Songfacts®:

• In 2023, an unreleased Ariana Grande song titled "Fantasize" went viral on TikTok and other social media platforms. While the track's leak coincided with the news of her relationship with her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater (who was then married but later filed for divorce), Grande clarified that the song's content was unrelated to her personal life.
  
  Originally intended for a comedic skit revolving around a girl group, "Fantasize" explored themes of fantasizing about someone unavailable. As the leaked song garnered positive fan feedback, Grande was inspired to incorporate parts of "Fantasize" into "The Boy Is Mine," the eighth track on her Eternal Sunshine album.
  
  "I think it's naughty, it's the version of 'Fantasize' that they wanted to have," Grande told Zach Sang. "It's like a sexier, naughtier one, and I think it's more provocative than the rest, but it's not about what you think it was about."
• "The Boy Is Mine" draws inspiration from the 1990s R&B hit of the same name by Brandy and Monica, which is finds two women fighting over the affection of one man. "I'm such a '90s baby," Grande told Zach Sang. "I have so many '90s interpolation ideas, samples, in my brain but this one finally found a home."
• Grande embodies a confident persona in the lyrics, acknowledging the public's fascination with such portrayals. Tempo variations within the song reflect the complexities of a love triangle, offering a nuanced perspective on Grande's relationship with public perception.
  
  Speaking with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Grande acknowledged the song's provocative nature amid accusations of being a homewrecker, saying:
  
  "This is a very bad idea, I think, but there is a large group of my fans that really do love a bad girl anthem. And this is kind of an elevated version of that."
• Grande said "The Boy Is Mine" and its preceding track on the album, "True Story," are thematically linked. "I wanted it to come after 'True Story' on the tracklist because that song plainly says, 'I'll play the bad girl if you need me to,'" she explained.
• Grande co-wrote "The Boy Is Mine" with Max Martin, Shintaro Yasuda, and Davidior. The same four also wrote the Eternal Sunshine title track.
• Directed by Christian Breslauer (Lil Nas X's "Industry Baby," Lizzo's "About Damn Time"), the video stars Ariana as Catwoman, decked out in a sleek leather catsuit. Her opponent? A buffoonish mayor with a wild plan portrayed by You's Penn Badgley. When the Mayor's city is overrun by rats, his "solution" is to unleash a horde of feral cats upon them. Grande's Catwoman, however, isn't thrilled with this chaotic approach to pest control and she hatches a plan.
  
  Brandy and Monica cameo at the beginning of the clip playing TV news anchors.
• Ariana Grande released a remix of "The Boy Is Mine" on June 21, 2024, with sultry additional vocals from Brandy and Monica.