“The Boy Is Mine” by Ariana Grande, Sunday, September 29, 2024

Coming back with an album three-and-a-half years after her 2020 album Positions, Ariana Grande released Eternal Sunshine in March of this year. When she released the album’s first single, “Yes, And?,” the song debuted at number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 in January, becoming one of the first new pop songs of the year. Her next single, “We Can’t Be Friends” (Wait for Your Love) also debuted at number 1, and the album also topped Billboard’s 200 Album Charts. Grande had promised that she wouldn’t enter the studio until after she had finished filming her role as Glinda in Wicked. The film had wrapped production and the film premiered a teaser trailer during the Super Bowl in February with a November release date. Was Ariana Grande set to be the artist of the year?

THE BOY IS DIVINE. In hindsight, with solid releases from Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, and Charli xcx, Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine risks being overlooked because of its early release date. Grande’s seventh studio record was a departure from the trap influence, steering the singer into dance pop and a classic pop sound. Synths, sparse guitars, and string sections highlight the singer’s voice and glossy production work from Max Martin and company make Eternal Sunshine an album a warm ray of light coming out the dead of winter. Speaking of Martin, with Grande’s lead single, “Yes, And?” Martin became the producer with the most Billboard’s Hot 100 number 1 singles, surpassing The Beatles’ producer George Martin. “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends” (Wait for Your Love) both spent one week atop Billboard’s Hot 100, a feat increasingly difficult for even established hitmakers with large fan bases when, in recent years, overnight viral sensations tend to top the charts for longer periods. Grande’s third single, “The Boy Is Mine” peaked at number 16. Grande released the song as a single in June and the album so far hasn’t produced a fourth single.

I TAKE FULL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL THESE TEARS. Taking the name of a 1998 hit by Brandy and Monica, “The Boy Is Mine” sounds like it could also be a ‘90s R&B hit. To celebrate the song’s musical inspiration, Grande invited the ‘90s singers on a remix of her 2024 hit. The song speaks of an unidentified rivalry between the speaker and another woman. The two women both want the same “boy,” but the speaker lays claim to him. Grande’s vocals make the boy seem like a piece of cake to be enjoyed slowly. Perhaps the song wasn’t as big of a hit because of the potential autobiographical nature of the lyrics. When Grande had begun filming Wicked, she began dating co-star Ethan Slater. She had separated from real estate tycoon Dalton Gomez and both Slater and Grande were still married. Slater filed for divorce in July 2023 and Grande’s divorce was finalized in March 2024. Many of Grande’s fans felt that her relationship with Slater was purely selfish as he cheated on his high-school sweetheart to be with the American pop star and given the singer’s list of questionable relationships in the past with Mac Miller and Pete Davidson. As the story unfolded, Grande fired manager Scooter Braun who Grande felt failed to prioritize her artistry. Perhaps the final straw was when Braun was on vacation when the news broke about Grande’s divorce. So, is it the year of Ariana Grande? We’ll have to wait and see when Wicked premieres on November 27th, book-ending the year. But the middle part has been a little silent with other stars outshining Grande.