Alicia Keys, photographed on Polaroid during the video shoot for “Girlfriend” filmed on location in East London, England by Patrick Hoelck on October 8, 2002.

Patrick Hoelck is an American film director and photographer based in Los Angeles and New York City. He’s known for his creative photographic and directing skills. Hoelck directed the video for “Girlfriend.” 

In April 2011, Hoelck published Polaroid Hotel, an imagery book paying tribute to the art of Polaroid photography by capturing intimate moments of his life and career throughout 17 years.

“Girlfriend” was the fourth and final single from Alicia’s debut Songs in A Minor (2001), released on November 25, 2002. The Patrick Hoelck music video uses the Krucialkeys Sista Girl Mix of the song. Appearing on the album, an interpolation from Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Brooklyn Zoo” can be heard. Robert “RZA” Diggs and Russell “ODB” Jones are additionally credited as songwriters from this sample. 

In an interview with YRB magazine in 2001, Alicia recalled the first time she heard one of her songs played on the radio: “I will remember it forever and ever,” she says. “You know the first I heard on the radio was ‘Girlfriend’ and it was in New York. Coming back from something, it was late night. The studio or something. It was really late. Me and [Kerry ‘Krucial’ Brothers], we was in the car […] We were going some place on the BQE. That we never travel and there was like this twisted construction going on […] So we in the BQE, we twisted, we lost, we don’t know where we goin’, what’s the exit? We just all over the place. So we finally turn around ’cause we think we know where we are goin’ now and all of a sudden I hear ‘This is Funk Master Flex. You need to hear this.’ and I friggin’ hear the chords to ‘Girlfriend’ and I’m like ‘wait, wait, wait a minute… I know that.’ You know for a minute ’cause you don’t believe it. I thought it was the original. Maybe it’s the Ol’ Dirty Bastard joint." 

She continues: "Then the song drops and my Flex brought it back like 19 times and dropped 39 bombs on it. I was screaming. I’m like ‘Oh shit.’ I’m about crash into the damn construction. I mean I was so excited that I was about to crash into the stupid construction on the BQE. [Kerry’s] like ‘yo chill man, chill. Drive.’ I was just too excited.”