“Crazy in Love” became Beyoncé’s first solo US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single in 2003.
Released as the lead single from her debut solo album Dangerously in Love, the song features rapper Jay-Z and prominently samples the horn section from the Chi-Lites’ 1970 song “Are You My Woman (Tell Me So).” Its energetic production and memorable choreography helped establish Beyoncé as a major solo artist after her years with Destiny’s Child.
The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and also topped charts in several other countries. Jay-Z’s guest verse and the song’s distinctive horn arrangement are among its best-known features.
“Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” is another major Beyoncé chart-topper, but it was released later, in 2008. “Irreplaceable” also reached number one, yet neither was her first solo US chart leader.