay-Z in the range, crazy and deranged ..I been iller than chain smokers, how you think I got the name 'Hova', I been real and the game's over". The song continues to the bridge, singing: "I'm not myself, lately I'm foolish, I don't do this, / I've been playing myself, baby, I don't care / 'Cuz your love's got the best of me, / And baby, you're making a fool of me, / You got me sprung and I don't care who sees." She then sings the chorus again and the song fades out with the horns.

Release

"Crazy in Love" was first released for digital download via the iTunes Store in the United States on May 14, 2003. It was then sent to rhythmic contemporary,Rhythmic – Week Of: May 18, 2003
''Radio & Records''. VNU Media May 18, 2003. Retrieved February 7, 2011. contemporary hit radio, and urban contemporary radio stations in the United States on the week of May 18, 2003. In the United Kingdom, it was released for digital download via the iTunes Store on May 20, 2003. The song was also fairly successful as a ringtone among cell phone users across the United States. The song was released as a CD single in Ireland and Switzerland, and as a digital EP in Germany on June 20, 2003. "Crazy in Love" was released as a maxi single in Germany on June 30, 2003, and in Australia on July 7, 2003. The song was issued as a CD single in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2003. "Crazy in Love" was released as a digital EP in several European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden on July 8, 2003. This digital EP was also available in Canada and Ireland on July 8, 2003. On July 22, 2003, two remixes–one from Rockwilder and the other from Adam 12–were released in the United States.

Critical reception

"Crazy in Love" was acclaimed by contemporary music critics, who complimented the horn lines and the guest appearance of Jay-Z. Many of them called it the Summer Anthem of 2003. Tim Sendra of AllMusic described the song as a "stunning pop masterpiece", while Stephen Thomas Erlewine of the same website called it "deliriously catchy". Darryl Sterdan of Jam! noted the "Crazy in Love" is "instantly addictive horn lines". Anthony DeCurtis of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote: Crazy in Love' ... roars out of the speakers on the strength of a propulsive horn sample and the charged presence of her pal, Jay-Z." Ben Ratliff of ''Blender'' magazine called the song an "itchy ndeager-to-please" one.Ratliff, Ben
Review: ''Dangerously in Love''
''Blender''. Alpha Media Group. Retrieved on February 10, 2011. Marc Anthony Neal of ''PopMatters'' called the "uh-oh, uh-oh" phrase catchy. MTV News considered "Crazy in Love" to be the "proudest moment" of ''Dangerously in Love''. Similarly, Allison Stewart of ''The Washington Post'' called it the best song on the album, praising its instrumentation and harmonies, and the rap verse of Jay-Z.Stewart, Allison
"Review: ''Dangerously in Love''"
. ''The Washington Post''. : C.05. June 25, 2003. Retrieved on February 10, 2011. (Transcription of original review at talk page) This was echoed by Kelefa Sanneh of ''The New York Times'' who wrote that "Crazy in Love" is the best one on the album thanks to its "simplicity, irresistible combination of triumphant horns and a wicked hip-hop beat". She added that " eyoncé'svocals – as deft and accurate as ever – convey none of the giddy rush that the lyrics describe." Likewise, Sal Cinquemani of ''Slant Magazine'' wrote that the lyrical arrangement, the music structure and the guest vocals by Jay-Z all contributed in making "Crazy in Love" a wonderful vehicle for Beyoncé.

Rob Fitzpatrick of ''NME'' called "Crazy in Love" a "head-nodding ndbody-rocking funk-soul genius" and wrote that it is "a 100 per cent, stone-cold, dead-cert classic". He complimented Beyoncé's vocals, describing them as "genuinely, hip-grindingly fruity".Fitzpatrick, Rob. (July 2, 2003
Review: ''Dangerously in Love''
. ''NME''. IPC Media. Retrieved on February 10, 2011. ''Los Angeles Times'' writer Natalie Nichols noted that "sexy dance tunes as the vintage funk-flavored 'Crazy in Love made ''Dangerously in Love'' a great album.Nichols, Natalie (June 24, 2003
Review: ''Dangerously in Love''
. ''Los Angeles Times''. Tribune Company. Retrieved on February 10, 2011. Neil Drumming of ''Entertainment Weekly'' wrote that the song has a "fresh sound". Spence D. of IGN Music wrote that Beyoncé rides the "infectious rhythm" with grace and mid-range seductively. He added, "As tcan be expected, the track bumps when Jay drops his distinctive uptown flavor. While other rap-meet-R&B tracks often fall flat, this one works well as Beyoncé and Jay's verbals play nicely against one another." Lisa Verrico of ''The Times'' wrote that Jay-Z performed a "decent rap"; however, "Beyoncé and the beats save the day" and that "Crazy in Love" was a departure for Beyoncé from Destiny's Child.

Commercial performance

"Crazy in Love" was a commercial success in the United States, debuting at number fifty-eight on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Although it hadn't yet been released to retail stores, the single gained much attention and reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 based on heavy rotation alone. The same week it reached number one, ''Dangerously in Love'' debuted on the ''Billboard'' 200 at number one on July 12, 2003. Substantial airplay, and later in retail, gains of "Crazy in Love" allowed it to dominate the chart, spending eight consecutive weeks at number one on the Hot 100, making it Beyoncé's first number-one single in her solo career, her fifth overall, after Destiny's Child's "Bills, Bills, Bills" (1999), "Say My Name" (1999), " Independent Women Part 1" (2000) and "Bootylicious" (2001). According to Nielsen SoundScan, "Crazy in Love" was the most downloaded song in the United States for four consecutive weeks in July 2003. "Crazy in Love" spent fifteen weeks in the top ten, twenty-six weeks in the top fifty, and twenty-seven weeks on the chart in total. The song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2004 while its mastertone was also certified gold two years later. In August 2022, "Crazy In Love" was certified six-times platinum by the RIAA, denoting sales and streams of six million copies in the US. "Crazy in Love" was the fourth biggest hit of 2003 in the United States. By October 6, 2010, "Crazy in Love" had sold 47,000 physical units in the United States. "Crazy In Love" also has the distinction of being the first number-one single on ''Billboard's'' inaugural Hot Dance Airplay Chart, which debuted on August 16, 2003, where it spent seven weeks at the top spot.

In the United Kingdom, Beyoncé became the third female artist to top the UK Singles Chart and UK Albums Chart simultaneously, following Mariah Carey in 1994 and Kylie Minogue in 2001. Including her career with Destiny's Child, "Crazy in Love" became Beyoncé's third number one single in the United Kingdom and was the only song to top the charts the United Kingdom and the United States simultaneously in 2003. The single spent three weeks at number one in the United Kingdom and fifteen weeks in the top hundred. As of March 2018, it has sold over 1 million units in the country, making it her second best selling song there. "Crazy in Love" reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart, where it spent eighteen weeks. In Australia, "Crazy in Love" peaked at number two on the ARIA Singles Chart and was later certified eleven-times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) with sales of over 770,000 equivalent units. It also peaked at number two on the New Zealand Singles Chart. "Crazy in Love" reached top ten throughout Europe, including Austria, the Belgian territories of Flanders and Wallonia, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

Music video

Production and synopsis

The music video of "Crazy in Love", released in May 2003, was directed by Jake Nava and filmed in downtown Los Angeles. In an MTV '' Making the Video'' episode, Beyoncé described the video's conception: " tcelebrates the evolution of a woman. It is about a girl who is at the point of a relationship. She realizes that she is in love, she is doing stuff she would not normally do but she does not care. It does not matter she is just crazy in love."

The opening sequence of the video features Jay-Z as a passenger in a car speeding along Mission Road in Los Angeles, where he encounters Beyoncé, standing in the middle of the road, at the Fourth Street bridge. Beyoncé performs in various dance sequences, beginning with her wearing a white tank top, denim blue shorts, and red high heels. She performs an elaborate solo dance on a riser. The scene shifts to a gold set with a mock photo shoot, before moving into a scene with dancers detailing Beyoncé and dancing against a wall while wearing caps and full-length pants. Jay-Z appears and ignites a line of gasoline leading to a car parked under the bridge, which explodes in flames. Jay-Z raps in front of the burning car, and Beyoncé dances beside him, wearing an exotic silk print over a fur coat, before kicking the valve off a fire hydrant. She continues to dance while the water is flying everywhere. The video ends with Beyoncé and her dancers wearing vibrant Versace dresses in front of a large fan. Their outfits contrast with the neutral colors of the background. Carmit Bachar, then a member of The Pussycat Dolls, is one of the dancers.

Reception and accolades

The music video received acclaim by music critics. Cynthia Fuchs, writing for ''PopMatters'', commented that the photo-shoot scene uses the routine used by Jennifer Lopez in the video for "Jenny from the Block" (2002) with hot lights, scary makeup, and inclusion of many shots of legs. She wrote that: "Beyoncé's body becomes its undeniable emblem." Tom Moon of ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' wrote that Beyoncé "shakes every inch of her famously photogenic goddess frame."

The music video won three awards at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards in the categories of Best Female Video, Best R&B Video, and Best Choreography. It however lost to Good Charlottes " Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous" in the Viewer's Choice category. Director Nava also won a Music Video Production Association award for the Best R&B Video in 2004. During the same year, the video won the Best Collaboration award at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards Japan, where it was also nominated for the Best Female Video award. "Crazy in Love" was nominated at the 36th NAACP Image Awards for the Outstanding Music Video award. It won the Best International Video award at the 2004 MuchMusic Video Awards. The song is also recognized as the Best Selling Mobile Ringtone in the United Kingdom for 2003 In 2014, ''The Guardian'' writer Michael Cragg included the clip for "Crazy in Love" in his list of the ten best music videos by Beyoncé. He offered high praise for it, saying "Aware of how much of a statement the song was, the video is a checklist of icon-making visuals, from the locations... the dance moves... to the part where she makes bubble blowing look like the sexiest thing a human could do."

The music video on YouTube has received over 820 million views as of October 2024.

Live performances

Beyoncé first performed "Crazy in Love" with Jay-Z on ''Saturday Night Live''. They also performed the song during the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. She sang the song in a medley, with the pre-recorded vocals of Sean Paul on " Baby Boy" (2003). "Crazy in Love" was included on the set list for most of Beyoncé's concert tours. The song was the closing track of her Dangerously in Love World Tour that began in late 2003.
On February 8, 2004, Prince appeared at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards with Beyoncé. In a performance that opened the show, they performed a medley of " Purple Rain", "Let's Go Crazy", " Baby I'm a Star", and Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love". Beyoncé performed "Crazy in Love" live at the 2004 BRIT Awards February 17, 2004. Monique Jessen And Todd Peterson wrote that she, "...lit up the stage with her performance of "Crazy in Love", wearing a white Roberto Cavalli dress and nearly half a million dollars worth of diamonds. The pop diva, appearing onstage in a puff of smoke, stopped midway through the song to pull up her top before walking away with the best international female solo artist award." Beyoncé and Jay-Z also performed "Crazy in Love" at The Prince's Trust Urban Music Festival at Earls Court in London on May 31, 2004.

"Crazy in Love" has been included in all of Beyoncé's headlining concert tours as of 2025. Performances of the song are additionally included in the live albums '' The Beyoncé Experience Live'' (2007), the deluxe edition of '' I Am... World Tour'' (2010), and '' Homecoming: The Live Album'' (2019). "Crazy in Love" was the first song on Beyoncé's set list on The Beyoncé Experience and the I Am... tour on several dates. On August 5, 2007, Beyoncé performed the song at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Beyoncé emerged in a sparkling silver dress with a long train. She walked to the front of the stage, did a couple of snaps of her neck and then started singing "Crazy in Love". She climbed a staircase where her all-female band and three backup singers were positioned. The staircase moved forward in two places; top part moved while the bottom poked out more. At the top of her staircase, she removed her train and returned to the main stage. Her backup singers followed and danced with Beyoncé. After "Crazy in Love", Beyoncé performed a short rendition of Gnarls Barkleys "Crazy" (2006), singing: "Who do you, who do you think you are? / Ha, ha, ha, bless your soul."

Shaheem Reid of MTV News wrote: "There are few (very few) ladies out there who can really sing, a lot who can dance, a lot more who look good — but really no other who can combine all three and add iconic star power like Miss Beyoncé, arguably the best all-around stage performer in the game right now." Jon Pareles