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"A Boy Is a Gun"
Song by Tyler, The Creator
from the album Igor
ReleasedMay 17, 2019
Genre
Length3:30
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Tyler Okonma
Music video
"A Boy Is a Gun" on YouTube

"A Boy Is a Gun" (stylized with an asterisk in the end) is a song by American rapper Tyler, the Creator from his fifth album Igor. The song was written by Tyler, the Creator with multiple producers. Released on May 17, 2019, beside the other songs in the album, it charted in the Billboard Hot 100, the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and the Canadian Hot 100. The song also gained a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America and a gold certification from Music Canada

An accompanying music video directed by Tyler himself is centered around Igor–Tyler's alter ego. It is set in a mansion. Igor is interested in a love interest, while the love interest is disinterested. Igor appears to have a mental breakdown and fights with the interest, ending the video.

Background and composition

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Since day one, I’ve always wanted to make the prettiest shit that’s borderline boring,
or the hardest fucking shit, And I’ve been trying to mix those together since my first album.

Tyler Okonma, [1]

The song is inspired by the 1971 French western film Une Aventure de Billy le Kid, also known as "A Girl is a Gun".[2] "A girl is a gun" was popularized by a clothing brand, Pleasure, which printed the phrase in shirts. The phrase was further popularized when Playboi Carti wore it in his single Magnolia.[3] The video style is inspired by another movie, 2017's Call Me by Your Name, from which Tyler is a fan of.[4] On May 13, 2019, Tyler released a 28-second snippet on the song in social media.[5] The song was sampled from "Bound", by the Ponderosa Twins Plus One, with vocals from Solange Knowles.[6] Tyler has history with the sample, co-producing "Bound 1", by Kanye West.[7]

Music video and lyrics

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Tyler, the Creator - A Boy Is a Gun
To illustrate the diversity of the song, which has been called "calm".
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The music video was directed by Wolf Haley, with an appearance by Tracee Ellis Ross.[8] The video is centered to Igor, Tyler's alter ego. Igor is placed in a mansion, walking around the balcony, ending up in a bathtub.[9][10] He is spotted to be interested in a love interest, while the love interest is "disinterested" in him. After, Igor appears to have a mental breakdown, throwing clothes and running across the lawn.[9]

Critical reception

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The song received relatively positive reviews from critics, with American magazine Pitchfork stating that the song was where Tyler is at his "most creative", with the end stating that the song ended unnaturally. Furthermore, the song was praised for its varied tone and tempo, reflecting the "volatility" of Tyler's feelings.[11] The song was described containing "minimalist, looping, eyes-to-the-sky aesthetic" by the Music website Sputnikmusic.[12] British website NME stated that the song "put its' own spin" on the Ponderosa Twins Plus One track, Bound.[13]

Personnel

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Music

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Video

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Charts

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Weekly chart performance for "A Boy Is a Gun"
Chart Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[14] 56
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[15] 75
US Billboard Hot 100[16] 72
US Billboard Streaming Songs[17] 47
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[18] 36

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[19] Gold 40,000‡
United States (RIAA)[20] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Lamarre, Carl (2019-09-16). "Tyler, the Creator Searches for Answers in 'A Boy Is a Gun' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  2. ^ Morris, Ashley (2019-09-17). "Tyler, The Creator Releases Stunning Visual for "A BOY IS A GUN*"". EUPHORIA. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  3. ^ "How Tyler, The Creator's "A BOY IS A GUN" Flips A Feminist Idiom". Genius. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  4. ^ "Tyler, The Creator's "A BOY IS A GUN*" Video Explained | Song Stories | 24HourHipHop". 2019-09-20. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  5. ^ a b ""A Boy Is A Gun" by Tyler, the Creator". Song Meanings and Facts. 2019-05-19. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  6. ^ "Tyler, The Creator Navigates A Love Triangle In The "A Boy Is A Gun" Video". Genius. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  7. ^ a b c "Tyler, The Creator's "A BOY IS A GUN" Samples Ponderosa Twins Plus One's "Bound"". Genius. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  8. ^ a b c Kim, Michelle Hyun (2019-09-16). "Watch Tyler, the Creator's New "A BOY IS A GUN*" Video". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  9. ^ a b Reed, Ryan (2019-09-16). "Tyler, the Creator Channels Igor Alter-Ego in 'A Boy Is a Gun' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  10. ^ "Tyler, The Creator Becomes IGOR for New "A BOY IS A GUN*" Video -". mxdwn Music. 2019-09-16. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  11. ^ Strauss, Matthew. "Tyler, the Creator: Igor". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
  12. ^ "Review: Tyler, the Creator - IGOR | Sputnikmusic". www.sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
  13. ^ Moore, Sam (2019-05-20). "Tyler, The Creator – 'IGOR' review". NME. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
  14. ^ Grant. "Every ARIA Top 100 Single in 2019". Retrieved 2024-10-09.
  15. ^ "Tyler, The Creator Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  16. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 Week of June 1, 2019". 1 June 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  17. ^ "Billboard Streaming Songs June 1, 2019". 2019-06-01. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  18. ^ "Tyler, The Creator Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  19. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Tyler, the Creator – A Boy Is a Gun*". Music Canada. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  20. ^ "American single certifications – Tyler, the Creator – A Boy Is a Gun*". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
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