Boyfriend

When Ariana Grande and Social House dropped Boyfriend on August 2, 2019, it felt like a left turn for Grande and a breakthrough for the Pittsburgh duo. Social House, made up of Michael Foster and Charles Anderson, had already toured with Grande and co-written two tracks on thank u, next (bloodline and fake smile), so the chemistry was built in. The song served as the second single from their debut EP Everything Changed... and gave Grande a chance to slide into a groove that was more 90s R&B pastiche than her usual pop-maximalist mode.

Written by Grande, Foster, Anderson, Tyler Johnson, and David Pramik, the track rides a mid-tempo, bass-forward beat with a chorus that flips the word "boyfriend" into a question of commitment. Critics picked up on the push-and-pull in the lyrics, and the vocal blend between Grande and the Social House guys is loose and conversational rather than showy. It peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 but hung around pop radio for months, reaching the top 10 on Pop Airplay and Adult Contemporary.

The Dave Meyers-directed video, out August 14, 2019, leans into retro styling with warm lighting and vintage fits, matching the song's nostalgic tilt. On TikTok, the chorus became a lip-sync staple, and the track has logged over 150 million YouTube views. At the 62nd Grammys in 2020, it was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, though it lost to Rain on Me by Lady Gaga and Grande. For fans, Boyfriend sits in that sweet spot between eras, a bridge from thank u, next to Positions that still sounds effortless. [edit]