Song Facts: “Big Girls Don’t Cry” (also known as “Big Girls Don’t Cry (Personal)”) is a song recorded by American singer and rapper Fergie for her debut studio album, The Dutchess (2006). It was written by Fergie and Toby Gad while the production was helmed by will.i.am. The song was released as the fourth single from the album on May 22, 2007. “Big Girls Don’t Cry” deviates from the hip hop and urban music of Fergie’s previous singles and opts for a more simplistic pop ballad sound that incorporates acoustic elements. It features credits from about thirty instrumentalists, many of which play the violins, violas and celli on the track. Lyrically, the song talks about moving on from the pain of a breakup.

The critical reception of “Big Girls Don’t Cry” was positive, with many praising the maturity and simplicity displayed on the single as well as the message. The song was a commercial success domestically, attaining the top position on the Billboard Hot 100. It became her third single to do so and earned her the accolade of being the first female artist with three number-one singles from one album since Christina Aguilera in 2000. “Big Girls Don’t Cry” also became Fergie’s longest-charting and highest-selling single in the US with 3,833,000 units sold as of August 2012. The song also reached number one in eleven international territories including Australia, where it spent nine weeks at the top position, became the highest-selling song of 2007, and was certified Quintuple Platinum.