"Boyfriend" | ||||
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Single by Ariana Grande and Social House | ||||
from the EP Everything Changed... | ||||
Released | August 2, 2019 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:06 | |||
Label | Republic | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Ariana Grande singles chronology | ||||
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Social House singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Boyfriend" on YouTube |
"Boyfriend" (stylized in lowercase [3] ) is a song by American singer Ariana Grande and American musical duo Social House. It was released by Republic Records on August 2,2019. [4] It is the second single from the latter's debut extended play, Everything Changed... (2019). It became Grande's 14th and Social House's first top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also became the first song by a woman,and third overall,to top the Rolling Stone Top 100 Songs chart,achieving it in its debut week. [5] It won the MTV Video Music Award for Song of Summer,and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
The song was first teased by Grande on her social media on July 24,2019,when she posted a picture of herself on a video set. [6] [7] [8] She followed up the posts with pictures from the same video set,revealing the song to be a collaboration with Social House. [9] Grande hinted at the title of the song on July 29,2019,with the caption "u ain't my boyfriend". [10] The first teaser was posted a day later. [4] [11] The cover art was revealed by Grande on her social media on July 30,2019,and the song was simultaneously made available for pre-save. [12]
The song is written in the key of B♭ minor,and it follows the chord progression of G♭maj13—F7—B♭m11—E♭m9—F7. Grande's vocals span from a low A♭3 to a high F5. [13]
Billboard 's Jason Lipshutz called "Boyfriend" an "elastic pop track,a lovably low-stakes ode to romantic attraction but resistance to traditional labels". [1] Amanda Mitchell of O,The Oprah Magazine opined that the song's lyrics "will hit home for anyone who's ever wanted to be coupled-up,but also enjoyed the freedom of not being in a relationship. It's the theme song for those who fear commitment—despite wanting to be someone's girlfriend". [14] Writing for Esquire ,Gabrielle Bruney stated that it is "a completely undeniable bop",adding that it is "an effortlessly hooky R&B-pop hybrid" which "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". [15]
The music video was directed by Hannah Lux Davis and was released alongside the song on August 2,2019. [16] In the video,Grande and Foster portray a dysfunctional couple seeking counseling from Anderson as they sing the song. Intermittent scenes show Grande and Foster at a party and both seeing the other flirt with other people. They each jealously fantasize about violently attacking their partner's other love interests:Grande tackles and beats one girl and pins another girl to a door by shooting an arrow into her palm;Foster kicks a guy in the face and pulls out his still-beating heart,giving it to Grande. Another sequence involves Grande pulling open her blazer and firing lasers shaped like pink hearts out of her bra,getting Foster's attention. The video ends with the couple passionately making out in the bathroom and subsequently destroying it. Anderson finds them,seemingly giving up on the couple and leaving them to their own devices. [17] The video has since received over 245 million views as of February 2024. [17]
Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref. |
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2019 | MTV Video Music Award | Song of Summer | Won | [18] |
2020 | Grammy Awards | Best Pop Duo/Group Performance | Nominated | [19] |
The song was first performed live by Grande and Social House at Grande's performance at Lollapalooza on August 4,2019,with Social House. [20] Grande later added the song to the European leg of her Sweetener World Tour. [21]
Credits adapted from Tidal. [22]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [79] | 3×Platinum | 210,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [80] | Diamond | 160,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [81] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [82] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [83] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
Norway (IFPI Norway) [84] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [85] | Platinum | 50,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [86] | Gold | 5,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [87] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [88] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | August 2,2019 | Republic | [22] | |
Australia | Contemporary hit radio | [89] | ||
Canada |
| [90] | ||
Italy | Contemporary hit radio | Universal | [91] | |
United States | August 6,2019 | Republic | [92] | |
Rhythmic contemporary | [93] | |||
Various | December 6,2019 | [94] [95] [96] [97] |
The discography of American singer, songwriter, and actress Ariana Grande consists of seven studio albums, two compilation albums, one live album, two extended plays (EPs), fifty-four singles, and fifteen promotional singles. Throughout her career thus far, Grande has sold over 90 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she has sold over 100 million units, across albums, singles, and features, and 10 million albums and 73.5 million digital singles units as a lead artist. In the U.S., Grande has moved 22.4 million album units, and garnered over 23.6 billion streams across lead artist credits, according to Luminate. Having amassed over 105 billion consumed streams thus far, Grande is the most streamed female artist ever. She is also the most streamed female artist of the 2010s on Spotify and Apple Music. She has amassed 73 chart entries on the Billboard Hot 100—the fourth most entries for a female artist—including nine number ones and 22 top-10 hits altogether so far. Grande was named the sixth top female artist of the 2010s decade, and was ranked among Billboard's Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Artists, at number 78. Grande is also one of the most certified female artists in the UK, with nearly 25 million units.
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