Summertime was issued as a 12" vinyl single in the United States by Columbia Records on October 28, 2003, and was later serviced to radio by the label. The original version of the song also served as the B-side to Beyoncé's debut solo lead single "Crazy in Love" (2003) in the UK and Australia. "Summertime" was additionally included on Beyoncé's 2005 mixtape Speak My Mind. The song received great feedback and prompted Beyoncé to release a follow up project to her debut album Dangerously in Love. The album would’ve have featured many tracks that didn‘t make the album's final cut, however the album was scrapped leaving Summertime as it’s own standalone single.