No Tears Left To Cry

No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
General information
Artist	Ariana Grande
Release date	April 20, 2018
Recorded	2017
Studio	MXM Studios (Los Angeles, California) Wolf Cousins Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)
Genre	Dance-pop, disco
Length	3:25
Album	Sweetener
Label	Republic Records
Songwriter(s)	Ariana Grande, Max Martin, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Savan Kotecha
Producer(s)	Max Martin, Ilya
Credits	"No Tears Left To Cry" credits
s chronology
Previous	"Somewhere Over The Rainbow"
Current	"No Tears Left To Cry"
Next	"Dance To This"
Sweetener track list
"Breathin"
"No Tears Left To Cry"
"Borderline"
Music video

"No Tears Left To Cry" (stylized in all lowercase) is the lead single and tenth track from Ariana Grande's fourth studio album, Sweetener. It was released through Republic Records on April 20, 2018.

The song has reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart, as well as reaching number one on iTunes in 92 countries, including in the United States, surpassing Grande's previous record of 79 countries with "Problem". However, it was later surpassed by "7 Rings", which reached number one in 93 countries.

A live version of the song is featured on K Bye For Now (SWT Live), which was released on December 23, 2019.

Background

On April 9, 2018, it was reported that Grande was set to release the lead single from her upcoming fourth studio album on April 27, 2018. On April 16, 2018, it was reported that she may move up the lead single release to April 20, 2018 due to labelmate Post Malone's album being released on April 27. On April 17, 2018, Grande announced that the lead single was titled "no tears left to cry" and would be released on April 20, 2018. On April 18, Grande slowly shared the cover on Instagram by posting different sections each time, and also posted a 30-second snippet of the song. Grande hosted a listening party in London earlier in the week.

It impacted hot adult contemporary radio on April 23, and contemporary hit and contemporary rhythmic radio on April 24.

Critical reception

Laura Snapes of The Guardian called the song an "instant earworm", and praised Ariana for tackling "the single alone rather than with a guest, as she often does". Snapes also complimented on the inclusion of "some satisfyingly specific lyrical barbs" aimed at the haters. Andrew Unterberger from Billboard stated 'no tears left to cry' as "a grower, not to be fully appreciated on first listen". Chris Willman of Variety described the song as "the breeziest, most danceable kind of post-traumatic recovery anthem with dark undertones". Writing for MTV News, Charlie Holmes regarded the song as "the anthem we needed", and believed that it "[spoke] to her experience, healing her hurt, while simultaneously doing the same for the world". Daniel Welsh of HuffPost called the song "[e]xciting, emotional and unlike anything she's done before", with the message of it being "about picking yourself up, leaving the darkness behind and dancing into the light". Ryan Reed of Rolling Stone wrote that "Grande celebrates rising above the world's negativity" with "positive vibes on [the] upbeat new song". The Guardian listed "No Tears Left to Cry" as the 3rd best song of 2018, along with Grande's "Thank U, Next" as the 6th. Billboard's "100 Best Songs of 2018" list placed "No Tears Left to Cry" at #14.

Cover art

The cover was revealed on April 18, 2018.

For the cover art, Grande looks to the right as a rainbow rests across her eyes. Rainbows are a natural phenomenon that appear after rain, as the sun refracts through the water droplets. Symbolically, a rainbow tends to represent the idea of hope and optimism. The image illustrates the idea that Ariana’s teardrops have faded, resulting in the rainbow, and she is ready to move on.

The song title, "No Tears Left To Cry" is 180º turned around, and the name of Ariana Grande is not found anywhere on the cover, being her first main single cover art without her name featured on it.

Live performances

Grande performed the song for the first time on April 20, 2018, at Coachella, during Kygo's set. On May 1, 2018, Grande gave her first televised performance of the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. It was also performed at YouTube Brandcast 2018 on May 3, 2018. On May 14, 2018, Grande performed the song on Nintendo Lab instruments with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots. Later, on May 20, 2018, Grande opened the 2018 Billboard Music Awards with a performance of "No Tears Left To Cry".

On July 11, 2018, Grande performed the single at Amazon Prime Day of that same year. "No Tears Left to Cry" was then performed on all four stops during The Sweetener Sessions, among other songs from Sweetener. She also performed it on the one-hour special, Ariana Grande at the BBC, recorded on September 7, 2018 and aired on November 1.Grande also performed the single on 6 September, 2018, on the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge.

The song is now a regular part of the setlist to Grande's Sweetener World Tour, which began on March 18, 2019.

Ariana Grande - No Tears Left to Cry (Live from Coachella 2018)

Ariana Grande - No Tears Left to Cry (TV Debut)

Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry (BLUX LIVE) Multicam

Ariana Grande, Jimmy & The Roots Sing "No Tears Left to Cry" w Nintendo Labo Instruments

'No Tears Left To Cry' - Ariana Grande Billboard Music Awards

Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry (Live at Prime Day)

Ariana Grande - 'no tears left to cry' (Live At Capital Up Close)

Ariana Grande No Tears Left To Cry live at BBC

Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry in the Live Lounge

Music video

Grande in the "No Tears Left To Cry" music video

On April 19, 2018, Grande posted a preview of the music video and revealed that it would be released alongside the single on April 20..

The music video was directed by Dave Meyers, who directed the music video for Beauty and the Beast. He has directed videos for other artists, including Katy Perry, Camila Cabello and Kendrick Lamar. He posted a picture with the caption "ʎɹɔ oʇ ʇɟǝl sɹɐǝʇ ou" to Instagram on April 17, 2018. Shanté Honeycutt of Billboard called it "a beautiful, mind-bending video" and quoted Meyers as follows: "The concept we wanted to explore was the disorientation that you go through in life and the quest we all go through to kind of find the ground again."

The PAPER magazine named the video as the best music video of 2018: "The Dave Meyers-directed film sent her message wailing from the tops of skyscrapers and tumbling through a rotating castle. The video's dark, dreamscape set and incredible hook make it one of the year's favorites and just the start of an album rollout with one epic video after the other."

Behind the scenes

Three behind-the-scenes videos were released on April 23, April 27 and May 25, 2018, respectively.

Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry (BTS - Part 1)

Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry (BTS - Part 2)

Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry (BTS - Part 3)

Vertical video

On May 4, 2018, a vertical video of "No Tears Left to Cry" was released exclusively for Spotify Premium subscribers. The video shows Grande singing upside down.

Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry (Vertical Video)

Trivia

• At the end of the video, a bee is seen flying away, a reference to the Manchester Arena bombing.
• The music video reached over 16 million views in its first 24 hours, breaking Grande's previous record of 7 million with "Focus".
• The music video was choreographed by Brian and Scott Nicholson.
• The song was certified platinum in the US on July 3, 2018.
• It is featured as the fourth track on the album NOW That’s What I Call Music! 100 which was released on July 20, 2018.
• American singer and Grande's good friend, Miley Cyrus, made a cover of the song in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge.
• The song is featured in Just Dance 2019.
• Included in the Japanese special edition of Sweetener is an official instrumental for "No Tears Left To Cry."

Videos

ʎɹɔ oʇ ʇɟǝl sɹɐǝʇ ou 4.20

Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry (Video teaser)

Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry (Official Instrumental)

Gallery

“deep breaths, tight chest, life, death” To view the No Tears Left To Cry gallery, click here.

Photo shoot

Ariana Grande Sweetener photoshoot.jpg

Promotional

Lyrics

[Intro]
Right now, I'm in a state of mind
I wanna be in, like, all the time
Ain't got no tears left to cry
So (I'm pickin' it up, pickin' it up
I'm lovin', I'm livin', I'm pickin' it up), oh, yeah
(I'm pickin' it up, pickin' it up (yeah)
I'm lovin', I'm livin', I'm pickin' it up), oh, yeah

[Refrain]
I'm pickin' it up (Yeah), pickin' it up (Yeah)
Lovin', I'm livin', so we turnin' up (We turnin' it up)
Yeah, we turnin' it up

[Verse 1]
Ain't got no tears in my body
I ran out, but boy, I like it, I like it, I like it (I like it)
Don't matter how, what, when, who tries it
We're out here vibin', we vibin', we vibin' (We vibin')

[Pre-Chorus 1]
(Comin' out)
Even when it's rainin' down
(Can't stop now)
Can't stop so shut your mouth
(Shut your mouth)
And if you don't know then now you know it, babe
Know it, babe, yeah

[Chorus]
Right now, I'm in a state of mind
I wanna be in, like, all the time
Ain't got no tears left to cry
So (I'm pickin' it up, pickin' it up), oh, yeah
(I'm lovin', I'm livin', I'm pickin' it up)
Oh, I just want you to come with me (Me)
We on another mentality (Mentality)
Ain't got no tears left to cry (To cry)
So (I'm pickin' it up, pickin' it up), oh, yeah
(I'm lovin', I'm livin', I'm pickin' it up), mmm, yeah

[Refrain]
Pickin' it up (Yeah), pickin' it up (Yeah)
Lovin', I'm livin', so we turnin' up (We turnin' it up)
Yeah, we turnin' it up (Turnin' it up)

[Verse 2]
They point out the colors in you, I see 'em too
And, boy, I like 'em, I like 'em, I like 'em (I see 'em too
And, boy, I like 'em, I like 'em, I like 'em)
We way too fly to partake in all this hate
We're out here vibin', we vibin', we vibin' (We vibin', we vibin')

[Pre-Chorus 1]
(C-Comin' out)
Even when it's rainin' down
(Can't stop now)
Can't stop so shut your mouth
(Can't stop so shut your mouth)
(Shut your mouth)
And if you don't know then now you know it, babe
(And if you don't know then now you know it, babe)
Know it, babe, yeah

[Chorus]
Right now, I'm in a state of mind
I wanna be in, like, all the time
Ain't got no tears left to cry
So (I'm pickin' it up, pickin' it up), oh, yeah
(I'm lovin', I'm livin', I'm pickin' it up)
Oh, I just want you to come with me (Me)
We on another mentality (Mentality) (Oh)
Ain't got no tears left to cry (To cry) (To cry)
So (I'm pickin' it up, pickin' it up), oh, yeah
(I'm lovin', I'm livin', I'm pickin' it up)

[Pre-Chorus 2]
(Comin' out)
Even when it's rainin' down
(Can't stop now)
Hmmm, oh
(Shut your mouth)
Ain't got no tears left to cry
(Pickin' it up, pickin' it up), oh, yeah
(I'm lovin', I'm livin', I'm pickin' it up), oh, yeah

[Chorus]
Oh, I just want you to come with me (Me)
We on another mentality (We on another mentality)
Ain't got no tears left to cry (Cry)
So (I'm pickin' it up (Yeah), pickin' it up (Yeah)), oh, yeah
(I'm lovin', I'm livin', I'm pickin' it up), mmm, yeah

[Refrain]
Pickin' it up (Mmm), pickin' it up (Mmm)
Lovin', I'm livin', so we turnin' up (Mmmm)
Yeah, we turnin' it up (Turnin' it up)