"Boy's a Liar" is a song by British singer PinkPantheress. Released in November 2022 through Warner Records as a single, it was later included on her extended play, Take Me Home, in February 2023. Written and produced by her and Mura Masa, the song is a dance-pop, bubblegum pop, and synth-pop song with a Jersey club beat, elements of chiptune, lo-fi (glitch music) and hyperpop, and lyrics about feeling inadequate in a relationship. It gained traction on TikTok soon after its release and later peaked at number two in the UK, Ireland, and Australia.
The remix of the song, "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2", featured American rapper Ice Spice rapping a verse in the middle. Released through Parlophone Records, Elektra Records, and 3EE on 3 February 2023, the remix was received well by Gen-Z and critics alike. Also, it was popular among content creators using a verse in the song for their videos. Peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, it was PinkPantheress's inauguration to the chart, also peaking at number three on the Billboard Global 200. It was the first top10 for PinkPantheress and Ice Spice. Globally, it reached number one in New Zealand and number two in Canada. The music video, directed by George and Frederick Buford, depicts both performers in various locations throughout New York City.
Original version
Background and composition
Prior to the release of "Boy's a Liar", English singer PinkPantheress found success on TikTok and with the release of her debut mixtape To Hell with It. Record producer Mura Masa, who had previously produced PinkPantheress's 2021 single "Just for Me", produced "Boy's a Liar" at the studio in Mura Masa's garden at home, where the two had been spending time together due to their living close to one another. The song was made in about two hours. After PinkPantheress released the Kaytranada-produced "Do You Miss Me?" in early November 2022, "Boy's a Liar" was released through Warner Records on 30 November 2022 and later included on her extended play Take Me Home, released in December 2022. It became popular on TikTok, where it soundtracked over 760,000 videos .
"Boy's a Liar" runs for two minutes and 11 seconds. It is a dance-pop, bubblegum pop, and synth-pop song with elements of chiptune and hyperpop. It was written and produced by PinkPantheress and Mura Masa; on it, PinkPantheress sings with "plush and quiet" vocals about her insecurities with feeling unattractive to her partner due to the male gaze. PinkPantheress based it on a real relationship with a man who "ended up being a liar after the song came out" and who she threatened to put a hex on. She also likened the song's theme to "that feeling that someone's only interested in you when you look good", while Mura Masa described the song as an expression of both artists' "borderline-misandrist tendencies". Its lo-fi production features a Jersey club beat, kick drums, and 8-bit synths, and ends with a squeaking sound typically used in Jersey club songs. The drums were inspired by the increasing popularity of Jersey and Baltimore club music in popular music in 2023 with songs like Lil Uzi Vert's 2022 song "Just Wanna Rock".
Reception
Shaad D'Souza of Pitchfork called "Boy's a Liar" "one of PinkPantheress' strongest tracks" and the only song on Take Me Home that "really holds its own against PinkPantheress' most indelible hits" as PinkPantheress was "step[ping] fully into the pop star role that she's been trying on over the past year".
After spending 10 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, "Boy's a Liar" peaked at number two on the chart dated 24 February 2023. It also peaked at number two on the ARIA Charts.
Charts
Monthly charts
Certifications
Remix
Background and composition
A remix of "Boy's a Liar", titled "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2", came about after Ice Spice followed PinkPantheress on Instagram and PinkPantheress sent her a direct message saying that she would like to meet up if Ice Spice was ever in the UK, to which Ice Spice replied that she was a fan of hers. After Ice Spice posted the original version of "Boy's a Liar" on her Instagram story, PinkPantheress replied asking to collaborate, hoping to "culturally... stamp this song into [2023]". PinkPantheress used the stems of the instrumental by Mura Masa, who was uninvolved in the remix, to produce the remix. "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2" was released on 3 February 2023 through Parlophone, Elektra Records, and 3EE.