Urban told Billboard that he recorded "Stupid Boy" at the suggestion of his wife, actress Nicole Kidman.[1] He also noted how the song's subject matter contrasted with the more up-tempo love song "Once in a Lifetime," the album's first single, saying that the two songs were "yin and yang."[1]Sarah Buxton, who co-wrote the song, recorded a version before Urban did.[1] This version was included on a 2007 extended play entitled Almost My Record as well as Buxton's 2010 self-titled album.
Critical reception
Tamara Conniff and Ray Waddell of Billboard described the song as "a ballad on how men foolishly break the hearts of the women they love."[1]Associated Press reviewer Michael McCall called it "a funky, witty take on a guy who can't appreciate how good he has it."[2]
Cassadee Pope performed this song on NBC's singing competition show, The Voice. Pope went on to win the competition, and her studio version of the song reached the top of the iTunes Top 10 Singles the day after the song was released.
^Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing (Media notes). Keith Urban. Capitol Records. 2006. 09463-77087-0-5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)