Moonlight

MoonlightSong by
General information
Release date	May 20, 2016
Recorded	April 9, 2015 - April 11, 2015 at Vietom Studios
Genre	Dream pop, R&B
Length	3:22
Label	Republic Records
Songwriter(s)	Ariana Grande, Peter Lee Johnson, Tommy Brown, Victoria McCants
Producer(s)	Tommy Brown
Credits	Moonlight credits
"Moonlight"

"Moonlight" is the first track from Ariana Grande's third studio album, Dangerous Woman. It is one of her favorite songs she has ever recorded.

Background and recording

Moonlight is the result of three days of work. Ariana started work on this song on April 9 at 4 a.m., 2015 with Victoria Monet 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, Ariana posted a picture on Instagram with caption "sweeet like candy but he's such a man 💭." On July 1, 2015, Ariana tweeted more of the song's lyrics. On July 16, 2015, Ariana posted 3 more snippets of the song on her Snapchat.

Story

Victoria Monet said, “Moonlight. That's what Ricky 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.”

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

Trivia

• This song was supposed to be the title track of the album.
• This song is about Ricky Alvarez.
• Ariana has a crescent moon tattoo on her neck below her left ear.

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]
Every look (every look)
Every touch (every touch)
Makes me want to give you my heart (oooooh)
I be crushing 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
You are my moonlight, ohoooh
Moonlight

[Verse 2]
I kiss his fingertips
As I'm wishin' he's all mine
He's giving me Elvis
With some James Dean in his eyes
Puts his lips, on my neck
Makes me want to give him my body (oooooh)
I'll be falling 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
You are my moonlight, ohoooh
Moonlight

[Post-Chorus]
Baby, I'll be falling
You're my moonlight, ohoooh
Moonlight

[Outro]
He's so bossy
He makes me dance
Tryna 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 holdin' me tight
And he calls me moonlight too