“Crazy in Love” is a song recorded by American singer Beyonce featuring rapping from her then-boyfriend Jay-Z from her debut solo studio album Dangerously in Love (2003). The song was released as the album’s lead single in May 2003, through Columbia Records and WME. Both artists wrote and composed the song in collaboration with Rich Harrison and Eugene Record; the former also produced it with Beyoncé. Using samples from the Chi-Lites’ 1970 song “Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)”, “Crazy in Love” is a pop love song that incorporates elements of hip hop soul, and 1970s-style funk music. Its lyrics describe a romantic obsession that causes the protagonist to act out of character.
“Crazy in Love” was a commercial success in the United States, debuting at number fifty-eight on the Billboard. Although it hadn’t yet been released to retail stores, the single gained much attention and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 based on heavy rotation alone. The same week it reached number one, Dangerously in Love debuted on the Billboard at number one in July 2003. Substantial airplay, and later in retail, gains of “Crazy in Love” allowed it to dominate the chart, spending eight consecutive weeks at number one on the Hot 100, making it Beyoncé’s first number one single in her solo career.
In the United Kingdom, Beyoncé became the third female artist to top the UK single and album charts simultaneously, following Mariah Carey in 1994 and Kylie Minogue in 2001. Including her career with Destiny’s Child, “Crazy in Love” became Beyoncé’s third number one single in the United Kingdom and was the only song to top the charts the United Kingdom and the United States simultaneously in 2003. The single spent three weeks at number one in the United Kingdom,
“Crazy in Love” was a number-one hit in the United States and United Kingdom, and reached the top ten in various other countries worldwide. Music critics praised the hook, Jay-Z’s contribution, and Beyoncé’s assertive delivery of the lyrics. VH1 declared it the greatest song of the 2000s decade, while Rolling Stone ranked it at Number 16 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2021, and in 2018, declared the song the greatest of the 21st century so far. At the 46th Annual Grammy Awards (2004), “Crazy in Love” won the awards for Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboratation.
The song’s accompanying music video features Beyoncé in various dance sequences. It won three awards at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, and its director, Jake Nava, won the Music Video Production Association award for Best R&B Video in 2004. Since 2003, “Crazy in Love” has been a staple in Beyoncé’s live performances and concert tours. ASCAP recognized “Crazy in Love” as one of the most performed songs of 2004. Artists including David Byrne have covered the song, and it has been used in various television shows and other media.
