the boy is mine

Album

Eternal Sunshine

Label

Republic Records

Genre

Rhythm & Blues

Composer(s)

Ariana Grande;Max Martin;Shintaro Yasuda;David Park

Entered Chart

Mar 23, 2024

Peak Date

Mar 23, 2024

Released

March 8, 2024

In 2023, an unreleased Ariana Grande song titled "Fantasize" went viral on TikTok and other social media platforms. While the track's leak coincided with the news of her relationship with her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater (who was then married but later filed for divorce), Grande clarified that the song's content was unrelated to her personal life. Originally intended for a comedic skit revolving around a girl group, "Fantasize" explored themes of fantasizing about someone unavailable. As the leaked song garnered positive fan feedback, Grande was inspired to incorporate parts of "Fantasize" into "The Boy Is Mine," the eighth track on her Eternal Sunshine album. "I think it's naughty, it's the version of 'Fantasize' that they wanted to have," Grande told Zach Sang. "It's like a sexier, naughtier one, and I think it's more provocative than the rest, but it's not about what you think it was about." "The Boy Is Mine" draws inspiration from the 1990s R&B hit of the same name by Brandy and Monica, which is finds two women fighting over the affection of one man. "I'm such a '90s baby," Grande told Zach Sang. "I have so many '90s interpolation ideas, samples, in my brain but this one finally found a home." Grande embodies a confident persona in the lyrics, acknowledging the public's fascination with such portrayals. Tempo variations within the song reflect the complexities of a love triangle, offering a nuanced perspective on Grande's relationship with public perception. Speaking with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Grande acknowledged the song's provocative nature amid accusations of being a homewrecker, saying: "This is a very bad idea, I think, but there is a large group of my fans that really do love a bad girl anthem. And this is kind of an elevated version of that." Grande said "The Boy Is Mine" and its preceding track on the album, "True Story," are thematically linked. "I wanted it to come after 'True Story' on the tracklist because that song plainly says, 'I'll play the bad girl if you need me to,'" she explained. Grande co-wrote "The Boy Is Mine" with Max Martin, Shintaro Yasuda, and Davidior. The same four also wrote the Eternal Sunshine title track.

How can it be you and me?
Might be meant to be
Can't unsee it
But I don't wanna cause no scene
I'm usually so unproblematic
So independent
Tell me why
'Cause the boy is mi-ine

Something about him is made for somebody like me
Baby, come over, come over
And God knows I'm trying, but there's just no use in denying

The boy is mine
I can't wait to try him
Let's get intertwined
The stars, they aligned
The boy is mine
Watch me take my time
I can't believe my mind
The boy is divine
Boy is mine

Please know this ain't what I planned for
Probably wouldn't bet a dime or my life on
There's gotta be a reason why
My girls, they always come throughin a sticky situation
Say, "it's fine" ("it's fine")
Happens all the ti-ime

Something about him is made for somebody like me
Baby, come over, come over
And God knows I'm trying, but there's just no use in denying

The boy is mine
I can't wait to try him
Let's get intertwined
The stars, they aligned
The boy is mine
Watch me take my time
I can't believe my mind
The boy is divine
Boy is...

And I know it's simply meant to be
And I
I take full accountability for all these tears
Promise you I'm not usually
Like this, shit, it's like news to me
To me
But I can't ignore my heart, boy!

The boy is mine
I can't wait to try him
Let's get intertwined
The stars, they aligned
The boy is mine
Watch me take my time
I can't believe my mind
The boy is divine
Boy is mine