Ariana Grande's "Boyfriend" Is for Anyone Who's Ever Feared Commitment (2024)

• Ariana Grande just released "Boyfriend," her latest song in collaboration with the musical duo Social House.
• The track is already well on its way to becoming one of the biggest songs of the summer, and the vengeance-fueled music video is trending on YouTube. But what is "Boyfriend" actually about? We've decoded the lyrics for you.

Ariana Grande goes nonstop: Two albums in less than a year, a sold-out world tour, two non-album related singles. And now, she's just released yet another single that's well on it's way to becoming a smash hit. The lyrics of "Boyfriend" will hit home for anyone who's ever wanted to be coupled-up, but also enjoyed the freedom of not being in a relationship. It's the theme song for those who fear commitment—despite wanting to be someone's girlfriend.

"Boyfriend" is Grande's collaboration with Social House, the musical duo out of Pittsburgh that recently opened for her on her Sweetener tour. Grande has also collaborated with them for several tracks; Social House produced Sweetener's song “goodnight n go” as well as both “thank u, next” and “7 rings” from the album of the same name, and Grande gave the duo background vocals for their single, “Haunt You.”

But the chorus begs the question: What's this song really about? Is there a deeper meaning—like, does Ariana Grande have someone in her life she wishes were her boyfriend? We dove into the lyrics.

The first verse begins with Grande expressing the sentiment "I'm a motherf--kin' train wreck / I don't wanna be too much / But I don't wanna miss your touch," to someone she's been seeing. It's not too shocking, given that Grande's never been shy about expressing her—totally relatable—feelings of ambiguity in relationships. (See: her song "NASA," which is essentially an ode to wanting to be alone for an evening, also produced by Social House's Scootie Anderson).

Here, Grande is conflicted in the opening verse, stating: "And I might not be the one for you / But you ain't allowed to have no boo." So in other words, in Grande's world, unless she gets what she wants, no one else can, either. And the singer has been very open about the fact that she loves very hard and very intensely—and is not afraid to jump into something all-in straight away.

The lyrics in the chorus will feel familiar to anyone who fears commitment: "You ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend) / And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend) / But you don't want me to see nobody else / And I don't want you to see nobody / But you ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend) / And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend) / But you don't want me to touch nobody else / Baby, we ain't gotta tell nobody."

Translation? "Hey, I want to be in a relationship with you, but I don't want to be Facebook official, you know?" It's a roundabout way of Defining The Relationship without really Defining The Relationship.

The video features Grande and Social House's Mikey Foster and Charles "Scootie" Anderson. And when Grande sees Foster—who serves as her love interest in the video— flirting with other girls, she is out for revenge. He may not be her boyfriend (boyfriend), but she's definitely not gonna let him get away with any nonsense.

Foster comes in during the second verse, singing "Even though you ain't mine, I promise the way we fight / Make me honestly feel like we just in love / Cuz baby when push comes to shove / Damn baby I'm train wreck too / I lose my mind when it comes to you / I take time with the ones I choose / And I don't want to smile if it ain't from you, yeah."

I don't know about you guys, but that sounds a lot like being in a relationship...

The song's third verse features Foster singing about the fear of opening up and being vulnerable in a relationship, particularly due to some "issues." Aha. "I want to kiss you (yeah), don't wanna miss you (yeah) / But I can't be with you cause I got issues / Yeah on the surface, it seems like it's easy / Careful with words but still hard to read me / Stress high when the trust low / Bad vibes when the fun go / Try to open up and love more / Try to open up and love more," he sings.

Grande opened up on Twitter about the song, clarifying that despite speculation, no, the song isn't about anyone in particular:

And to anyone who thinks the song is similar in vein to another Ariana Grande hit "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored," she's doesn't exactly disagree, but argues that they're very different:

Personally, the best theory on the internet is that Grande did all of this simply to make a correction to her Google results:

If this song is already stuck in your head, don't worry—same. Here are the full lyrics to Ariana Grande and Social House's "Boyfriend," courtesy of Genius.com:

[Verse 1: Ariana Grande]

I'm a motherf--kin' train wreck

I don't wanna be too much

But I don't wanna miss your touch

And you don't seem to give a f--k

I don't wanna keep you waiting

But I do just what I have to do

And I might not be the one for you

But you ain't allowed to have no boo

[Pre-Chorus: Ariana Grande]

'Cause I know we be so complicated

But we be so smitten, it's crazy

I can't have what I want, but neither can you

[Chorus: Ariana Grande]

You ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend)

And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend)

But you don't want me to see nobody else

And I don't want you to see nobody

But you ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend)

And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend)

But you don't want me to touch nobody else

Baby, we ain't gotta tell nobody

[Verse 2: Mikey]

Even though you ain't mine, I promise the way we fight

Make me honestly feel like we just in love

'Cause, baby, when push comes to shove

Damn, baby, I'm a train wreck, too (Too)

I lose my mind when it comes to you

I take time with the ones I choose

And I don't want a smile if it ain't from you, yeah

[Pre-Chorus: Mikey]

I know we be so complicated

Lovin' you sometimes drive me crazy

'Cause I can't have what I want and neither can you

[Chorus: Ariana Grande]

You ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend)

And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend)

But you don't want me to see nobody else

And I don't want you to see nobody

But you ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend)

And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend)

But you don't want me to touch nobody else

Baby, we ain't gotta tell nobody

[Verse 3: Scootie & Ariana Grande]

I wanna kiss you (Yeah), don't wanna miss you (Yeah)

But I can't be with you 'cause I got issues

Yeah, on the surface, seem like it's easy

Careful with words, but it's still hard to read me

Stress high when the trust low (Mmm)

Bad vibes, where'd the fun go? (Oh)

Try to open up and love more (Love more)

Try to open up and love more

[Bridge: Scootie, Ariana Grande, & Both]

If you were my boyfriend

And you were my girlfriend

I prolly wouldn't see nobody else

But I can't guarantee that by myself

[Chorus: Ariana Grande]

You ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend, you ain't my boyfriend)

And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend, I ain't your girlfriend)

But you don't want me to see nobody else (Nobody)

And I don't want you to see nobody

But you ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend, you know you ain't my boyfriend)

And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend, yeah, mmm)

But you don't want me to touch nobody else (Nobody)

Baby, we ain't gotta tell nobody (Oh yeah)

You ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend)

And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend)

But you don't want me to see nobody else

And I don't want you to see nobody

But you ain't my boyfriend (Boyfriend)

And I ain't your girlfriend (Girlfriend, yeah)

But you don't want me to touch nobody else (Nobody)

Baby, we ain't gotta tell nobody

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