"Crazy in Love" is a song by American singer and songwriter
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
featuring guest vocals from American rapper
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
. It was written by Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Rich Harrison, and produced by the last two. "Crazy in Love" is a pop,
hip hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
love song
A love song is a song about love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. Love songs can be found in a variety of different music genres. They can come in various formats, from sad and emotion ...
with elements of 1970s
soul
The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
and
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
; 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
A lead single (or first 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.
A similar term, "debut ...
from Beyoncé's debut solo album, '' Dangerously in Love'' (2003), on May 18, 2003, by
.
"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
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
. At the
46th Annual Grammy Awards
The 46th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2004, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2002, through September 30, 2003. It recognized acc ...
VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
(2009), the best pop song of the 21st century by ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' (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
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...
(ASCAP) recognized "Crazy in Love" as one of the most performed songs of 2004. Artists including
David Byrne
David Byrne (; born May 14, 1952) is an American musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker. He was a founding member, principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of the American New wave music, new wave band Talking Heads.
Byrne has ...
have
covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of ...
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''.
planned to release the album in October 2002; however, the release was postponed several times to capitalize on the success of American rapper
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop g ...
's 2002 single "
Dilemma
A dilemma () is a problem offering two possibilities, neither of which is unambiguously acceptable or preferable. The possibilities are termed the ''horns'' of the dilemma, a clichéd usage, but distinguishing the dilemma from other kinds of p ...
," which features Beyoncé's former
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...
colleague
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling gir ...
. 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
Sample or samples may refer to:
* Sample (graphics), an intersection of a color channel and a pixel
* Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of something
* Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal
* Sample ...
the
hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
's
instrumentation
Instrumentation is a collective term for measuring instruments, used for indicating, measuring, and recording physical quantities. It is also a field of study about the art and science about making measurement instruments, involving the related ...
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
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
-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
A backing track is an audio recording on audiotape, CD or a digital recording medium or a MIDI recording of synthesized instruments, sometimes of purely rhythmic accompaniment, often of a rhythm section or other accompaniment parts that live m ...
; he played all the instruments on the track. The
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
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
The 32-bar form, also known as the AABA song form, American popular song form and the ballad form, is a song structure commonly found in Tin Pan Alley songs and other American popular music, especially in the first half of the 20th century.
Th ...
, she came up with the catchphrase – "Uh-oh, uh-oh, you know" – alongside Harrison.
Featured artist
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
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
File:1970s decade montage.jpg, Clockwise from top left: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974; The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War ...
-style
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
,
hip hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
, and
soul
The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
. As commented by Robert Webb 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 ...
'', the old soul influences in the song seem to have been derived from the horn
hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
, 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
The ''Sunday Herald'' was a Scottish Sunday newspaper, published between 7 February 1999 and 2 September 2018. Originally a broadsheet, it was published in compact format from 20 November 2005. The paper was known for having combined a centre- ...
'' that the beat is "so hard that it makes your heart hurt." The song's
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
is a moderate 100
beats per minute
Beat, beats, or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact
* Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact
* Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...
, in
common time
A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates the ...
. Beyoncé's
vocal range
Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of stud ...
spans around one and a half
octave
In music, an octave (: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is an interval between two notes, one having twice the frequency of vibration of the other. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referr ...
s 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
Samba () is a broad term for many of the rhythms that compose the better known Brazilian music genres that originated in the Afro-Brazilians, Afro Brazilian communities of Bahia in the late 19th century and early 20th century, It is a name or ...
music. Lisa Verrico of ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' magazine wrote that "Crazy in Love" makes use of big drums and bits of
brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...
.
According to Natalie Nichols of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'', 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
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' 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
A whistle is a musical instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It is a type of Fipple, fipple flute, and may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a s ...
-backed
chorus
Chorus may refer to:
Music
* Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse
* Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound
* Chorus form, song in whic ...
. 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 contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 20, Rhythmic Top 30, Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and upbeat R&B hit ...
,Rhythmic – Week Of: May 18, 2003 ''
Radio & Records
''Radio & Records'' (''R&R'') was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It started as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006 and became a relaunched sister ...
''. VNU Media May 18, 2003. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...
, 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
A CD single is a single (music), music single in the form of a compact disc (CD). Originally the ''CD single'' standard (as defined in the Rainbow Books, Red Book) was an 8 cm (3-inch) "mini CD" (''CD3''); later on the term referred to any si ...
in Ireland and Switzerland, and as a digital EP in Germany on June 20, 2003. "Crazy in Love" was released as a
maxi single
A maxi single, maxi-single, or maxi CD (sometimes abbreviated to MCD or CDM) is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an A-side song and a B-side song. Maxi singles are often mistaken for extended plays (EPs), especial ...
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
Dana Stinson a.k.a. Rockwilder is an American hip hop producer and songwriter best known for his work with Redman, Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Xzibit, and Janet Jackson. He has appeared on every Redman studio album since 1994.
Biography ...
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
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
described the song as a "stunning pop masterpiece", while
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
of the same website called it "deliriously catchy". Darryl Sterdan of
Jam!
Jam! was a Canadian website which covered entertainment news. It was part of the Canoe.com online portal, formerly owned and operated by Quebecor through its Sun Media division, and now owned by Postmedia Network.
Jam! was the only media outl ...
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
A blender (sometimes called a mixer (from Latin ''mixus, the PPP of miscere eng. to Mix)'' or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary ...
Blender
A blender (sometimes called a mixer (from Latin ''mixus, the PPP of miscere eng. to Mix)'' or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary ...
''. Alpha Media Group. Retrieved on February 10, 2011. Marc Anthony Neal of ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' called the "uh-oh, uh-oh" phrase catchy.
MTV News
MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
considered "Crazy in Love" to be the "proudest moment" of ''Dangerously in Love''. Similarly, Allison Stewart of ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' 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
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
''. : C.05. June 25, 2003. Retrieved on February 10, 2011. (Transcription of original review at
talk page
MediaWiki is free and open-source wiki software originally developed by Magnus Manske for use on Wikipedia on January 25, 2002, and further improved by Lee Daniel Crocker, Magnus Manske's announcement of "PHP Wikipedia", wikipedia-l, August 24 ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' 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
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' 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
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
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
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
''.
Tribune Company
Tribune Media Company, also known as Tribune Company, was an American multimedia conglomerate headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Through Tribune Broadcasting, Tribune Media was one of the largest television broadcasting companies, owning 39 ...
. Retrieved on February 10, 2011. Neil Drumming of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' 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
"Bills, Bills, Bills" is a song by American girl group Destiny's Child from their second studio album, '' The Writing's on the Wall'' (1999). It was written by Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, Kelly Rowland, Kandi Burruss, and Kevin "She'kspe ...
" (1999), "
Say My Name
"Say My Name" is a song by American group Destiny's Child from their second studio album, '' The Writing's on the Wall'' (1999). It was written by Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson, Kelly Rowland, LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerki ...
Bootylicious
"Bootylicious" is a song recorded by American group Destiny's Child for their third studio album '' Survivor'' (2001). It was written and produced by Rob Fusari, Beyoncé and Falonte Moore. The song contains a prominent sample from Stevie Nic ...
" (2001). According to
Nielsen SoundScan
Luminate Data, LLC (formerly MRC Data and P-MRC Data) is a provider of music and entertainment data. Established as a joint-venture in 2020, it brought together Nielsen Music, Alpha Data (formerly BuzzAngle Music) and Variety Business Intellige ...
, "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
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(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
Dance/Mix Show Airplay (formerly Hot Dance Airplay) is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic dance musi ...
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
The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
simultaneously, following
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
in 1994 and
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...
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
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 ...
, where it spent eighteen weeks. In Australia, "Crazy in Love" peaked at number two on the
ARIA Singles Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
and was later certified eleven-times platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
(ARIA) with sales of over 770,000 equivalent units. It also peaked at number two on the
New Zealand Singles Chart
The Official Aotearoa Music Charts, formerly the Official New Zealand Music Chart (), is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The M ...
. "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
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. In an
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
'' 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
Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury elite fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as well as '' haute couture'' under it ...
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
The Pussycat Dolls were an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a neo-burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the troupe mainstrea ...
, 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
Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
in the video for "
Jenny from the Block
"Jenny from the Block" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez, which features American rappers Jadakiss and Styles P, both members of the Lox. It was released by Epic Records on September 26, 2002, as the lead single from her third studio al ...
" (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
''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band formed in Waldorf, Maryland, in 1995. Since 2005, the band's lineup has consisted of Joel Madden (lead vocals), Benji Madden (guitar, vocals), Paul Thomas (bass), Billy Martin (guitar, keyboards), and ...
Ringtone
A ringtone is the sound made by a telephone to indicate an incoming telephone call. Originally referring to the sound of electromechanical striking of bells or gongs, the term refers to any sound by any device alerting of an incoming call.
On p ...
in the United Kingdom for 2003 In 2014, ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' 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
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
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
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''. 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
Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques (born 9 January 1973) is a Jamaican dancehall musician. Paul's first album, ''Stage One'', was released in 2000. He gained international fame with his second album, ''Dutty Rock'', in 2002. Its single "Get Busy ...
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
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
appeared at the
46th Annual Grammy Awards
The 46th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2004, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2002, through September 30, 2003. It recognized acc ...
with Beyoncé. In a performance that opened the show, they performed a medley of " Purple Rain", "
Let's Go Crazy
"Let's Go Crazy" is a 1984 song by Prince and The Revolution, from the album '' Purple Rain''. It is the opening track on both the album and the film '' Purple Rain''. "Let's Go Crazy" was one of Prince's most popular songs, and was a staple fo ...
", " 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
The King's Trust (formerly the Prince's Trust) is a United Kingdom-based charity founded in 1976 by Charles III, King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11-to-30-year-olds w ...
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
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 Barkley
Gnarls Barkley is an American soul music, soul duo composed of singer-songwriter CeeLo Green and producer Danger Mouse (musician), Danger Mouse. They released their debut studio album, ''St. Elsewhere (album), St. Elsewhere'', in 2006. It contai ...
s "
Crazy
Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors caused by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to other ...
" (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
Jon Pareles (born 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''. Frank Scheck of ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' wrote: "Her performance of 'Crazy in Love' featured some surprising arrangements that gave the material freshness". Beyoncé performed "Crazy in Love" wearing a pink fringe dress at a concert at Palais Nikaïa in
Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million4'', and at her historic headlining Glastonbury Festival Performance on June 26, 2011.
In August 2011, Beyoncé performed "Crazy in Love" during her revue show 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé. She performed a slowed-down,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
ier version of the song and danced with a similar routine to the one in the music video. During the ITV special '' A Night With Beyoncé'' which aired on December 4 in the United Kingdom, Beyoncé performed "Crazy in Love" to a selected crowd of fans. In May 2012, she performed the song during her Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live
revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...
in
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...
, United States' entertainment
resort
A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that aims to provide most of a vacationer's needs. This includes food, drink, swimming, accommodation, sports, entertainment and shopping, on the premises. A hotel ...
, hotel,
casino
A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...
and spa, Revel. During the performance, Jay-Z did not appear on stage but his pre-recorded voice was heard. Dan DeLuca of noted that the song was one of the "beat-savvy booty-shaking workouts" performed during the revue. Jim Farber of ''
New York Daily News
The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...
'' wrote that "The first, and last parts of the show stressed the steeliest Beyoncé, told in bold songs" like "Crazy in Love". A writer for BET noted that, "She dazzled fans with an assortment of high-energy performances of her upbeat hits like... 'Crazy in Love. Beyoncé also performed the song at the
Super Bowl XLVII halftime show
The Super Bowl XLVII halftime show occurred on February 3, 2013, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans as part of Super Bowl XLVII. Beyoncé headlined with special guests Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams f ...
held on February 3, 2013. In July 2013, while placing Beyoncé at number 33 on their list of 50 Best Live Musicians, the writers of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine noted that the performance of "Crazy in Love" was a highlight during her live shows with the singer "expertly poppin' her booty".
Alternative rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
band
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish–Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland, consisting of Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), and Johnny McDaid (piano, guitar, keyboards, backi ...
recorded the song during a
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
session with
Zane Lowe
Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through pr ...
. Snow Patrol's version was released as a
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
to the single " Spitting Games", on the 2005 compilation ''Cosmosonica – Tom Middleton Presents Crazy Covers Vol. 1'' and on Snow Patrol's 2009 compilation album '' Up to Now''. Ross Langager of ''PopMatters'' noted that their cover "sparks an initial chuckle of recognition but soon after becomes more than a bit unfortunate".
David Byrne
David Byrne (; born May 14, 1952) is an American musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker. He was a founding member, principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of the American New wave music, new wave band Talking Heads.
Byrne has ...
closed his concert at the
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre and Urban park, public park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in the United States by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018 and was listed on ...
on June 27, 2005, with a
samba
Samba () is a broad term for many of the rhythms that compose the better known Brazilian music genres that originated in the Afro-Brazilians, Afro Brazilian communities of Bahia in the late 19th century and early 20th century, It is a name or ...
-tinged version of "Crazy in Love". In 2007, American alternative rock band
Switchfoot
Switchfoot is an American rock music, rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass guitar, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drum kit, drums, percussion), and Jerome Fontamillas (g ...
produced a
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
version that was released as part of
Yahoo!
Yahoo (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web portal that provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, and its a ...
's CoverArt series.
Switchfoot
Switchfoot is an American rock music, rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass guitar, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drum kit, drums, percussion), and Jerome Fontamillas (g ...
produced a video for their cover version.
Nashville
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
-based indie quintet Wild Cub performed a version of the song in June 2014 for ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'' A.V. Undercover series.
British band The Magic Numbers performed "Crazy in Love" on the Australian radio station
Triple J
Triple J is an Australian government-funded national radio station founded in 1975 as a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It aims to appeal to young listeners of alternative music, and plays far more Australian conten ...
, and recorded it for the
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational List of coffeehouse chains, chain of coffeehouses and Starbucks Reserve, roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gor ...
(
Hear Music
Hear Music was a record label that was founded in 2007 in a partnership between Concord Music Group and Starbucks. Hear Music began as a catalog company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1990 before being purchased by Starbucks in 1999.
Concep ...
electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
Anohni
Anohni Hegarty (formerly Antony Hegarty), styled as ANOHNI, is an American singer, songwriter, and visual artist. She has presented solo work and as the lead singer of the band Anohni and the Johnsons, formerly known as Antony and the Johnsons. ...
's version; this cover was included on their September 4, 2009
Daytrotter
Daytrotter was a recording studio, music venue and subscription-based music discovery website located in Atlanta, United States. It hosted recording sessions with indie music acts.
The original studio in Rock Island, Illinois, was founded in 20 ...
session. Antony and the Johnsons released an orchestral version of the song as the B-side to their 2009 single "Aeon". Indie singer-songwriter Eden recorded a cover version of "Crazy in Love" for ''Final Call'', his final
extended play
An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
(EP) under the Eden Project alias.
German group The Baseballs covered the song in
rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...
style for their debut album, ''Strike! Back'', in August 2010. "Crazy in Love" was performed live on ''
Australian Idol
''Australian Idol'' is an Australian singing competition, which began its first season in July 2003 and ended its initial run in November 2009. As part of the ''Idol'' franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program '' Pop Id ...
Guy Sebastian
Guy Theodore Sebastian (born 26 October 1981) is an Australian singer who rose to fame after winning the Australian Idol (season 1), first season of ''Australian Idol'', in 2003. Born in Malaysia and raised in Adelaide, Australia, Sebastian h ...
on the Final 2 showdown in 2003.Bermingham, L. B. (2004). Guy Sebastian ''Angels Brought Me Here: The Official Biography'', Funtastic, Victoria. A jazz version was performed during the fourth season by runner-up
Jessica Mauboy
Jessica Hilda Mauboy (; born 4 August 1989) is an Australian singer. Born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, she rose to fame in 2006 on the Australian Idol (season 4), fourth season of ''Australian Idol'', where she was runner-up and s ...
on the Final 6 Big Band show in 2006. In June 2008, Mauboy performed "Crazy in Love" on '' Indonesian Idol'' with some eliminated season 5 contestants. '' Singapore Idol'' contestant Maia Lee performed "Crazy in Love" on the show. In March 2012, Swing Republic released their
electro swing
Electro swing, or swing house, is an electronic dance music
Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as dance music or club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and Lis ...
cover version, which also ended up on their album released the same year entitled ''Midnight Calling''. In June 2012,
Robin Thicke
Robin Alan Thicke (born March 10, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his 2013 single " Blurred Lines" (featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams), which peaked atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, received ...
and Olivia Chisholm covered the song on the show '' Duets''. Kate Kroll of ''Rolling Stone'' gave a negative review for Chisholm's performance, saying that "Her voice sounded thin, and she just can't seem to shake that Stepford Wife stare."
Emeli Sandé
Adele Emily Sandé ( ; previously Gouraguine; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a British singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Sandé rose t ...
The Great Gatsby
''The Great Gatsby'' () is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with Jay Gatsby, a mysterious mi ...
''
soundtrack
A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
(2013). Upon hearing a preview of the song, Randall Roberts of the ''Los Angeles Times'' commented that the cover was the best song on the album, sung with a "surprising, simmering urgency". Kyle Anderson of ''Entertainment Weekly'' also wrote that the swing cover of "Crazy in Love" was one of the highlights on the album. On October 21, 2013, Third Degree covered "Crazy in Love" on the fifth season of '' The X Factor Australia'', and on May 4, 2014, C Major covered the song on the
third series
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system
Places
* 3rd Street (dis ...
Pepsi
Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...
, and appeared on several of its advertising campaigns, one of which featured "Crazy in Love" as background music. After winning the Best Collaboration Award for "Crazy in Love" at the 2004 BET Awards, Beyoncé dedicated the award to the show's host, comedian
Mo'Nique
Monique Angela Hicks (née Imes; born December 11, 1967), known mononymously as Mo'Nique, is an American comedian and actress. She debuted as a member of The Queens of Comedy and earned recognition as a Stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian. In 2 ...
, who parodied the choreography from the "Crazy in Love" video with six equally voluptuous female dancers. "Crazy in Love" was included on the official soundtrack albums of the following films: '' Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason'' (2004), ''
White Chicks
''White Chicks'' (stylized as ''WHiTE CHiCKS'') is a 2004 American buddy cop crime comedy film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans from a screenplay co-written by Wayans, Xavier Cook, Andy McElfresh, Michael Anthony Snowden, with additional contrib ...
'' (2004), ''
Taxi
A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a Driving, driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of thei ...
'' (2004), '' Good Luck Chuck'' (2007), '' Gayby'' (2012), and '' Love, Rosie'' (2014), as well in the tenth season of Brazilian soap opera '' Malhação''. In 2005, this song started off the first season of reality competition show ''
Dancing with the Stars
''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...
'' with a bunch of pro dancers choreographing the opening number. This happened again on the 500th episode of the series during its 33rd season in 2024, with the opening number choreographed by the pro dancing married couple Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov and a bunch of pro dancers from past seasons dancing to it, including judge
Derek Hough
Derek Bruce Hough (; born May 17, 1985) is an American professional Latin dance, Latin and ballroom dancer, choreographer, actor and singer. From 2007 to 2016, Hough was a professional dancer on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC dance compe ...
and his sister/co-host Julianne Hough. In 2009, the cast of ''
Glee
Glee may refer to:
* Glee (music), a type of English choral music
* ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy
* ''Glee'' (Bran Van 3000 album)
* ''Glee'' (Logan Lynn album)
* Gle ...
Hair
Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals.
The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...
" from the musical ''
Hair
Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals.
The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...
'' and "Crazy in Love" in season one, episode eleven " Hairography". A parody of the song is also used in the
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
show ''
That's So Raven
''That's So Raven'' is an American television fantasy teen sitcom that was created by Michael Poryes and Susan Sherman, and aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between January 2003 and November 2007. The series centers on Raven Baxter ( ...
'', in the 2005 season 3 episode "Hizzouse Party" where Raven Baxter (
Raven-Symoné
Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman-Maday (; born December 10, 1985), also known as Raven, is an American actress, singer, and director. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Raven-Symoné, several accolades, including five ...
) is seen dancing to the song, calling it "her jam". It was featured on the video games ''Karaoke Revolution Party'' and '' Just Dance 2''. On the eleventh series of ''
Dancing on Ice
''Dancing on Ice'' is a British television series broadcast from 2006 to 2014 and then from 2018 to 2025. It was presented by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern. Other previous hosts include Phillip Schofield and Christine Lampard. The series ...
'' in 2019, Gemma Collins and Matt Evers performed to the song on the first week of the competition.
Accolades and legacy
''Entertainment Weekly'' magazine ranked "Crazy in Love" forty-seven in its list of The 100 Greatest Summer Songs. The song was also ranked as the Best Song of 2003 from ''NME'', ''Mojo'', ''
Nöjesguiden
''Nöjesguiden'' (Swedish language, Swedish for "the entertainment guide") is a Nordic free-of-charge young adult monthly magazine, available in the major cities in Sweden, which was established in 1982.
It is also published in a similar format ...
'', ''
Rockdelux
''Rockdelux'' is a Spanish music magazine.
History and profile
''Rockdelux'' was first published in November 1984, and celebrated its 200th edition in October 2002, when it released a list of the 200 greatest international albums of all time, a ...
'', ''
Dotmusic
''Dotmusic'' was a music webzine that existed as a standalone website from 1 June 1995 to December 2003. Initially intended as the web complement to the UK music industry trade magazine ''Music Week'', the site was relaunched in December 1998 as a ...
'', ''
Playlouder
''Playlouder'' was an online music magazine based in London. It provided news, reviews, gig-listings, features, and other music-related content. The publisher later moved into providing music access, and claimed to be the world's first music ser ...
'' and '' Magic''. The song was listed at number three on ''Rolling Stone''s list of the 50 Best Songs of the 2000s Decade in 2009, and as the one-hundred-and-eighteenth greatest song of all time on the magazine's list of
the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring song ranking compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2 ...
(2010), and ranking it at number two on the list Singles of the Year, and at number three on their 100 Best Songs of the 2000s list, writing: "The horns weren't a hook. They were a herald: Pop's new queen had arrived."
In 2018, the song topped ''Rolling Stone'' list on "100 Greatest Songs of the Century – So Far". In 2021, ''Rolling Stone'' placed "Crazy in Love" at number 16 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song also placed at number one on the Singles of the Decade by ''The Times Literary Supplement'' and 75 Best Singles of the Decade by ''
The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.
In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...
''. ''NME'' staff voted "Crazy in Love" the best song of the 2000s, calling it "a dancefloor-destroying howitzer of a pop song", also ranking it at number nineteen on their list of five hundred best songs of all time. The song was ranked at number four on ''Pitchfork Media'''s list of The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s, number seven on ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
''s list of the best songs of the decade and number six on ''Slant''s list of the 100 Best Singles of the Decade. In September 2011,
VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
ranked "Crazy in Love" number one on its list of The 100 Greatest Songs of the 2000s. In October 2011, to mark ''NME''s fifteenth birthday, its staff members selected the one-hundred-and-fifty tracks "that have meant the most to
hem
A hem in sewing is a garment finishing method, where the edge of a piece of cloth is folded and sewn to prevent unravelling of the fabric and to adjust the length of the piece in garments, such as at the end of the sleeve or the bottom of the ga ...
over the site's lifetime", placing "Crazy in Love" at number sixteen. In 2012, the song was ranked at number twenty-two on ''Billboard''s list of "Top 50 'Love' Songs of All Time". In 2013, John Boone and Jennifer Cady of E! placed the song at number one on their list of ten best Beyoncé's songs, writing: "It's the song that started it all. The definitive best Beyoncé jam is her first, complete with a guest spot by now-husband Jay Z, a killer hook and a chorus of horns that you have to dance to. Literally have to,
Pavlovian conditioning
Classical conditioning (also respondent conditioning and Pavlovian conditioning) is a behavioral procedure in which a biologically potent stimulus (e.g. food, a puff of air on the eye, a potential rival) is paired with a neutral stimulus (e.g. ...
-style." In a 2013 list of Jay-Z's 20 Biggest ''Billboard'' Hits, "Crazy in Love" was ranked at number one. On July 5, 2013, ''NME'' magazine named "Crazy in Love" "the Best Pop Song of the Century". '' Q'' ranked the song at number fifty-nine on their list of 1001 Best Songs Ever. It was also ranked at number two on ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
''s list
Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abse ...
2003.
In 2004, "Crazy in Love" was nominated for three
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
, which it did not win at the
46th Annual Grammy Awards
The 46th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2004, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2002, through September 30, 2003. It recognized acc ...
. A remix of "Crazy in Love", known as "Krazy in Luv" (Maurice's Nu Soul Mix), won the award
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
The Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical is an honor presented to producers for quality remixed recordings at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in seve ...
for its remixer, Maurice Joshua. "Crazy in Love" was also recognized at the 2004 ASCAP Pop Music Awards Awards as one of the Most Performed Songs and its publisher,
EMI
EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...
, received the Publisher of the Year award. ''
Vibe
Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing.
Vibe may also refer to:
People
* DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ
* Lasse Vibe (b ...
'' ''Magazine'''s ''Vibe'' Awards recognized the song for Coolest Collaboration in 2003. In Europe, "Crazy in Love" won the Best Song award at the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards. "Crazy in Love" won the awards for Best R&B/Urban Track and Best Pop Dance Track at the 22nd Annual International Dance Music Awards in 2003. It was recognized by Beyoncé's peers in the urban markets, and won the award for Best Collaboration at the BET Awards, where it also received a nomination in the Viewers Choice category in 2004. "Crazy in Love" was nominated at the 36th NAACP Image Awards for the Outstanding Song award and for Favorite Song at the
2004 Kids' Choice Awards
The 17th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards was held on April 3, 2004. The event was hosted by Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz to promote '' Shrek 2''. This would be the first time the award show was held at the Pauley Pavilion since 1999. The ...
.
Remixes
"Crazy in Love" has various remixes, including the
Rockwilder
Dana Stinson a.k.a. Rockwilder is an American hip hop producer and songwriter best known for his work with Redman, Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Xzibit, and Janet Jackson. He has appeared on every Redman studio album since 1994.
Biography ...
remix, Maurice Joshua's Nu Soul remix, and Junior's World remix. These versions appeared on the single releases of "Crazy in Love" under an alternative spelling, "Krazy in Luv". The Rockwilder remix slows down the beat and makes the song deeper and funkier with chopped-up horn samples and sparkling synth textures from sampling " Don't Stop the Music" by Yarbrough and Peoples. Maurice's Nu Soul Remix speeds up the beat, taking it from hip-hop to
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
territory. A version of the song included on an Asian special edition of ''Dangerously in Love'' features a rap in
Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin ( ; zh, s=, t=, p=Guānhuà, l=Mandarin (bureaucrat), officials' speech) is the largest branch of the Sinitic languages. Mandarin varieties are spoken by 70 percent of all Chinese speakers over a large geographical area that stretch ...
performed by American-Taiwanese singer
Vanness Wu
Vanness Wu (; born August 7, 1978) is a Taiwanese-American singer and actor. He was a member of the Taiwanese boyband F4 (band), F4 and the Korean Mandopop duo Kangta & Vanness.
Early life
Born in Santa Monica, California, on August 7, 1978. ...
, instead of Jay-Z's performance.
"Crazy in Love" was re-recorded by Beyoncé for the
soundtrack
A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
of the film ''
Fifty Shades of Grey
''Fifty Shades of Grey'' is a 2011 erotic romance novel by British author E. L. James. It became the first instalment in the ''Fifty Shades'' novel series that follows the deepening relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, ...
'' (2015) and used for its trailer, which was released on July 24, 2014. The slowed-down version was produced by
Boots
A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...
with violin arrangements by Margot, both of whom worked on Beyoncé's self-titled fifth studio album (2013), and, unlike the original, doesn't feature Jay-Z. Margot said: "It inspires me to work on other artists' songs ecauseit pushes my boundaries in a direction that I wouldn't necessarily come up with. Obviously I know how 'Crazy in Love' goes, but I knew there was the possibility her vocals would be different. It's almost more vulnerable and beautiful this way, because you ''do'' do crazy things when you fall in love. To hear the mood reversed and flipped makes it even more powerful."
The track was then officially released through the iTunes Store on February 10, 2015. The single cover artwork uses the same image used in the original cover, but in black and white. The rendition was performed for the first time during the 2015
Budweiser
Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, a brand of Belgian company AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beer company in the United States. Budweiser is a filte ...
Sony Music Studios
Sony Music Studios was an American music recording and mastering facility in New York City. The five-story building was a music and broadcasting complex located at 460 W. 54th Street, at 10th Avenue, in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhat ...
(New York City)
* Mixed at
The Hit Factory
The Hit Factory is a recording studio in New York City owned and operated by Troy Germano.
History
In 1969, songwriter Jerry Ragavoy opened a recording studio in New York City and named it ''The Hit Factory.'' On March 6, 1975, Edward Germano, ...
(New York City)
* Additional vocals recorded at The Hit Factory (New York City)
* Contains samples of the composition "Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)", written by Eugene Record, published by Unichappell Music Inc. (BMI) and performed by The Chi-Lites (courtesy of
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916.
History
1916–1929
Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing ...
)
*
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
appears courtesy of
Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records was an American record label and music management company founded in 1994 by record executives and entrepreneurs Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Carter issued his debut album, '' Reasonable Doubt ...
and
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
The l ...
* Published by Beyoncé Publishing (
ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...
), Hitco South South (ASCAP) — all rights administered by Music of Windswept (ASCAP) — EMI Blackwood Music Inc. OBO Itself ( BMI), Dam Rich Music (BMI), EMI April Music Inc. OBO Itself (BMI), Carter Boyd Publishing (ASCAP) and Unichappell Music Inc. (BMI)
Personnel
*
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
– songwriting, lead vocals,
background vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...
instrumentation
Instrumentation is a collective term for measuring instruments, used for indicating, measuring, and recording physical quantities. It is also a field of study about the art and science about making measurement instruments, involving the related ...
* Pat Thrall – recording
* Tony Maserati – mixing
* Jim Caruana – engineer
* Pat Woodward – assistant mix engineer
* Luz Vasquez – assistant mix engineer
*
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
List of best-selling singles
This is a compendium of the best-selling single (music), music singles. The criterion for inclusion is to sell at least ten million copies worldwide. The singles listed here were cited by reliable sources from various media, such as digital j ...
List of highest-certified singles in Australia
This is a list of highest-certified singles in Australia according to the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Since 1983, ARIA certifies a single Platinum for shipment of 70,000 copies across Australia. Single figures can include "qu ...
List of best-selling singles in Australia
This is a list of highest-certified singles in Australia according to the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Since 1983, ARIA certifies a single Platinum for shipment of 70,000 copies across Australia. Single figures can include "qu ...