Bo$$

Album: Reflection (2014)
Charted: 21 43
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song finds Fifth Harmony exploring a theme of female independence over horn-filled beats. "The whole point of this song is for girls who are our age to turn it on and feel confident and empowered because at this age being insecure is such a normal, common thing," the group's Camila Cabello told MTV News. "So I think when you turn that song on, feel sexy and feel good about yourself, so the whole point is about being yourself and liking it."
  • Fifth Harmony performed the song for the first time during the Toyota Concert Series on Today on July 11, 2014.
  • The song's message of female independence draws comparisons to another girl group, Destiny's Child, whose hit tunes included such empowering anthems as "Independent Women Part I" and "Survivor."
  • Fifth Harmony teamed up with director and choreographer Fatima Robinson for the song's music video, which finds the girls strutting their stuff. "I think the one that was the most fun to shoot," Camila told MTV News, "which was actually the one that I was most nervous about, was the arm wrestling scene, because, ugh, boys!"
  • Fifth Harmony namecheck the first lady in the hook: "Michelle Obama. Purse all heavy, getting Oprah dollars."

    The shout-out scored the quintet an invitation to the White House. "When we walked in, Michelle was singing the song," Dinah Jane Hansen recalled to Billboard magazine. "She acted like we had been friends for years."
  • The song was produced by Ricky Reed ((Jason Derulo's "Talk Dirty," Pitbull's "Fireball"). He wasn't familiar with Fifth Harmony's work which actually helped his production. Reed explained to Spin: "I didn't know any of the dynamics - who's usually lead, who's not usually lead - so we had them all sing the song top to bottom. Immediately in the verses, I was like, 'Normani [Kordei], you got this. You're killing this one. Let's have you kind of float towards the surface.' Somebody at the label was like, 'That's awesome. She traditionally doesn't do the lead.'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenSong Writing

Bowie's "activist" days of 1964 led to Ziggy Stardust.

Bob Daisley

Bob DaisleySongwriter Interviews

Bob was the bass player and lyricist for the first two Ozzy Osbourne albums. Here's how he wrote songs like "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" with Ozzy and Randy Rhoads.

La La Brooks of The Crystals

La La Brooks of The CrystalsSong Writing

The lead singer on "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me," La La explains how and why Phil Spector replaced The Crystals with Darlene Love on "He's A Rebel."

Randy Houser

Randy HouserSongwriter Interviews

The "How Country Feels" singer talks Skynyrd and songwriting.

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.