"True Story" | |
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Song by Ariana Grande | |
from the album Eternal Sunshine | |
Released | March 8, 2024 |
Genre | |
Length | 2:43 |
Label | Republic |
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Lyric visualizer | |
"True Story" on YouTube |
"True Story" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande from her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine (2024).
"True Story" is two minutes and 43 seconds long. [1] The song is described by Grande to be "an untrue story based on all untrue events" and features writing and production from Max Martin. [2] Sonically, it's a slinky, "solid R&B bounce" [3] featuring a catchy, "candy floss" chorus, [4] metal bass lines, [5] and some elements of G-funk in its instrumentation. [6] Lyrically, the song has Grande being self-referential to the image the media and tabloids put upon her regarding stories about her personal and dating life. [6] In the album's track list, the song is intended by Grande to set up and precede "The Boy Is Mine", letting her play the "bad girl". [7] [8]
Upon release, the song received positive reviews from music critics. Kyle Denis of Billboard ranked the song at number one, in a ranking of the album. In the ranking, Denis called the song "the smartest song Grande has ever made", noting the self-awareness in its lyrics and its similarities of "the 90s pop & R&B bounce" of "Fantasize". [3] Nick Levine, a writer at NME deemed the song an album highlight, calling it "cleverly self-referential" and applauding Grande's vocal performance over the "G-funk" inspired beat. [6] In a review of the parent album, Rolling Stone likened the song to something created by Timbaland for American singer Aaliyah. [9]
Recording
Personnel
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [10] | 39 |
Brazil (Brasil Hot 100) [11] | 73 |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [12] | 30 |
France (SNEP) [13] | 62 |
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [14] | 18 |
Greece International (IFPI) [15] | 15 |
Lithuania (AGATA) [16] | 100 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [17] | 35 |
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100) [18] | 85 |
Portugal (AFP) [19] | 32 |
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) [20] | 14 |
UAE (IFPI) [21] | 20 |
UK Streaming (OCC) [22] | 30 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [23] | 30 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [24] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
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 album 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 116.5 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 artists in the UK, with over 30 million units.
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"Heatstroke" is a song by Scottish DJ and producer Calvin Harris featuring American artists Young Thug, Pharrell Williams, and Ariana Grande. It is the second single from Harris's fifth studio album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 (2017). It was released on 31 March 2017 through Sony Music, following "Slide".
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The solid R&B; bounce of "True Story" sees her apparently addressing Jay's version of events: "I'll play the villain if you want me to… I'll play the bad girl if it makes you feel better." But its candyfloss chorus, which makes breezy use of Grande's effortless whistle register, finds her hitting back and sighing that's not what she wants.
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.