"Boo'd Up" is the sleeper hit and debut commercial single by English singerElla Mai from her third extended play,Ready (2017), and as the eighth single from her debut studio albumElla Mai (2018). Serving as the lead single for the EP, the song peaked at number five on theBillboard Hot 100 in the United States.[4] It was a minor hit in her native UK, peaking at 52 whilst peaking within the top 50 in Australia and Canada. A remix featuringNicki Minaj andQuavo peaked at number 8 in New Zealand. The song was written by Mai,Joelle James,Dijon "Mustard" McFarlane and Larrance Dopson of1500 or Nothin', and produced by the latter two. It was nominated forSong of the Year and wonBest R&B Song at the61st Annual Grammy Awards.[5]
American singer-songwriterJoelle James first wrote "Boo'd Up" in 2014 originally for herself. She later looked for an artist to give the song to, eventually giving it to Ella Mai after feeling that "synergy of it would be perfect for her."[6]
Mai originally released the song in February 2017 as part of theReady EP. "Boo'd Up" rose in popularity on social media as well as in nightclubs over the next few months,[7] notably in the Bay Area and later in Dallas, Texas. After Mai served as the opening act onKehlani's tour, her music reached a bigger audience and the song grew on radio airplay in the spring of 2018.[8] The song became her first top 10 song in the US in the following month, deeming it her "breakthrough hit".[9]Rolling Stone wrote that the single is "one of the biggest singles by a breakout female R&B singer in the past 10 years."[10]
In support of the song and its commercial success, Mai announced a US concert tour titled after the song, during the month of August.[11]
In December 2018,Billboard magazine ranked "Boo'd Up" as the third best song of the year.[12]Rolling Stone listed "Boo'd Up" among the 100 best R&B songs of the 21st century, commenting that "it has a piano refrain reminiscent ofStevie Wonder’s “These Three Words.” But it also sounds wholly contemporary. Mai settles into the music with a warm and inviting voice and treats romance as a source of domesticated bliss. As she rhapsodizes about her partner, she confirms that yes, zoomers need love, too."[13]
An accompanying music video for the song, directed by Nick Walker, premiered via Mai'sVevo channel on 26 April 2018.[14] It featurescameo appearances from singerKhalid, rapperKamaiyah, and YouTube personality Alissa Ashley.[15][16] Model Donnell Blaylock Jr. plays Mai's love interest in the video.[17]
As of August 2021, the music video has over 460 million views.
A remix of "Boo'd Up" with rappersNicki Minaj andQuavo was released 4 July 2018.[18]
The remix version of the song features newly added verses and lyrics by bothQuavo and Minaj and marks the second collaboration between the two. Its music was also slightly modified with several parts being reorganized and changed.[51]
The music of "Boo'd Up" is mostly kept the same as the original, with the sound being slightly altered and several parts reorganized. The remix also contains a reference to Minaj's 2011 smash hit, "Super Bass".[52]Migos member Quavo drops an ad-libbed verse of his own. The remix comes to a close with a faux recorded phone conversation between Quavo and Minaj. She asks him to be picked up from somewhere but he's actually already outside.[53]
^Billboard Staff (19 October 2023)."The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List".Billboard. Retrieved10 February 2024.An addictive, punch-drunk R&B love song with a brain-sticking, near-nonsense-sounding chorus...
