Break Your Heart Right Back by Ariana Grande (featuring Childish Gambino)

Album: My Everything (2014)

License This Song

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

This snap-along heartbreaker is about a guy who cheats on a girl with another boy. Grande told UK newspaper The Metro that the song brought back memories of her own suspicions about a boyfriend. "It's really funny because I believe it has happened to me. I'm not 100 percent positive, but I'm 99.9 positive," she said. "I would rather he cheats on me with a guy rather than with a girl any day. If I found out my boyfriend was gay, I'd be like 'OK,' I'd be so relieved."
The song borrows elements from both "Mo Money Mo Problems" by The Notorious B.I.G. and "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross.
That's Childish Gambino doing the rapping. Gambino combines hip hop with writing for the TV show 30 Rock, performing with his sketch group Derrick Comedy and acting on the NBC comedy Community under his real name of Donald Glover.
Gambino told Billboard magazine about the collaboration. "The song was sent to us and we immediately were like, 'This is a hit,'" he recalled. "She just sounds so good on it and it's a great song."

The rapper added that Grande was very encouraging during the recording process. "She came in when I was recording and was like, 'That's great. I love the tone of your voice,'" he said. "She knows her stuff about music and rap."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

More Songfacts:

Are You Gonna Go My WayLenny Kravitz

"Are You Gonna Go My Way" by Lenny Kravitz is from the perspective of Jesus Christ: "I am the chosen I'm the one."

Doctor My EyesJackson Browne

A problem with his eyes gave Jackson Browne the idea for "Doctor My Eyes," which became a song about a man whose mental health suffers when he sees the world for what it really is.

David Bowie's "Space Oddity" tells the story of an astronaut who cuts off communication and floats into space. The BBC used it extensively in their coverage of the 1969 moon landing - an odd choice considering the lyrics.

Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)The Stranglers

"Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)" by The Stranglers was written about the then Premier of Queensland, Joh Bjelke-Petersen. His political shenanigans were observed by the band during their first tour of Australia.

Wrecking BallMiley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus didn't write "Wrecking Ball" but could very much relate to it. She was having problems in her relationship with Liam Hemsworth, so the theme of giving your love only to have it wrecked really resonated with her.

...Baby One More TimeBritney Spears

Britney Spears was just 16 when her first single, "Baby One More Time," was released. She quickly became a top search term on something called The Internet.