Ariana Grande dropped her latest single and video, "Boyfriend," in the very early hours of Friday morning. And the song is—shocker—a completely undeniable bop.
The track features the duo Social House, who are currently opening for Grande on her Sweetner tour. They’ve got some major songwriting credits under their belt, including on Grande’s "Thank U, Next" and "7 Rings," and "Boyfriend" marks their third single as performers.
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Like many of her recent efforts, "Boyfriend" is an effortlessly hooky R&B-pop hybrid. Lyrically, the single captures that torturous liminal phase in relationships, before boundaries and definitions have been set in stone, but when feelings are still very much on the line. "You ain’t my boyfriend, and I ain’t your girlfriend," sings Grande, "but you don’t want me to see nobody else, and I don’t want you to see nobody."
It also marks a departure from the untouchably confident persona Grande cultivated on recent hits like "Thank U, Next," and “Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored," making it a thoroughly relatable ode to petty jealousy. "I’m a motherfucking trainwreck," she sings in the song’s blunt opening line.
"We wanted to make something uplifting that captures that feeling of being afraid to take the leap & trust, being afraid of being hurt or feeling like you won’t be enough for that person," wrote Grande on Twitter when asked what inspired the song, "but also how it feels to have a crippling crush on someone."
And the accompanying video, in which Foster plays Grande’s titular love interest, is almost as fun as the track. In it, Ariana daydreams about delivering bow-and-arrow wounds to potential competitors for his affections, and Foster envisions himself ripping the beating heart out of the chest of a dude Grande was flirting with, à la Dumb and Dumber. Check it out below.
See the full lyrics below via Genius:
I'm a motherfuckin' train wreck
I don't wanna be too much
But I don't wanna miss your touch
And you don't seem to give a fuck
I don't wanna keep you waiting
But I do just what I have to do
And I might not be the one for you
But you ain't about to have no boo
'Cause I know we be so complicated
But we be so smitten, it's crazy
I can't have what I want, but neither can you
You ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend)
And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend)
But you don't want me to see nobody else
And I don't want you to see nobody
But you ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend)
And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend)
But you don't want me to touch nobody else
Baby, we ain't gotta tell nobody
Even though you ain't mine, I promise the way we fight
Make me honestly feel like we just in love
'Cause, baby, when push comes to shove
Damn, baby, I'm a train wreck, too (Too)
I lose my mind when it comes to you
I take time with the ones I choose
And I don't want to smile if it ain't from you, yeah
I know we be so complicated
Lovin' you sometimes drive me crazy
'Cause I can't have what I want and neither can you
You ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend)
And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend)
But you don't want me to see nobody else
And I don't want you to see nobody
But you ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend)
And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend)
But you don't want me to touch nobody else
Baby, we ain't gotta tell nobody
I wanna kiss you (Yeah), don't wanna miss you (Yeah)
But I can't be with you 'cause I got issues
Yeah, on the surface, seem like it's easy
Careful with words, but it's still hard to read me
Stress high when the trust low (Mmm)
Bad vibes, where'd the fun go? (Oh)
Try to open up and love more (Love more)
Try to open up and love more
If you were my boyfriend
And you were my girlfriend
I probably wouldn't see nobody else
But I can't guarantee that by myself
You ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend, you ain't my boyfriend)
And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend, I ain't your girlfriend)
But you don't want me to see nobody else (Nobody)
And I don't want you to see nobody
But you ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend, you know you ain't my boyfriend)
And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend, yeah, mmm)
But you don't want me to touch nobody else (Nobody)
Baby, we ain't gotta tell nobody (Oh yeah)
You ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend)
And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend)
But you don't want me to see nobody else
And I don't want you to see nobody
But you ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend)
And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend, yeah)
But you don't want me to touch nobody else (Nobody)
Baby, we ain't gotta tell nobody
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