Pete Davidson

Album: Sweetener (2018)
Charted: 99
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Ariana Grande first met Pete Davidson in March 2016 when she hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live in which he was a cast member. She was immediately attracted to the comedian and even joked to her tour manager that she was going to marry him. However, the pair didn't start dating until May 2018, shortly after the singer had finished her previous relationship with Mac Miller. They quickly got engaged the following month and this short ballad is a very public declaration of love for her fiancé.
  • Grande wrote the ballad a week after the couple started dating and then sent it to Pete. It begins with the singer recalling how the relationship was actualized by her and how it was meant to be.

    Mmm, yeah, yuh
    I thought you into my life, woah
    Look in my mind, yeah
    No better place or a time
    Look how they align


    The second half of the song finds Grande repeating just how happy she is now she's found her soulmate.
  • A week or two before the release of Sweetener, Grande changed the track's title from "Pete" to "Pete Davidson." She explained her thought process on Twitter:

    "I like the way it looks. I love his name and I love him. Music lasts forever. It'll outlive any tattoo, any memory, any anything - even myself; so I want my love for him and how I feel to be a part of that."
  • The song was produced by Ariana Grande's friend Tommy "TBHits" Brown, who has worked with the songstress since her 2013 debut, Yours Truly. He told Billboard the track originated with Grande telling him that she wanted "to talk about this specific subject. This is what I'm feeling at the moment."

    TBHits started playing the chords and he, Grande and their regular collaborator Victoria Monét put the record together. He added: "She was just so happy, and I knew what the song was about. I knew the song was about him. I didn't know she would title the song that, but that's incredible."
  • Universe must have my back
    Fell from the sky into my lap
    And I know you know that you're my soulmate and all that


    In September 2018, Kim Kardashian captioned a photo of herself from behind getting into a luxury sports car: "Universe must have my back." The post proved serendipitous as three years later the reality star started dating Pete Davidson.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Andy McClusky of OMD

Andy McClusky of OMDSongwriter Interviews

Known in America for the hit "If You Leave," OMD is a huge influence on modern electronic music.

Waiting For The Break of Day: Three Classic Songs About All-Nighters

Waiting For The Break of Day: Three Classic Songs About All-NightersSong Writing

These Three famous songs actually describe how they were written - late into the evening.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.

Michael Sweet of Stryper

Michael Sweet of StryperSongwriter Interviews

Find out how God and glam metal go together from the Stryper frontman.