“ | I just made it and I sent it to him Pete Davidson and I didn’t know what to call it. So I just called it ‘Pete.’ It was either going to be that or ‘This Is About Pete Davidson.’ I was like, ‘Why not? You know?’ Just be direct. | ” |
– Grande talking about the song Pete Davidson |
"Pete Davidson" (stylized in all lowercase; originally titled "Pete") is the fourteenth track from Ariana Grande's fourth studio album, Sweetener. It was released through Republic Records on August 17, 2018.
Background[]
This song was first written when Grande and her now ex-fiancé, Pete Davidson, had began dating.
The first hint to the song’s lyrics was first teased May 31, 2018, after Grande posted her first picture with Davidson on her Instagram with the caption:"’! i thought u into my life 💭 woah ! look at my mind 💡⚡️🙈"[1]
On June 7, 2018, Grande confirmed that she had recently recorded an interlude for Sweetener.[2]
Two weeks later on June 17, 2018, Ariana posted a snippet of the interlude, that same day she later confirmed the title of the track, it was called "Pete".[3][4][5]A 2 second clip was shared June 23, 2018.[6]
Grande continued to tweet and tease lyrics from the song through her Twitter on July 18, 2018.[7][8][9]Grande soon continued to tweet and tease even more lyrics about a week later on July 26, 2018.[10]
Three days later on July 30, 2018, a fan tweeted about the switch, asking, "What made you change 'Pete' to 'Pete Davidson'?". Ariana tweeted and quickly responded back: "I like the way it looks. I love his name and I love him. Music lasts forever. It’ll outlive any tattoo, any memory, any anything."[11]
Two days after the album’s release, she posted a 38 sec video her lip-syncing the song in her car.[12]
The song was later renamed to "Pete Davidson" on July 27, 2018, after Grande confirmed the title.[13]:
“ | This is about Pete Davidson. I was like, why not? You know? Be direct. | ” |
– Grande about renaming the track.[14] |
Critical reception[]
Neil McCormick in The Daily Telegraph wrote that the song is "is utterly gorgeous, a sweet nothing dissolving into blissful oohs."[15] The Irish Times's Louis Bruton said the song "adds a lightness to the record."[16]
Brittany Spanos from Rolling Stone said that "Pete Davidson" is "a song that gets the point across with its title alone, she's found her serenity."[17]
Live performances[]
Grande debuted "Pete Davidson" live on August 20, 2018 at The Sweetener Sessions. Due to her eventual breakup with Pete Davidson, Grande did not feature the interlude on the Sweetener World Tour set list.
Trivia[]
- This was the last song recorded for Sweetener.[2]
- The song is about and named after Ariana's ex-fiancé, Pete Davidson. It's her only song to be named after a person.
- Ariana performed this song at the BBC live at London.[1]
- This is one of three songs from Sweetener in which Grande doesn't mention the title in the lyrics.
- The other two songs are "R.E.M." and "Get Well Soon".
- Since Pete and Ariana's break up, the song has been unofficially renamed by fans as "happy", "track 14", "interlude", "soulmate" or "Courtney Chipolone" (a reference to one of Ariana's close friends).
- It is one of the only songs from Sweetener not performed at any point during the Sweetener World Tour, along with "Blazed", "Borderline" and "Better Off".
- This is most likely due to her breakup with Davidson.
- This is Grande's fifth shortest song overall, after "Gloss".
- Despite not containing any profanity, this song is still marked as Explicit on streaming services.
Lyrics[]
[Intro]
Yuh, mmm, yeah, yuh
[Verse]
I thought you into my life (Whoa), look at my mind (Yeah)
No better place or a time, (Look) how they align
[Pre-Chorus]
Universe must have my back, fell from the sky into my lap
And I know you know that you're my soulmate and all that
I'm like ooooooh, ooooooh, oh
(My whole life got me ready for you) ooooooh, ooooooh (Aaaah, yeah)
[Chorus]
(Yeah)
Got me happy, happy
I'ma be happy, happy (Yeah)
Got be happy, happy
Won’t get no crying from me (Yeah)
Got be happy, happy
I'ma be happy, happy (Happy)
I'ma be happy, happy, yeah (Yeah)
[Outro]
Got be happy, happy
I'ma be happy, happy
I'ma be happy, happy, yeah
Got be happy, happy
I'ma be happy, happy
I'ma be happy, happy
References[]
- ↑ Instagram - "!", "i thought you into my life 💭 woah ! look at my mind 💡⚡️🙈"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Twitter - Ariana About The Last Song She Recorded
- ↑ Deleted Instagram Post - "12:07:20 AM" Snippet June 17, 2018
- ↑ Billboard - Ariana Grande Shares New Snippet Of An Interlude called "Pete"
- ↑ Twitter - Ariana Revealing The Tracks Name She Posted on Instagram on June 17, 2018
- ↑ Instagram Story - 2 Second Snippet Of Ariana and Pete Listening To The Song
- ↑ Twitter #1 - Ariana First Start Teasing Some More Lyrics From The Song
- ↑ Twitter #2 - Ariana Teases More Lyrics
- ↑ Twitter #3 - "imma be happy .… happy … won’t get no cryin from me .. yea"
- ↑ Twitter Pop Crave - "no better place or uh time, look ! how they align"
- ↑ Twitter - Ariana Talking About Why She Changed The Name "Pete" from "Pete Davidson"
- ↑ Snapchat - Ariana Lip Syncing The Song After The Album’s Release
- ↑ Twitter PopCrave - "Ariana Grande has changed the title of her song “Pete” to “Pete Davidson” on her upcoming album"
- ↑ Breaking Down the Meaning of Ariana Grande's 'Pete Davidson' Lyrics
- ↑ Ariana Grande, Sweetener, review: Out of the dark came sweetness
- ↑ Ariana Grande: Sweetener – celebrating the art of being okay
- ↑ Review: Ariana Grande Finds Serenity and Has Some Fun on ‘ Sweetener’