Fake Smile

Album: Thank U, Next (2019)
Charted: 26
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Ariana Grande wrote most of the songs for her Thank U, Next album in the aftermath of several traumatic events. In May 2018 she broke up with rapper Mac Miller, who a few months later died after a drug overdose. Then in October of that year she split from her fiancé Pete Davidson. She was also dealing with the heartbreak of the 2017 terrorist attack at her concert in Manchester, England. On "Fake Smile" Grande sings about life in the public eye, where she's expected to show up and pretend everything's okay because she's famous.

    I can't fake another smile
    I can't fake like I'm alright
    And I won't say I'm feeling fine
    After what I been through, I can't lie


    Grande doesn't want to paste on a fake smile just because she's a celebrity - she wants to fully embrace the emotions that her recent life has thrown at her.
  • The song starts of with a sample of Tennessee soul singer Wendy Rene's 1964 hit, "After Laughter (Comes Tears)" which continues to feature throughout the track. The Stax tune has formed the backbone of more than a dozen songs since Wu-Tang Clan borrowed it for their 1993 cut "Tearz." Alicia Keys, ("Where Do We Go From Here") and Metro Boomin ("Borrowed Love") are among the artists that have incorporated it.
  • Ariana Grande wrote the song with Justin Tranter, whose resumé includes hit tunes penned for the likes of Hailee Steinfeld ("Love Myself"), Justin Bieber ("Sorry") and Selena Gomez ("Good For You").

    The pair penned "Fake Smile" on the last night of a week-long session. "It was just one of those things when the song fell out," Tranter recalled to MTV News. "Ari's a legitimate co-writer on the song, and at one point she said, 'Stop playing, I'm getting in the booth right now. And boom! She sits down and recorded the vocals herself, which I've never seen a singer ever do."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple PilotsSongwriter Interviews

Stone Temple Pilots bass player Robert DeLeo names the songs that have most connected with fans and tells the stories behind tracks from their Tiny Music album.

Carl Sturken

Carl SturkenSongwriter Interviews

Hitmaker Carl Sturken on writing and producing for Rihanna, 'N Sync, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Donny Osmond, Shakira and Karyn White.

British Invasion

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

Carol Kaye

Carol KayeSongwriter Interviews

A top session musician, Carol played on hundreds of hits by The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra and many others.

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.

Kiss

KissFact or Fiction

Kiss is the subject of many outlandish rumors - some of which happen to be true. See if you can spot the fakes.