"The Boy Is Mine" | ||||
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Single by Ariana Grande | ||||
from the album Eternal Sunshine | ||||
Released | June 11, 2024 | |||
Recorded | 2023 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:53 | |||
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Songwriter(s) |
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Ariana Grande singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"The Boy Is Mine" on YouTube |
"The Boy Is Mine" is a song by American singer-songwriter Ariana Grande from her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine (2024). It impacted American contemporary hit radio on June 11, 2024, as the third single from the album. The song was written by Grande, Max Martin, Shintaro Yasuda, and Davidior, who produced the song alongside Ilya. Inspired by a leaked demo Grande made for a comedy sketch, the song is an R&B track that reimagines the 1998 duet of the same name by American singers Brandy and Monica.
Upon release, "The Boy is Mine" received positive reviews from music critics for its '90s R&B sound and sultry lyrical content. The song peaked within the top 20 of the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian Hot 100 as an album track. A music video directed by Christian Breslauer was released on June 7, 2024 starring Grande as Catwoman and American actor Penn Badgley as her love interest, with additional cameos from Brandy and Monica. Two weeks later, a remix of the song with Brandy and Monica was released on June 21, 2024.
An unreleased song by Grande entitled "Fantasize" by fans was leaked in full to Spotify in 2023. Recorded in 2021, Grande said that the song was a demo that was not intended to be released as a single by her and that she wrote it for a comedy sketch about a girl group that ultimately was not released. Upon learning of the leak, she commented under a TikTok video that she was disheartened and asked people to stop spreading the leaks. [1]
"Fantasize" received positive fan reception, inspiring Grande to include elements of the song in her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine (2024). During an interview about the album, Grande referred to "The Boy Is Mine" as her version of "Fantasize" and stated about her leaked songs "although you've heard them — because you stole them — they're very different now." [2] [3]
"The Boy Is Mine" is two minutes and 53 seconds long. [4] As intended by Grande when creating the parent album's tracklist, the song follows and plays off the same idea of the album's seventh track, "True Story", playing the role the media expects her to play. [5] The song is described as an R&B song [6] with bass-heavy instrumentation [7] echoing late 90's and early 2000's R&B music. [8]
Grande described "The Boy Is Mine" as a reimagining of the similarly titled 1998 single by Brandy and Monica, which was about two women fighting over the affection of one man. [9] [10] She was inspired by her fans' appreciation for "Fantasize" because of what she called its "bad bitch" energy, and she told Zane Lowe during an Apple Music 1 interview: "there is a large group of my fans that really do love a bad girl anthem, and this is an elevated version of that." [11] In the lyrics, Grande expresses her affection for a man with whom she believes she is destined to be in a romance. [11]
Grande announced on May 27 that the music video for "The Boy Is Mine" would be released on June 7. [12] Christian Breslauer, who worked on the visuals for both "Yes, And?" and "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)" from Eternal Sunshine, commented on Grande's teaser and shared the sneak peek on his own Instagram account. [13] "Get your popcorn, take your seats," Breslauer wrote on Grande's post; "ACT III… soon", said the music video director on his personal Instagram page. [13]
The music video features Grande as Catwoman, and Penn Badgley as the mayor of the city who has released feral cats into the streets to eradicate a rat infestation. R&B singers Brandy and Monica make a cameo appearance as news anchors reporting on the rat crisis. [14] The video features Grande's Victorious co-star, Elizabeth Gillies, providing the sound effects for the rats. [15]
The video begins with a garbage collector complaining about the mayor before getting attacked by rats. Grande is seen looking at a glowing pink potion, later turning her attention to two news reporters on the television. It is revealed that the mayor, Max Starling, has a plan to exterminate the city's rodent infestation by using the large numbers of stray cats roaming around. A cat sneaks into Grande's open apartment window and knocks over the potion, alarming Grande.
The song begins and Grande starts gathering the spilled potion with a syringe and putting into a vial. During the chorus, she runs over to her personal shrine of the mayor, who she is in love with. She spins around, before grabbing black clothing from her closet. She is seen cutting the fabrics of the clothes and sewing. The next scene is set at night, atop a building complex in front of a city skyline. Grande is donning brunette shoulder-length hair and a black cat mask covering her eyes. Her attire is now an all black dominatrix outfit with a skirt and a whip, which she cracks. She then is seen running and jumping over buildings before arriving to the mayor's apartment overhead window. With her glove's cat-like sharpened nails, she traces a circle on the window glass and licking her hand to cut it out.
The music stops and the scene is set inside Mayor Starling's apartment, where he soaks his face into ice bath. Grande sneaks up to the bathroom door, admiring him until he catches a glimpse of her. She runs off and he follows, looking shocked and dropping a glass of alcohol. The song's chorus continues and Grande is seen on his bed, laid out seductively and displaying cat-like actions. Mayor Starling attempts to make an escape before Grande strikes her whip at him, grabbing his foot. During the bridge, she pulls him over to the bed slowly. She walks over to him, holding the love potion in an attempt to have him consume it. He stops her, and reaching over to her mask to reveal her face. He throws the potion at the wall and the song ends.
During the credits, Grande and Starling are now together in an apartment, feeding a cat in their lap. Surrounding them are many cats roaming around.
The first time Grande performed "The Boy Is Mine" was at the 2024 Met Gala. [16] Grande's full performance at the 2024 Met Gala was not officially published online. On June 6, Grande performed the song for the first time on live television at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and she was accompanied by the show's house band The Roots. [17] This was Grande's first late night interview since 2021 and her 11th appearance on The Tonight Show. [17]
The song received positive reviews from music critics upon release of the parent album. In a ranking of tracks from the parent album, Kyle Denis of Billboard ranked the song at number four in a track ranking of the album. Denis received the song positively, noting its tongue-in-cheek nature and the '90s R&B sound similar to "Fantasize". [18] Rolling Stone called the song a "late Nineties, early Aughts, R&B-pop moment" also commenting on the fact that the song might bring controversy amongst rumors involving Grande and Ethan Slater. [19] Jem Aswad of Variety called the song "comparatively sprightly" and felt the song was an outlier amongst the rest of the album. [20] Laura Snappes of The Guardian referred to the song as "trap-Aaliyah hauteur", also calling it "possessive". [21] Poppie Platt of The Daily Telegraph claimed the song stands on its own against the song of the same name, describing as a "silky ode to love and lust". [22] Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times described it as "a lusty song about a forbidden crush" and likened its "stuttering" percussion to that of the boy-bands Max Martin has worked with before. [23]
Prior to its release as a single, "The Boy Is Mine" debuted at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 as the highest charting album track. [24] Globally, "The Boy Is Mine" charted on the Billboard Global 200 chart, at number eleven, on the issue dated March 23, 2024.
Several months later, "The Boy Is Mine" debuted at number 38 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart, rising to number 31 in its second week.
Recording
Personnel
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [25] | 28 |
Brazil (Brasil Hot 100) [26] | 69 |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [27] | 15 |
Canada CHR/Top 40 ( Billboard ) [28] | 37 |
France (SNEP) [29] | 58 |
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [30] | 11 |
Greece International (IFPI) [31] | 9 |
Ireland (IRMA) [32] | 72 |
Lithuania (AGATA) [33] | 52 |
Malaysia ( Billboard ) [34] | 21 |
Malaysia International (RIM) [35] | 16 |
MENA (IFPI) [36] | 12 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [37] | 23 |
Philippines ( Billboard ) [38] | 22 |
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100) [39] | 64 |
Portugal (AFP) [40] | 25 |
Saudi Arabia (IFPI) [41] | 15 |
Singapore (RIAS) [42] | 17 |
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) [43] | 82 |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [44] | 99 |
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) [45] | 1 |
UAE (IFPI) [46] | 20 |
UK Singles (OCC) [47] | 61 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [48] | 16 |
US Mainstream Top 40 ( Billboard ) [49] | 24 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Canada (Music Canada) [50] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"The Boy Is Mine" (remix) | ||||
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Single by Ariana Grande, Brandy and Monica | ||||
Released | June 21, 2024 | |||
Length | 3:33 | |||
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Ariana Grande singles chronology | ||||
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Brandy singles chronology | ||||
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Monica singles chronology | ||||
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On June 17,2024,Ariana Grande announced that a remix of "The Boy is Mine" with American singers Brandy and Monica would be released on June 21. Brandy and Monica,whose 1998 duet of the same name inspired Grande's song,made cameo appearances as newscasters in the music video for her song. The cover art for the remix depicts the two on a television screen in their newscaster roles,with a projection of Grande as Catwoman in the background. [51] Grande first teased the remix when she interpolated the hook of Brandy and Monica's original duet at the end of her performance of her song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on June 6. [52] The remix features a new bridge and a longer outro.
Region | Date | Format(s) | Version | Label | Ref. |
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United States | June 11,2024 | Contemporary hit radio | Original | Republic | [53] |
Various | June 21,2024 | Remix | [51] |
Monica Denise Arnold is an American singer,songwriter,and actress. Born and raised in College Park,Georgia,she began performing as a child and joined a traveling gospel choir by the age of ten. Monica signed with record producer Dallas Austin through his label Rowdy Records in 1993,and gained prominence following the release of her debut studio album,Miss Thang (1995). Her follow up releases were met with further commercial success;her second,The Boy Is Mine (1998) remains her best-selling album and spawned three Billboard Hot 100-number one singles:"The Boy Is Mine","The First Night" and "Angel of Mine".
"The Boy Is Mine" is a duet by American singers Brandy and Monica. It was written by LaShawn Daniels,Japhe Tejeda,Fred Jerkins III,Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins,and Brandy,while production was helmed by Jerkins,Brandy,and Dallas Austin. It was released as the lead single from both singers' second albums from 1998,Never Say Never by Brandy and the album of the same name by Monica. Inspired by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney's 1982 duet "The Girl Is Mine",the lyrics of the mid-tempo R&B track revolve around two women fighting over a man.
"Angel of Mine" is a song by British R&B girl group Eternal from their first compilation album,Greatest Hits (1997). It was written by Rhett Lawrence and Travon Potts,produced by Lawrence,and released on 29 September 1997. The song became Eternal's 12th and final top-10 hit on the UK Singles Chart,peaking at number four. "Angel of Mine" was the ensemble's final single as a three-piece,as after its release,KélléBryan left the group. In June 2019,"Angel of Mine" was ranked at number 91 on the Official Charts Company's "Top 100 Girl Band Singles of the Last 25 Years".
Eternal Sunshine is the seventh studio album by American singer Ariana Grande. It was released on March 8,2024,by Republic Records. It is her first new body of work in over three years,following the release of Positions (2020). Written and produced by Grande,Max Martin,Ilya Salmanzadeh,and Oscar Görres amongst others,Eternal Sunshine is a pop and R&B album with dance music influences,particularly synth-pop and house,characterized by mid-tempo synthesizers,subtle guitar and string elements.
Ariana Grande-Butera is an American singer,songwriter and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music,she is noted for her four-octave vocal range and her signature use of the whistle register. Grande's various awards include two Grammy Awards,one Brit Award,two Billboard Music Awards,three American Music Awards,nine MTV Video Music Awards,and 36 Guinness World Records. Rolling Stone named her one of the greatest vocalists of all time.
The discography of American singer,songwriter,and actress Ariana Grande consists of seven studio albums,one reissue,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 88.5 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 85 chart entries on the Billboard Hot 100—the third most entries for a female artist—including ten 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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The Boy Is Mine is the second studio album by American R&B singer Monica. It was released by Arista Records on July 14,1998,in the United States. The album deviated from the formula of her debut Miss Thang (1995) as she had more creative control over the material she recorded;a step that she considered a "natural progression". On the record,Monica worked with a variety of producers and writers from different genres such as gospel,R&B,and hip hop,including frequent collaborators Dallas Austin,Colin Wolfe,and Daryl Simmons. Additional producers included David Foster,Diane Warren,Jermaine Dupri,and Rodney Jerkins and his Darkchild crew,some of which would become household names on subsequent albums.
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Around the 24-minute mark of the interview above, Lowe asked Grande about "True Story," which Grande said "sets up 'The Boy Is Mine.'" —"It's kind of like, 'I'll play the bad girl; now here's your bad girl anthem,'" Grande told Lowe about the song.
"The Boy Is Mine" is another late Nineties, early Aughts R&B-pop moment.
"The Boy Is Mine" — sure to be a point of stan Twitter controversy given chatter around the timeline of her and current partner Ethan Slater's relationship.