It was written and produced by Beyoncé, The-Dream and Switch with additional production by Shea Taylor, while heavily sampling "Pon de Floor" by Major Lazer written by Nick "Afrojack" van de Wall, Wesley "Diplo" Pentz and The song's development was motivated by Beyoncé wanting to do something different: a mixture of different cultures and eras, a new sound, and a message which would give women strength.

[1] "Run the World" was written by Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Beyoncé, Nick van de Wall, Thomas Wesley Pentz, Dave Taylor, and Adidja Palmer.

With her fist in the air covered in forearm protectors, Beyoncé wears a hip cut draping yellow Emilio Pucci dress and black stiletto boots.

[10] The Los Angeles Times wrote that the photograph points to a "...post-apocalyptic war zone, donning an elaborate gold headdress and holding a red flag emblazoned with a black 'B'.

[37] A review in The Huffington Post, and Kevin O'Donnell of Spin magazine, noted that "Run the World (Girls)" features shout vocals and raw chanting.

[25][38] In an interview with Ray Rogers of Billboard, Beyoncé stated that this was something she wanted to showcase in 4, "I used a lot of the brassiness and grittiness in my voice that people hear in my live performances, but not necessarily on my records.

[41] Billboard magazine's critic Jem Aswad described the song's production, lyrics and Beyoncé's vocals: "Run the World (Girls)" is a complex but catchy track that's actually more reminiscent of M.I.A.

"[50] Matt Donnelly of The Los Angeles Times compared "Run the World (Girls)" to several of Beyoncé's previous singles, stating that the song has a harder edge than "Independent Women Pt.

[27] Robert Copsey, also writing for Digital Spy, awarded the song four stars out of five, complimenting the "earthy beats, hypnotising hooks and militant drums pound[ing] relentlessly as Queen B declares it's 'GRLZ who run this mutha' with more woman-friendly conviction than Geri Halliwell at a Spice Girls convention circa 1998.

"[54] Tom Breihan of Pitchfork Media wrote that "Run the World (Girls)" is "as devotedly pro-female as the title would lead you to expect", and is as dancefloor-directed as Beyoncé gets, in the tradition of "Get Me Bodied" and "Single Ladies".

[57] In a negative appraisal, Tom Hull cited the song's "punk rigidity" as the worst of 4's "overkill production", while saying, "girls are ever going to run the world sounding like the Sweet.

[104] Images from the Mojave shoot were leaked online on April 12, 2011, showing Beyoncé standing in a smoky, post-apocalyptic war zone,[105] wearing a gladiator outfit and a gold crown, and waving a red flag with a "B" logo.

[114] For a dance routine in sand, she wears a black fringed Norma Kamali outfit, followed by a Givenchy dress in a scene depicting Beyoncé with two larger-than-life hyenas.

During a scene involving warriors, Beyoncé is wearing a black cut-out dress shown at Jean Paul Gaultier's spring couture show.

A short Gareth Pugh dress with golden sequins and two gowns by Emilio Pucci – one yellow with a plunging neckline, the other emerald green with an asymmetrical cut – complete Beyoncé's outfits.

As several scantily clad women are shown, a SWAT team of men charge towards the battlefield as a sample from Major Lazer's "Pon de Floor" is played.

Returning to the main plot, the video shows Beyoncé in front of a small group of her female army, wearing a yellow ensemble and black heeled-boots.

The females, now an even larger group, are shown dancing, using powerful and emphatic movements, in front of the male army with alternating costumes and several flags in the background.

[116] Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine wrote that Beyoncé comes off like "barely sentient" but added that she remains cohesive and rational as a human being in real life.

[119] The Huffington Post wrote that Beyoncé largely brings back the elements that made "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"'s video a hit, citing women's empowerment and a brand new dance.

[120] Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post complimented Beyoncé's wardrobe and dancing in the video, and wrote that the choreography ensures the lyrics, "my persuasion can build a nation".

[121] James Montgomery of MTV News wrote Beyoncé has returned "to claim her throne" and that the message in the video "hammers the point home with all the subtlety of a jackhammer".

[124] Nick Neyland of Prefix Magazine wrote Beyoncé made the best music video of 2011, commending its "big budget extravagance, full of preposterous costumes and ridiculously over the top dance routines".

[134] The Guardian included "Run the World (Girls)" on its list of the best pop videos of 2011, praising its "glorious effect" and the heavy choreography, before concluding that it is "tiring just watching it".

[144] Beyoncé performed "Run the World (Girls)" live at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards ceremony at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 22, 2011.

[148] One week later, Beyoncé flew to the United Kingdom to serve as the closing act at her historic headlining Glastonbury Festival Performance on June 26, 2011, where "Run the World (Girls)" was featured as the second to last song on the 90-minute set list, before finishing with "Halo".

'"[160] Caryn Ganz of Spin magazine praised the "swaggy" march,[161] while Rebecca Thomas of MTV News wrote that Beyoncé's choreography during the performance of "Run the World", "is meant to do the same: a series of sensual quickstep moves that revolve around the hips and legs.

[166] However, the following day, critics voiced concerns about similarities to a performance by Italian pop star Lorella Cuccarini in February 2010 at the 60th Sanremo Music Festival.

Released on August 18, 2011, the 15-second advertisement, directed by Jake Nava, shows Beyoncé wearing a metallic gown and walking through lights an instrumental version of the song plays in the background.

[171] A dancer who had worked with Beyoncé,[172] Heather Morris, covered "Run the World (Girls)" for the American television show Glee episode "Asian F", which aired on October 4, 2011.