Moonlight

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

MoonlightSong by Ariana Grande
General information
Artist	Ariana Grande
Release date	May 20, 2016
Recorded	April 9, 2015 - April 11, 2015
Studio	Vietom Studios (Los Angeles, California)
Genre	Doo-wop
Length	3:22
Album	Dangerous Woman
Label	Republic Records
Songwriter(s)	Thomas Brown, Victoria McCants, Peter Lee Johnson, Ariana Grande
Producer(s)	TBHits
Credits	Moonlight credits
Dangerous Woman track list
"Moonlight"
"Dangerous Woman"
Music video

"Moonlight" is the opening track from Ariana Grande's third studio album, Dangerous Woman. It was released through Republic Records on May 20, 2016. It is one of her favourite songs she has ever recorded.

Background and recording

"Moonlight" is the result of three days of work. Grande started work on this song on April 9 at 4 a.m., 2015 with Victoria Monét and Tommy Brown in a spontaneous, midnight recording session. A few days later she confirmed that Peter Lee Johnson was also part of the song. She says the song is her favorite and most special song she's ever had and there's a story behind it. On April 13, 2015, Grande posted a picture on Instagram with caption "sweeet like candy but he's such a man." On July 1, 2015, Grande tweeted more of the song's lyrics. On July 16, 2015, Grande posted 3 more snippets of the song on her Snapchat.

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."

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

Live Performances

"Moonlight" was also apart of the setlist from her third concert tour the Dangerous Woman Tour.

Trivia

• "Moonlight" was supposed to be the title track of the album.
• This song is about Ricky Alvarez.
• Grande has a crescent moon tattoo on her neck below her left ear.
• Grande has two fragrance's to do with the song. First being Sweet Like Candy, a lyric from the song, and Moonlight, the title of the song.

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