Bodyguard (Beyoncé song)

"Bodyguard"
Song by Beyoncé
from the album Cowboy Carter
Released	March 29, 2024
Genre	Soft rock[1] pop[2] country pop[3]
Length	4:00
Label	Parkwood Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Beyoncé Elizabeth Lowell Boland Leven Kali Raphael Saadiq Ryan Beatty Shawntoni Ajanae Nichols
Producer(s)	Raphael Saadiq
Lyric video
"Bodyguard" on YouTube

"Bodyguard" is a song by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé. It is the eighth track on her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter (2024), which was released on March 29, 2024, through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. At the 67th Annual Grammy Awards the song was nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance, becoming Beyoncé's third nomination in the category.^[4]

Composition

The line ‘Sometimes I hold you closer just to know you’re real’ is one of my favorite lines I wrote for the whole record. Melody and lyric together can make something feel so much more beautiful. I think that melody, the way she sings it, and the line itself feels cute and intimate. I love that part of the song.

— Ryan Beatty, a co-writer of the song, speaking to Billboard the month after the album's release.^[5]

The song was written by Beyoncé herself with Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Shawntoni Ajanae Nichols, Leven Kali, Ryan Beatty and Raphael Saadiq, who also produced the song.^[6] Critics described the song as a country pop, with elements form R&B and soft rock,^[7][8] with music influence from British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac.^[9][10]

Fans initially speculated that American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift provided background vocals on the song, but this was not verified.^[11][12]

Promo video

On November 5, 2024, Beyonce released a video for the song, the first full performance visuals featuring the singer for her music since her release of Black Is King in 2020.^[13] The video, alternately titled "Beywatch", pays homage to actress and model Pamela Anderson, with Beyonce dressed in three costumes worn by Anderson, including one in Anderson's role as "C.J." Parker on the action drama television series Baywatch (1992–1997).^[14] The video ends after the second verse, with white text on a black background saying "Happy Beyloween" and encouraging viewers to "Vote", as the video was released on Election Day in the United States.^[15]

Commercial performance

Upon the album release, the song debuted and peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100,^[16] and at number 42 on the UK singles chart.^[17]

Accolades

Awards and nominations for "Bodyguard"

Organization	Year	Category	Result	Ref.
Grammy Awards	2025	Best Pop Solo Performance	Pending	[18]

Charts

Chart performance for "Bodyguard"

Chart (2024)	Peak position
Brazil (Brasil Hot 100)[19]	89
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[20]	40
France (SNEP)[21]	81
Global 200 (Billboard)[22]	19
UK Singles (OCC)[23]	42
US Billboard Hot 100[24]	26

Certifications

Certifications for "Bodyguard"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[25]	Gold	20,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Petridis, Alexis (March 28, 2024). "Beyoncé: Cowboy Carter review – from hoedown to full-blown genre throwdown". The Guardian. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
2. Lounsbery, Madigan (April 4, 2024). ""COWBOY CARTER" is proof that Beyoncé really can do anything". Cavalier Daily. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
3. Rose, Jordan (March 29, 2024). "7 Things You Need to Know About Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter'". Complex. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
4. Fekadu, Mesfin (8 November 2024). "Grammy Nominations Facts: Female Acts Dominate, Ariana Grande and K-Pop Snubbed, Beyoncé Makes History (Again)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
5. LeDonne, Rob (April 26, 2024). "Ryan Beatty On His Crazy 2024, From Writing With Beyoncé to Touring With Noah Kahan & Maggie Rogers". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
6. Dailey, Hannah (April 2, 2024). "Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' Songwriting Credits: Here's Who Wrote Each Song". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
7. Hopper, Alex (April 1, 2024). "Behind the Meaning of "Bodyguard" by Beyoncé–and the Man Fans Think Inspired It". American Songwriter. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
8. Denis, Kyle (March 29, 2024). "Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter': All 27 Tracks Ranked". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
9. Shepherd, Julianne Escobedo (April 1, 2024). "Beyoncé: Cowboy Carter". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
10. Emily, Yahr; Kelly, Chris; Andrews-Dyer, Helena; O’Neill, Shane (March 29, 2024). "10 takeaways from Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter'". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
11. O'Connor, Roisin (March 28, 2024). "Is Taylor Swift featured on Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter track, 'Bodyguard'?". The Independent. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
12. Dailey, Hannah (March 23, 2024). "Fans Think Taylor Swift Is on Beyoncé's New Album 'Cowboy Carter' — But Is She Really?". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
13. Saponara, Michael (November 5, 2024). "Beyoncé Channels Pamela Anderson While Encouraging Fans to Vote in Spicy 'Bodyguard' Video". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
14. Aswad, Jem (November 5, 2024). "Beyonce Channels Pamela Anderson, Urges People to Vote in New 'Bodyguard' Video". Variety. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
15. Guglielmi, Jodi (November 5, 2024). "Beyoncé Channels Pamela Anderson and Encourages People to Vote in 'Bodyguard' Music Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
16. Zellner, Xander (April 8, 2024). "Beyoncé Surpasses 100 Career Hot 100 Hits, Thanks to 'Cowboy Carter'". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
17. "Bodyguard". Official Charts. 2024-04-11. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
18. Atkinson, Katie (November 8, 2024). "Grammy Nominations 2025: See Full List of Nominees". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
19. "Beyonce Chart History (Brasil Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
20. "Beyonce Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
21. "Top Singles for the week of April 5". SNEP (in French). Retrieved 2024-04-08.
22. "Beyonce Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
23. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
24. "Beyonce Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
25. "Brazilian single certifications – Beyoncé – Bodyguard" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved November 6, 2024.