Fans and music critics yearning for insight into Ariana Grande’s relationship with boyfriend Ethan Slater had a lot to decode Friday with the release of “Eternal Sunshine,” her seventh studio album.
Many of the album’s song titles, including “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)” and “I Wish I Hated You,” hint at heartbreak and new love. One song, however, seemed to capture most of the attention: “The Boy is Mine,” a reimagining of Brandy and Monica’s 1998 hit of the same name, albeit with vastly different lyrics.
“I’m usually so unproblematic, so independent,” Grande sings on the track. “Tell me why, ’cause the boy is mine.”
Those specific lyrics, however, appeared to incense some listeners given the timeframe of Grande’s relationship with Slater, with whom she co-stars in the forthcoming film adaptation of the musical “Wicked.”
News of the romance broke just days after it was reported that Grande split from her husband, Dalton Gomez, in July of last year. At the time, Slater was still married to his wife, Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a 1-year-old son. Slater filed for divorce from Jay a week after news of his and Grande’s relationship came out.
Given that Grande has been accused of getting involved with partners who have appeared to be in committed relationships on more than one occasion, it didn’t take long for some on social media to call her out for her “unproblematic” declaration.
“Ariana’s album is cute and it’s a vibe but calling herself unproblematic is fucking hilarious,” one person wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Added another: “ariana….calling herself unproblematic…..ok sister….right.”
When asked about “The Boy is Mine,” Grande told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe this week: “It’s kind of like, OK, ‘I’ll play the bad girl, here’s your bad girl anthem.’”
To date, neither Grande nor Slater have commented directly on their relationship in interviews. The pair, however, have been photographed numerous times together in New York, where Slater is currently starring in a revival of the musical “Spamalot” on Broadway.
Lyrical scrutiny notwithstanding, “Eternal Sunshine” is already turning out to be one of Grande’s most acclaimed albums. Rolling Stone deemed the record an “instant classic” that features “some of the most honest and inventive music of her career,” while The New York Times called it “a soundtrack awash in lavish atmosphere and adventurous melodies.”