If I Were A Boy - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

"If I Were a Boy" was generally well received by contemporary music critics, who applauded Knowles' vocal performance and called the song her best yet. Billboard magazine's critic Chuck Taylor wrote that "If I Were a Boy" is Knowles' "most affecting offering" since "Listen" (2006). He praised her vocals as "breathtaking, exquisitely emotive, mournful, and mature" and added that the song "exudes the fragrance of a Grammy Award". According to Ann Powers of Los Angeles Times, "If I Were a Boy" is Knowles' Streisand moment and "a tender, fairly simple ballad that uses to prove she's a great vocal actress". Powers concluded, "This isn't just another breakup song; it's an elegy for female empowerment, Beyoncé's admission that no amount of money, fame or skill can solve the basic inequity between her man's heart and her own." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine wrote that "If I Were a Boy" could become as commercially successful as "Irreplaceable" because of its radio-friendly appeal. James Montgomery of MTV News complimented the "tear-jerking power" of "If I Were a Boy" and noted that it reveals "sides of Beyoncé we never knew existed".

"Her tone is gentle, open: Instead of the snap of 'Single Ladies' and 'Irreplaceable,' there's real sadness as she shuts this door ... In the end, Beyoncé can't resist arching her eyebrow; she's a survivor, and she won't let her pain completely unmake her. But that's the final, poignant point of this excellent song. In Beyoncé's world view, an independent woman must sacrifice the princess fantasy she was sold as a child, and keep that steely edge, even when her world is melting around her. The compassion Beyoncé's vocal conveys as 'If I Were a Boy' concludes is as much for the man who can't fulfill romance's impossible dream as it is for herself."

Matos Michaelangelo of The A.V. Club remarked that "If I Were a Boy" has "boilerplate lyrics" that would fit perfectly in mature roles that English actress Hayley Mills played in the 1960s. Nick Levine of Digital Spy wrote in his review of the album that "If I Were a Boy" has the "most interesting lyrics" of the entire record. In a separate review of "If I Were a Boy", Levine awarded it four stars out of five, writing that Knowles' vocals on the song are passionate. He praised the lyrics for not being overwritten and commended their "emotional punch" and "very strong melody" which he said can make people feel that they have always known the song. Pitchfork Media's Ryan Dombal called "If I Were a Boy" an "effective and affecting gender-bender". Allmusic writer Andy Kellman felt that though the ballad sounds like "the watery backdrop for a singing competition finale", it is the most outstanding song on I Am... Sasha Fierce thanks to its lyrics and Knowles' tormented performance. Colin McGuire of PopMatters felt that "If I Were a Boy" was the highlight of the first disc of the double album.

Jon Caramanica of The New York Times described the song as one of the greatest pop songs of the last few years and one of Knowles' most complicated vocal performances. Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle commented that "If I Were a Boy" is an "elegant new musical direction" for Knowles and praised it for being different from the songs played on Top 40 radio. By contrast, Stacey Anderson of Spin magazine was unimpressed with "If I Were a Boy", calling it a glistening and boring ballad. Adam Mazmanian of The Washington Times noted that the musical composition of "If I Were a Boy" has "a spare cinematic quality that fills with an expansive voice", which nevertheless falters at times. A 2010 review of "well-intended yet misguided feminist anthems" in The A.V. Club noted the song had both a "fresh perspective and a sense of self-awareness" but cast is as "a soppy wallow in whiny self-pity and broad stereotyping".

Erika Ramirez and Jason Lipshutz of Billboard magazine placed "If I Were a Boy" at number 19 on a list of Knowles' 30 biggest Billboard hits published for Knowles' thirtieth birthday. They wrote that the song "found Beyoncé at her most honest, drawing in both women and men". "If I Were a Boy" was nominated for the Best Foreign Song at the 2009 Porin Awards in Croatia. On The Village Voice's year-end Pazz & Jop singles list, "If I Were a Boy" was ranked at numbers 37 and 546 in 2008 and 2009 respectively.