Synopsis

Beyonce drifts through a series of sensual, dreamlike settings while imagining an idealized romance. Sean Paul appears in a separate, lavish room, adding a dancehall presence to the video's atmosphere. Beyonce later encounters a mysterious man at the beach and at a crowded party, where flirtation gives way to an elaborate dance sequence. Water seems to rise across the dance floor, blending the lyrics' fantasy imagery with choreography before the video closes on Beyonce performing alone on the beach.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in Miami on August 7 and 8, 2003.

• Several contrasting rooms were built or used for the production, including spaces styled with Japanese and old English influences.

• The video uses visual effects to create the flooded dance-floor sequence, one of its most recognizable surreal touches. Company 3's Alex Brodie was involved in the effects work.

• Beyonce's closing beach performance draws on belly-dance and dancehall influences, while the group choreography reflects the Jamaican dancehall style associated with Sean Paul's music.

• Rehearsals for the choreography were featured in an episode of MTV Diary following Beyonce during the period around the video's production and her 2003 MTV Video Music Awards appearance.

• The beach dance break was performed over an instrumental passage created for the video rather than a section heard in the standard audio version of the song.

• "Baby Boy" was Beyonce's second consecutive solo single to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, helping establish the visual and musical identity of her first solo era.