Problem

General information
Released	April 28, 2014
Recorded	2013 or 2014
Genre	Dance-pop • R&B
Length	3:13
Label	Republic Records
Songwriter(s)	Iggy Azalea, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Myron Birdsong, Max Martin, Savan Kotecha

The two different cover art images that Ariana asked her fans to choose from.

"Problem" is the first single from Ariana Grande's sophomore album. The song features recording artist Iggy Azalea. Big Sean whispers part of the chorus but is not a featured artist. It is about knowing you'd be better off without someone but you can't resist them and need them no matter what.

It was released on April 28, 2014. You can buy the song here.

Background

Following the release of Grande's debut studio album Yours Truly in September 2013 which was met with positive reviews, Grande announced in October 2013 that she had already begun writing and working on her second studio album with previous producers from her debut album, including Harmony Samuels, Babyface, The Rascals and Tommy Brown. Grande was initially aiming at releasing the album around February 2014. In January 2014, recording sessions for the album had officially began and has been in the studio with new producers Ryan Tedder, Savan Kotecha, Benny Blanco and Max Martin. It was announced on March 3, 2014 that Grande would be featured on the fifth single from Chris Brown's upcoming sixth studio album X titled "Don't Be Gone Too Long". The single was originally set for release on March 25, 2014, however was postponed due to Brown being sent to jail awaiting trail on assault charges. Grande had announced the songs delay on March 17, 2014 via twitter stating "My loves… so obviously some things have changed recently... So we have to delay the dbgtl countdown, some things are out of our control". That same night she held a live stream to make up for the singles delay, where she previewed four new songs from her second album. Two days later following the announcement Grande revealed due the songs delay, she would be releasing the first single from her upcoming sophomore studio album instead. After recording multiple songs for the album, Grande stated that she had chosen the first single from her album. On April 15, 2014, it was officially announced that "Problem" would be the title of the lead single from the album. Grande then began an online countdown to the release of the song and later revealed that Australian rapper Iggy Azalea would accompany her on the track. All of the hashtags for the countdown to the song (#11DaysUntilProblem, #10DaysUntilProblem, etc.) trended on Twitter. Grande released the cover art for "Problem" on Twitter on Apri 17, 2014 which features her with knee high white boots leaning back on a chair. Grande released two teasers for the song; one features her singing the chorus and the other features Iggy rapping her part. 

Development

Grande had met Azalea at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards where they had presented an award together, and hung out at Katy Perry's after party in Amsterdam, where they expressed interest in working together. They had originally planned for Azalea to appear on Grande's debut album in September 2013 however never panned out. Once Grande began working on "Problem" she thought Azalea would be the perfect fit for the track to create "the perfect girl-power duo" for the song. Azalea agreed to appear on the song and went in with producer Max Martin to write her own verse before recording it for the song.[ Big Sean, who is featured in Grande's previous single titled "Right There", also appears on the song as a background vocalist in which he provides the whisper-like vocals of the chorus although he is not a featured artist. Initially while recording songs for the album, after Grande had recorded "Problem" she "fell out of love" with the song and didn't want it to appear on her second album. However, following an album listening session with her management and record label, when "Problem" came on Grande said "What the hell is wrong with me? Holy shit!", realizing her love for the song and decided to keep it for the album. Lyrically, the song is about "the feeling of being absolutely terrified to re-approach a relationship that's gone sour -- but you want to more than anything".

Release and promotion

Grande created online buzz in the weeks leading up to her single's release through social media. She first released promotional images from the single's photo shoot all throughout March 2014. On April 10, 2014, Grande asked her fans to choose between two new possible images to be used for the single's artwork release. On April 15, 2014 she officially announced that the lead single from her second studio album would be titled "Problem". After the votes were tallied, she revealed the winning cover artwork through her Instagram account the next day with the hashtag #10daystilproblem, and revealed that Iggy Azalea would be assisting her on the track. The winning image, was the more seductive image of the pair, which shows Grande leaning back in a foldout chair, dressed in a black camisole, white thigh-highs and metal-tipped stilettos. Grande is also shown flipping through her hair while looking directly into the camera. Following her debut performance of "Problem" at the Radio Disney Music Awards, the song was released at midnight to iTunes on April 28, 2014. The single was made available for pre-order on March 21, 2014. Three hours after its release "Problem" shot to number one on the iTunes singles charts in over 30 countries. The single made its world radio premiere On Air with Ryan Seacrest on April 28, 2014. A remix of the song was released on May 16, 2014 entitled the "Young California Remix" and features an additional rap verse from American rapper Problem.

Lyric Video

200px|thumb Grande filmed the lyric video for the song on April 10, 2014. Grande edited the video with Jones Crow, the video's director, and finished it on April 13, 2014. The video was released onto Ariana's Vevo channel on May 1. The video features Grande and Azalea performing in noir black-and-white clip behind pinwheel go-go filters.

Music Video

The official music video for "Problem" was filmed on the day after its release on April 29, 2014 with Nev Todorovic as the Director, who has previously worked with Grande on her videos for "Right There" & "Almost Is Never Enough". On May 8, 2014, Grande previewed photos from the songs video shoot, which features Grande riding a motorcycle while Azalea rocks big blonde hair. The theme carries on the black, white and retro theme from that of the lyric video which is set to feature a cameo appearance by Big Sean.

Composition

Musically, "Problem" is a pop and dance music song with influences of contemporary urban music.

Reception

Critical reception

Upon release, "Problem" received positive reviews from critics. Mike Wass of Idolator described the song as "an odd blend of '90s pop and current urban trends (the trap-lite breakdown and a sax hook a la Jason Derulo's "Talk Dirty") but there's no denying that it's catchy." Entertainment Weekly called the song a "dramatic reinvention," and also notes, "The idea that Grande was collaborating with bad girl du jour Iggy Azalea prompted all kinds of speculation, and the result is more or less what everybody expected: Grande's enviable pipes are still the centerpiece, but she also invites a sax-drunk loop, sexy whisper tracks, and Azalea's Jay Z-referencing high-speed verse to the party as well." Music Times commented that "the saxophone-filled track continues the pattern set by Grande's 2013 debut album Yours Truly by being heavily influenced by the '90s R&B scene. This time, 'Problem' pulls from the funky, funky streets with a jazz-influenced riff. An overwhelming (but welcome) dose of saxophone leads the song before the more modern drum-filled beat drops." Pitchfork named it "Best New Track" saying the track "bears all the hallmarks of a future smash, as if the future wasn't actually right now."

Chart performance

Upon its release, the song reached the number one position on the US iTunes Store song chart in 37 minutes, breaking the previous record held by Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" (2012), which reached number one within 50 minutes. "Problem" debuted atop the New Zealand Singles Chart in early May 2014. It debuted at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold 438,000 copies in its first week.

Live performances

Grande performed "Problem" at the 2014 Radio Disney Music Awards on April 28, 2014, and at the White Party. Grande also performed the song at the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Awards on May 1, 2014 and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. For her performance at the Billboard Music Awards on May 18, 2014, she was joined by Azalea on stage. She also performed it on May 20, 2014 on the finale of Dancing With The Stars.

Release History

Country	Date	Format	Label
Canada	April 28, 2014	Digital Download	Universal Music
United States	April 28, 2014	Digital Download	Republic Records
Australia	April 29, 2014	Digital Download	Universal Music
Belgium	April 29, 2014	Digital Download	Universal Music
Denmark	April 29, 2014	Digital Download	Universal Music
Finland	April 29, 2014	Digital Download	Universal Music
France	April 29, 2014	Digital Download	Universal Music
Germany	April 29, 2014	Digital Download	Universal Music
Italy	April 29, 2014	Digital Download	Universal Music
Netherlands	April 29, 2014	Digital Download	Universal Music
New Zealand	April 29, 2014	Digital Download	Universal Music
Norway	April 29, 2014	Digital Download	Universal Music
Sweden	April 29, 2014	Digital Download	Universal Music
United States	April 29, 2014	Contemporary Hit Radio/Rhythmic Contemporary Radio	Republic Records
United Kingdom	July 6, 2014	Digital Download	Republic Records

Lyrics

Iggy:
Uh huh
It's Iggy Iggs
I got one more problem with you girl

Ariana:
Hey baby even though I hate ya
I wanna love ya
I want you
And even though I can't forget ya
I really want to
I want you
Tell me, tell me baby
Why can't you leave me
'Cause even though I shouldn't want it
I gotta have it
I want you

Head in the clouds
Got no weight on my shoulders
I should be wiser
And realize that I've got

Big Sean:
One less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya

Ariana:
I got one less, one less problem

Big:
One less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya

Ariana:
I got one less, one less problem

I know you're never gonna wake up
I gotta give up
But it's you
I know I shouldn't never call back
Or let you come back
But it's you
Every time you touch me
And say you love me
I get a little bit breathless
I shouldn't want it
But it's you

Head in the clouds
Got no weight on my shoulders
I should be wiser
And realize that I've got

Big Sean:
One less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya

Ariana:
I got one less, one less problem

Big Sean:
One less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya

Ariana:
I got one less, one less problem

Iggy:
It's Iggy Iggs
What you got

Smart money bettin' I'll be better off without you
In no time I'll be forgettin' all about you
You sayin' that you know
But I really really doubt you
Understand my life is easy
When I ain't around you

Iggy Iggy
Too biggie to be here stressin'
I'm thinkin' I love the thought of you
More than I love your presence
And the best thing now
Is probably for you to exit
I let you go
Let you back
I finally learned my lesson

No half-steppin'
Either you want it or you just playin'
I'm listening to you knowin'
I can't believe what you're sayin'
There's a million you's baby boo
So don't be dumb
I got 99 problems
But you won't be one
Like what

Ariana:
One less, one less problem
One less, one less problem

Head in the clouds
Got no weight on my shoulders
I should be wiser
And realize that I've got

Big Sean:
One less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya

Ariana Grande:
I got one less, one less problem

Big Sean:
One less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya

Ariana:
I got one less, one less problem

Big Sean:
One less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya

Ariana:
I got one less, one less problem

Videos

Ariana Grande - Problem (ft. Iggy Azalea)

Official audio

Ariana Grande - Problem (Lyric Video) ft. Iggy Azalea

Official lyric video

Ariana Grande - Problem (ft. Iggy Azalea) Teaser

Teaser #1

Ariana Grande Problem Preview 2

Teaser #2

Ariana Grande "Problem" - RDMAs 2014 Performance

Live at the Radio Disney Music Awards 2014

Ariana Grande Performs 'Problem'

Live at The Ellen Show

Gallery