Ariana Grande Channels Inner “Mean Girl” with “The Boy is Mine” Reimagining for New Album “Eternal Sunshine”
Aussie fans, get ready for a fiery anthem! Ariana Grande is raising eyebrows (and dropping jaws) with a track titled “The Boy is Mine” on her highly anticipated album “Eternal Sunshine,” out today.
The song, a reimagining of the 1998 Brandy and Monica classic, has tongues wagging due to its timing. It coincides with Ariana’s recent relationship with actor Ethan Slater, who recently announced his separation from his wife.
But is there more to the story? In a recent interview with Zane Lowe, Ariana hints that “The Boy is Mine” is all part of an elaborate play. The track follows “True Story,” which she describes as “an untrue story based on all untrue events.”
“It sets up ‘The Boy is Mine,’ obviously,” Ariana explains. “It’s kind of like, ‘I’ll play the bad girl, now here’s your bad girl anthem.'”
This “bad girl” persona isn’t entirely new for Ariana. Fans may remember the unreleased song “Fantasize,” which leaked and gained traction on TikTok. The song, with lyrics like “Thought you were solo / But you got a girl though,” explored similar themes.
“It was like a parody of this girl group vibe,” Ariana says of “Fantasize.” “[The fans] love it… It’s so corny, but it’s okay. I took the note, and I kind of gave them Ariana’s version of that on the album.”
While the original “Fantasize” didn’t make the official cut, its spirit lives on in “The Boy is Mine.” Ariana confirms the reworked track is an homage to the Brandy and Monica original, something she’s long wanted to do.
But is it all just a bit of playful provocation? Ariana seems to think so. When asked by Zane Lowe if “The Boy is Mine” is an “extension” of “Fantasize,” she replies, “In a way. I think I was like, ‘This is a very bad idea, I think.'”
She then winks at the audience, acknowledging, “There is a large group of my fans that do love a bad girl anthem, and this is, I think, an elevated version of that.”
This isn’t the first time Ariana has pushed boundaries. When Zane mentions “pop’s job” to be provocative, Ariana wholeheartedly agrees. “Right,” she says, “And to be an escape, in some way.”
One thing’s for sure: with “The Boy is Mine,” Ariana is sure to set the music world ablaze. Will it be a chart-topping hit or a critical miss? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure: Ariana Grande is back, and she’s not holding back.
