I’ve always been trying to understand Ariana Grande, her music, lyrics, and interviews. Seeking a piece of her philosophy. Yet her artistic choices baffle with inconsistency, lacking a clear cohesive logic. She intentionally obscures, distorts motif, and leaves gaps.
I’ve immersed myself in her interviews and music, even the unreleased demos, piecing together her puzzle. Tonight, a new fragment from The Weeknd’s single “Escape from LA” from album After Hours adds to it.
You pillow talk to me about the men who try to get in between us.
They buy you bags and jewelry, yeah.
They think your kindness is so weak.
No you don’t give it up so easy, baby.
Abel’s “After Hours” era overlapped with Ariana Grande’s “Positions” (album) era, resulting in two song collaborations: “off the table” and “Save Your Tears.” But Ariana Grande got married during this period so some of the lyrics doesn’t fall into place. In off the table:
[Weeknd’s verse]
I’ll wait for you,
even though it always feels like I’ll be number two.
To someone you can’t hold anymore,
if you let me in, I’m ready to give you what I couldn’t before.
But, sadly, also in off the table
[Ariana]
Cause I ain’t her and you ain’t him, thankfully,
but it’s gon’ be hard to let someone else in again, babe.
And, in Save Your Tears
[Ariana’s verse]
I couldn’t help it I put you through hell.
…
Boy take me back cause I wanna stay,
Save your tears for another day.
Ariana blurred by randomizing through possibilities, but the true answer is written in “Escape from LA”, already:
She pulled up to the studio.
Nobody’s watching.
She closed the door and then she locked it for me, for me.
Nobody walked in.
I cut my verse and then she popped it for me, for me.
…
She’s all mine for the night.
She’s all mine until she calls her line.