A poignant ode and closing track off of British singer-songwriter Dua Lipa’s sophomore studio album, Future Nostalgia, “Boys Will Be Boys” serves as a conversation starter about the growing pains of what it is like to be a woman.

The phrase “boys will be boys” is a mindset many have adopted to justify how society should not be startled by toxic behaviour from boys and nitpick on them because it is “just how they are.” Many have since spoken up about the double-standards of it and how it should be dismissed as it misguides young boys into thinking that they have the upper hand in life because of their gender.

In an interview with Vogue Australia published on March 21, 2020, Lipa briefly explained the mid-tempo track, saying:

For me [the growing pains of what it’s like to be a girl] was walking home from school and putting keys through my knuckles … So much of the human experience for women revolves around men; how they make us feel, whether that is good or bad. Girls have to go through so much. You cover up yourself to avoid confrontation from men, avoid sexual harassment, people throwing words or catcalling. We change our ways to fit somebody else’s lifestyle. It’s really sad.

She has also revealed why she decided to place the track at the end of the album on a livestream she did shortly after the album’s release:

I wanted to start the album with “Future Nostalgia” and I wanted to finish it off with “Boys Will Be Boys” just because they felt very empowering and strong […] [while also showing] two different sides of feminism, I suppose.