It's always an exciting day when new music is released, particularly when it's the highly-anticipated third album by Ariana Grande, Dangerous Woman , which is already receiving rave reviews. Grande's last album, My Everything, came out nearly two years ago, and she has both exploded as celebrity and also grown as a person in that time, and her third effort is certainly reflective of that growth and change. Grande's closing song, "Thinking Bout You" raises a few questions, thanks to its not-so-subtle sensual lyrics, namely, who is the song actually about?
Grande's love life has been tabloid fodder for years now, which is unsurprising as her star has continued to rise, but the lyrics in "Thinking Bout You" (and no, this isn't a Frank Ocean cover... though Grande has covered his song, quite beautifully, I might add!) certainly made me wonder who exactly Grande is thinking 'bout. Could the song be a nod to her ex-boyfriend, rapper Big Sean, or current boyfriend, backup dancer Ricky Alvarez?
The song's lyrics reference Grande thinking about a love who isn't around, but it's not necessarily about an ex. She certainly leaves it up to interpretation as to who's inspiring her thoughts.
Here are some of the song's lyrics that may lead listeners to believe she is reminiscing on time with a past love:
Oh, I don't have you here with me / But at least I have the memory / I tried to make it through the night / But I can't control my mind
But, in my very scientific analysis of Grande's thoughts... I think this song is about a current romance, thanks to the song's opening verse:
I've been thinking 'bout you / Yeah, I been missing you / Where the hell are you, oh, when I need you? / I could still hear your voice / I ain't got no choice, cause I'm here all alone / I know I can't wait 'til you get home
It totally seems like Grande is just missing her boo (in this case, likely Alvarez) since their hectic schedules mean they're both frequently traveling the world as part of their awesome careers. Seriously, check out Alvarez's Instagram account — the guy travels so much, I'm second-hand tired for him. With their exciting lives and careers, it's likely the two don't get to see each other as much as they'd prefer, leaving our girl to, well, frequently think about him.
The song is definitely a great way to end her album, and it seems like Grande found plenty of inspiration in her own life for this song and all the others.
