The "Love Me Harder" Video Speaks to All Women

I hope that you didn't have alternate plans for your Monday morning, because Ariana Grande has guaranteed that you will want to do very little else but sit indoors and stalk her Vevo channel. That's because Grande's "Love Me Harder" music video has finally made its online debut and it is exactly the kind of breath-taking skill in singing and storytelling that we've come to expect from the pop star when it comes to her videos. Although the "Love Me Harder" preview gave us a very small insight into the subject of the video, nothing could really prepare us for this. Because, to be honest, "Love Me Harder" lost any hope of subtlety about its subject matter with this video.

The director described the video as a "tug of war of loving harder" and that's definitely what you see here. It goes back and forth between Grande and the Weeknd as they both express their concerns with the love that they share, Grande asking him to give her more than she's getting and him asking her what will happen between them if he can't meet her expectations. At least, that's the interpretation that you could gain from the song. The music video, on the other hand, makes absolutely sure you don't miss the sexual undertones of the phrase love me harder. Grande runs her hand along her bare arms and bare legs, throws her head back, arches her back, and almost seems to moan as the song goes forward.

For added subtlety, there's also a cascade of water behind her that wets her hair. I won't even bother to explain the symbolism behind that, because it wasn't symbolic. It was pretty blatant. It's also worth noting that this was not a complaint. "Love Me Harder" was one of Grande's most serious music videos, featuring none of her usual gimmicks or any elaborate storyline. It was about a man and a woman and finding satisfaction in a relationship, whether that's through affection or through sex or both. This is the kind of video that empowers a woman in her sexuality, because it makes it clear that you should never be afraid to ask for what you want or leave when you don't get it — in and out of the bedroom.

Check out the video below.

Image: Vevo