"What It Feels Like for a Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna, taken from her eighth studio album Music (2000). The song was released as the third single from the album on April 17, 2001 by Maverick Records. The song was written by Madonna, Guy Sigsworth and David Torn, who was credited later, while production was handled by Madonna, Guy Sigsworth and Mark Stent.
The song has two official versions for the song; the single version and the album version. Musically, the album version is a more demure pop and trip-hop song, while the single version was remixed by Above and Beyond which is a dance-pop and trance. Lyrically, the song describes the pressure women feel to conform to social norms of politeness and subservience. The song also received controversy surrounding the remixing, where the duo Thunderpuss were hired to remix the single, but after it was nearly complete, it was rejected in the final version.
"What It Feels Like for a Girl" received positive reviews from music critics, praising Madonna's vocals and production, however some critics did not believe it was a strong single. Commercially, the song was successful in most music charts around the world, peaking in the top ten in countries including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Japan and the United Kingdom. Though it was a more low peak on the US Billboard Hot 100, it managed to have good success on component charts in the United States, and topped the US Hot Dance Club Play charts.
Madonna's then-husband Guy Ritchie had filmed the accompanying music video, which featured Madonna in a blonde bob wig as she was portraying a reckless woman on a crime spree. Critics criticized the music video for its depiction of violence and abuse, which caused MTV to ban it before 9pm. The single was also released on DVD and VHS containing the music video. The song was performed on the Drowned World Tour. The song was also covered by the Fox TV series Glee, which was commercially featured on the episode "The Power of Madonna", as well as the following EP.
Read more about What It Feels Like For A Girl: Background and Release, Composition, Thunderpuss Controversy, Critical Reception, Chart Performance, Other Versions, Track Listings and Formats
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