Ariana Grande possesses a magnetic energy that attracts literally everything–from musical excellence to (possibly undesired) publicity. Among her songs, “just like magic” stands out as a testament to awe-inspiring confidence:
Just like magic, I’m attractive
I get everything I want cause I attract them.
There’s a fine line between positive self-assurance and complacency. With her four-octave range and Mariah Carey-like whistle note capacity, Ariana Grande has never lacked a “hear-me-roar” attitude, reminiscent of ’90s divas. She has consistently showcased an unshakable belief in herself, as heard in “Dangerous Woman”—“Don’t need permission, made my decision, to test my limits,” and the resplendent “7 rings”—“I want it, I got it.” Early on, she was often described as “a small woman with a big voice and a huge personality.”
“just like magic” elevates this confidence to a new level. Instead of offering another hollow manifesto, it attributes success to proper self-care and an authentic pursuit of perfection: “Twelve o’clock, I’ve got a team meeting, then a meditation at like one-thirty/Then I ride to the studio, listening to some shit I wrote.” Ariana openly confesses her workaholism, attributing her devotion to an obsession with and psychological dependence on music. As she said in a Vogue interview:
I love working. I get a day off and I’m, confused. I’m like, huh, cause i’ll have to do something.
I’ll never truly feel like: okay, now I have made it, now I can stop. It’s gonna take such a long time for me to ever reach that satisfaction because, I don’t know what I would do without music.
I’m very grateful to be here, and that kind of overpowers any of the negative elements that come with, fame I guess.
The song somewhat follows the theme of “successful” from Sweetener, co-produced with Pharrell Williams, but it is far more than a plain sequel of an ode-to-success. The intricate vocal harmonies that would be considered laudable in any other context are so normal for Grande that we almost take her production excellence for granted. Yet, right after she sings about writing “love letters to heaven,” when the song is about to transition into the chorus, the instruments dissolve and quiet for a moment, exactly as the gravity of what she’s said sinks in.