Mickey Guyton Covered Beyonce’s ‘If I Were a Boy’ for Black History Month [Listen]
Mickey Guyton captures the emotion of "If I Were a Boy" in her Amazon Original cover of the Beyonce hit.
Released as part of Amazon Music's Black History Month playlist to honor Black artists who are pioneers in the music industry, the country star adds a layer of vulnerability to the song, capturing its fragility with her smooth voice that instantly pulls the listener in.
Guyton proves she can seamlessly cross between genres as she beautifully blends the song's R&B sound with soothing strings that draw out the emotion. The country singer's demeanor is steady throughout, until she lets her powerhouse vocals fly as she proclaims, "If I were a boy / I think I could understand / How it feels to love a girl / I swear I'd be a better man."
Beyonce released "If I Were a Boy" in 2008. The twice-Platinum single reached the top of multiple charts across the globe, including the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"It was important for me to record ‘If I Were a Boy’ because I have been fighting in country music for so long to just be accepted for who I am. This song represents the release and the birth of something new," Guyton reflects in a press release. "Really this song means so much more to me, and has a completely different meaning, than when I first heard it."
The singer and new mom called upon D.C.-based artist Jamilla Okubo to design the single's cover art. "When people see the cover art for my version of ‘If I Were a Boy," I really hope that people don’t see me, but that they see themselves," Guyton professes.
The song follows the announcement that the "Black Like Me" singer has been nominated for New Female Artist of the Year at the 2021 ACM Awards, set to air on April 18 on CBS at 8PM ET. At the 2020 show, Guyton performed her eye-opening single "What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” and made history at the time as the first solo Black female country artist to perform at the ACMs.