American Boy

Chart performance[edit]

"American Boy" proved to be an international success, outperforming Estelle's previous singles in the United Kingdom and stands as her most successful single worldwide. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number 72 on 31 March 2008. It dropped out of the Top 75 the following week and re-entered at number one a week later, where it remained for four consecutive weeks.^[40] It lasted thirty two weeks on the singles chart, earning a triple platinum certification for sales exceeding 1,800,000 copies.^[41] It landed on the UK year end chart at number six and on the end of the decade chart at number 83. In Ireland, "American Boy" entered the singles chart number eight and rose to peak at number two one week later.^[42]


In the Flanders region of Belgium, "American Boy" entered the chart at number 41 on 26 April 2008. The song advanced to the top twenty in the following week and inside the top ten three weeks later. It reached the chart's summit on 7 June 2008, where it remained for another week.^[43] The song charted in the top five for eleven consecutive weeks and lasted a total of twenty four weeks on the chart.^[43] "American Boy" reached number four in the Wallonia region of Belgium and lasted twenty five weeks on the chart.^[44] The song also reached number one in Slovakia;^[45] number three in Denmark,^[46] France,^[47] Hungary^[48] and Italy;^[49] and number five in Germany,^[50] the Netherlands,^[51] and Switzerland.^[52]


In Australia, "American Boy" entered the singles chart at number seven, earning the title of the week's "highest debut".^[53] The song rose to number three four weeks later, where it stayed for three consecutive weeks.^[54] "American Boy" earned a platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for sales exceeding 70,000 units. In New Zealand, the single debuted at number 25 on 31 March 2008 and rose to its peak position of number five four weeks later. The song remained on the chart for thirteen more weeks.^[55]


"American Boy" experienced great chart success in the United States. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on 3 May 2008, slowing rising the chart until it reached number 11 almost four months later.^[56][57] It was later removed from iTunes resulting in its fall to number 37 on 6 September 2008.^[58] The song was re-added to iTunes, causing a resurgence in downloads that aided its rise to its peak position of number nine on 27 September 2008, selling 91,000 downloads.^[59][60] "American Boy" became Estelle's highest-charting single in the United States, ahead of "Thank You" (2011), which only peaked at number 100. It ended the year at number 39 on the Hot 100 year-end chart and as the thirty-third best selling song of 2008.^[61] The song was also her best selling single there, selling 2 million downloads and earning a double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[62] As of September 2009, "American Boy" was the 25th best-selling downloaded song of all time in the UK,^[63] and as of November 2011, it was the 17th best-selling digital song by a British artist in the United States.^[64]