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This article is about the song. For the fragrance, see Moonlight by Ariana Grande.

"Moonlight" is the opening track from Ariana Grande's third studio album, Dangerous Woman, at the time tilted Moonlight. [4] It was released through Republic Records on May 20, 2016.

Background and recording[]

This song took three days to work on. Grande started work on this song on April 9, 2015, at 4 A.M., with Victoria Monét and Tommy Brown in a spontaneous, midnight recording session.[5]

A few days later Ariana confirmed that Peter Lee Johnson co-wrote some of the song.[6][7] She also said that this song is her favorite and most special song she's ever had and there's a story behind it.[8]

On April 13, 2015, Grande posted a picture on her Instagram teasing some of the lyrics, with the caption: "sweeet like candy but he's such a man."[9]

On July 1, 2015, Grande tweeted more of the song's lyrics.[10] Days later on July 16, 2015, Grande soon posted 3 snippets of the song on her Snapchat.[11][12][13]

Story[]

Victoria Monét said "['Moonlight',] that’s what Ricky [Alvarez] called her one night. I think it was after their first kiss. He waited to kiss her for a long time, and she was really impressed. He’s such a gentleman, and the song is a great little bookmark of the start of their relationship."[14]

Grande tweeted about "Moonlight" by saying, "a night under the blood moon! that's all."[15] There was a blood moon on April 4, 2015[16] and Grande started recording the song on April 9, five days later.

Live Performances[]

"Moonlight" was apart of the setlist from her third concert tour the Dangerous Woman Tour and also an interchangeable song for her fourth concert tour the Sweetener World Tour.

Music Video (Unreleased)[]

A music video for "Moonlight" was filmed sometime in mid/late 2015, before the name change and path of the album (Moonlight) became "Dangerous Woman". The video was supposed to accompany the release of the song as a single and title track sometime in late 2015 or early 2016, being the second single from the album after "Focus". Among the people involved in the production of the video are recorder Jones Crow, Alfredo Flores and her ex-boyfriend Ricky Alvarez.

There were already theories that there was a music video recorded for the song, until on January 2, 2019, Ariana posted on her Instagram a 45-second video in black and white from the backstage of the video and fans wondering why they did not reuse those visuals. The post presented some scenarios and scenes that would be included in the video.

Among the scenes shown are:

  • Ariana sitting in a dark room on a kind of table or piano, with a microphone and a white dress with lace, simulating an old dress, and with an old wallpaper in the background.
  • Ariana with Ricky sitting at a restaurant table with dishes and menus in a dark room.
  • Ariana in a dark hallway with a door at the end, like an emergency exit.

At some point after Ariana's post, the intro to the music video was leaked in an unknown way by an unknown leaker, which includes a starry sky.

Based on the scenes, it's possible to say that the theme of the music video was something like: passion and love in a 60's restaurant".

At no point after the postings were the Moonlight Unreleased Music Video visuals used or seen.

Trivia[]

  • "Moonlight" was supposed to be the title track of the album, but changed it .
  • It is one of her favorite songs she has ever recorded.
  • This song is about her now ex-boyfriend and friend Ricky Alvarez.
  • Grande has a crescent moon tattoo on her neck below her left.
  • The song inspired two of Grande's fragrances. First being Sweet Like Candy in 2016, a lyric from the song, and Moonlight in 2017, the title of the song.
  • For The Sweetener World Tour, the last song from the third act is nicknamed Under The Moon by Arianators and Ariana herself because there's a moon that it can descend from the ceiling.
  • Many Arianators requested the song to be performed during The Sweetener World Tour under the moon for a few months before Ariana recognizing the thousands of tweets and performing it once in Dallas, TX

Lyrics[]

[Verse 1]
The sun is setting
And you're right here by my side
And the movie is playing
But we won't be watching tonight

[Pre-Chorus 1]
Every look (Every look)
Every touch (Every touch)
Makes me want to give you my heart (Oooooh)
I'd be crushin' on you, baby
Stay right where you are cause

[Chorus]
I never knew, I never knew
You could hold moonlight in your hands
Til' the night I held you
M-m-m-moonlight
Moooo-oooonlight

[Verse 2]
I kiss his fingertips
As I'm wishing he's all mine
He's giving me Elvis
With some James Dean in his eyes

[Pre-Chorus 2]
Puts his lips (Puts his lips)
On my neck (On my neck)
Makes me want to give him my body (Oooooh)
I'd be fallin' for you, baby
And I just can't stop cause

[Chorus]
I never knew, I never knew
You could hold moonlight in your hands
Till the night I held you
M-m-m-moonlight
Moooo-oooonlight

[Post-Chorus]
Baby, I'd be fallin'
You're my moonlight
Moooo-oooonlight

[Outro]
He's so bossy
He makes me dance
Tried to sit in the back of his whip
And just cancel my plans
Sweet like candy
But he's such a man
He knows just what it does
When he's holding me tight
And he calls me moonlight too

References[]

Dangerous Woman
May 20, 2016 • 39:31 • Republic Records
Songs
Released Bad DecisionsBe AlrightDangerous WomanEverydayFocusGreedyI Don't CareInto YouJason's Song (Gave It Away)Knew Better / Forever BoyLeave Me LonelyLet Me Love YouMoonlightSide To SideSometimesStep On UpThinking Bout YouTouch It
Unreleased 1st Unknown Dangerous Woman OuttakeAll ThatAriana BeatBaby LovesControlGot Her OwnHiHourglassHow You FeelKnew Better Part TwoLeave Me Lonely (Reprise)MonsterOh, YeahOn & OnXanadu
Artists
Ariana GrandeFutureJamie FoxxLil WayneMacy GrayNicki MinajQuavoTakeoffTayla ParxVictoria Monét
Tour
Dangerous Woman Tour
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