Girls (Jennifer Lopez song)

"Girls"
Promotional single by Jennifer Lopez featuring Tyga from the album A.K.A.
Released	January 27, 2014
Format	Digital download
Recorded	January 2014
Genre	Hip hop R&B
Length	3:58 (solo version) 4:40 (album version)
Label	Capitol
Writer	Dijon McFarlane Asia Bryant Jennifer Lopez
Producer	DJ Mustard Cory Rooney Trevor Muzzy Asia Bryant
A.K.A. track listing
"Charades" (15) "Girls" (16)

"Girls" is a song recorded by American entertainer Jennifer Lopez for her eighth studio album, A.K.A. (2014). It features a guest rap from American rapper Tyga. The song was written and produced by the song's producer Dijon "DJ Mustard" McFarlane, with additional writing from Asia Bryant, and Lopez. Cory Rooney, Trevor Muzzy, and Bryant provided vocal production for the song. A solo version of "Girls" was released on January 27, 2014, as the first promotional single from A.K.A..

Background and release

On January 20, 2014, American record producer DJ Mustard messaged Lopez on Twitter stating that he had "some bangers waiting for her".^[1] The following day, singer Asia Bryant revealed on Instagram that she had worked with Lopez in the studio.^[2] "Girls" was initially released online as a buzz single on January 22, 2014,^[3] making its premiere on SoundCloud.^[4] On January 27, 2014, the song was made available for purchase as a digital download in the United States.^[5] An official remix of the song featuring rapper Tyga was released online on March 1, 2014.^[6] "Girls" is included on the Japanese and Target edition of Lopez's eighth studio album, A.K.A..^[7]

Writing and production

"Girls" was written by Lopez and Bryant, with additional writing from DJ Mustard, who also handled production. The song runs for a duration of three minutes and fifty-eight seconds (3:58).^[5] "Girls" is a mid-tempo hip hop^[3] and R&B^[8] song that features a "laid-back" and "trunk-rattling" beat, in which Lopez declares "At the end of the night, girls just wanna have fun".^[9] Rap-Up described "Girls" as a "ladies anthem"^[10] while Vibe called it a "club banger".^[11] Jon Reyes of The Boombox regarded the song as having DJ Mustard's signature "ratchet" sound.^[12] ETonline's Jackie Willis compared the song's lyrics to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)".^[13]

Reception

Jacques Peterson of the website Popdust called the song a "real bop", comparing it to Tyga's single "Rack City" (2011) and songs from Cassie Ventura's mixtape RockaByeBaby (2013), noting that "It's definitely the most urban thing Jen's done" since her remix album J to tha L-O! The Remixes (2002).^[3] Rap-Up, in response to "Girls", wrote: "Ladies, turn it all the way up."^[10] Robbie Daw of the musical website Idolator criticized the song's clichéd lyrics, but praised its "eerie synth track that plays monotonously throughout", describing the track as a "slinky, sexy slow jam" similar to Kelly Rowland's "Motivation" (2011).^[14] Brad O'Mance of Popjustice was negative when commenting on the song, calling it "largely mediocre".^[8]

Live performance

Lopez performed the song live for the first time at the 2014 Dubai World Cup.^[15]

Charts

Chart (2014)	Peak position
South Korea (Gaon Download Chart)[16]	73

Release history

Country	Date	Format	Label
Canada[17]	January 27, 2014	Digital download	Capitol
United States[5]
France[18]	January 30, 2014		EMI
Germany[19]
Italy[20]
United Kingdom[21]
Spain[22]

References

1. "Jennifer Lopez and French Montana Hit the Studio". Rap-Up. SpinMedia. January 20, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
2. Carpenter, Cassie (January 21, 2014). "Jennifer Lopez puffs on cigarette, playing grieving mother on the set of Lila & Eve". Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
3. Peterson, Jacques (January 23, 2014). "Jenny From The Block Returns With New Hip-Hop Single, "Girls"". Popdust, Inc. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
4. Copsey, Robert (January 23, 2014). "Jennifer Lopez debuts new R&B song 'Girls' - listen". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
5. "Girls: Jennifer Lopez: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
6. "Jennifer Lopez feat Tyga - Girls (Remix)". Rap-Up. March 1, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
7. "Jennifer Lopez's 'Girls' Drops With DJ Mustard". The Huffington Post. HuffPost Entertainment. January 23, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
8. O'Mance, Brad (January 23, 2014). "Jennifer Lopez has shared a new song called 'Girls' with the world". Popjustice. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
9. Rodriguez, Priscilla (January 23, 2014). "Listen: J.Lo Drops New Single "Girls"". Latina. Latina Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
10. "New Music: Jennifer Lopez & DJ Mustard – 'Girls'". Rap-Up. SpinMedia. January 22, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
11. Ellis, Stacy-Ann (January 22, 2014). "New Music: Jennifer Lopez 'Girls'". Vibe. Spin Media. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
12. Reyes, Jon (January 23, 2014). "Jennifer Lopez's DJ Mustard-Produced Song 'Girls' Leaks". The BoomBox. The BoomBox Network. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
13. Willis, Jackie (January 23, 2014). "Listen: JLo Drops 'Girls' Track". ETonline. CBS Studios Inc. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
14. Daw, Robbie (January 23, 2014). "Jennifer Lopez's "Girls": Listen To Her DJ Mustard Collaboration". Idolator. SpinMedia. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
15. http://gulfnews.com/arts-entertainment/celebrity/jennifer-lopez-knocks-it-out-of-the-park-at-dubai-world-cup-1.1310521
16. "Gaon Download Chart". Gaon Chart. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
17. "Girls (2014): Jennifer Lopez: MP3 Downloads". 7digital.com. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
18. "Girls: Jennifer Lopez: MP3 Downloads" (in French). Amazon.fr. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
19. "Girls: Jennifer Lopez: MP3 Downloads" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
20. "Girls: Jennifer Lopez: MP3 Downloads" (in Italian). Amazon.it. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
21. "Girls: Jennifer Lopez: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
22. "Girls: Jennifer Lopez: MP3 Downloads" (in Spanish). Amazon.es. Retrieved January 29, 2014.