The emotional landscape of pop music often intersects with personal turmoil, and few moments captured this collision as publicly as the relationship between Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson. During the brief but intense period of their engagement in 2018, the singer channeled the whirlwind of grief, confusion, and eventual liberation into her music. While she never wrote a song explicitly titled "Pete Davidson," the shadow of their relationship permeates several tracks on her 2018 album, "Sweetener," and her subsequent work, serving as a cathartic diary set to melody.
The Context: A Relationship in the Spotlight
To understand the music, one must first acknowledge the frenzy. Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson, a comedian known for "Saturday Night Live," moved from casual dating to a highly publicized engagement in a matter of months in 2018. The relationship was dissected by media and fans alike, occurring just two years after the tragic death of Grande's ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller. This high-pressure environment, coupled with her own struggles with anxiety and PTSD, created a pressure cooker that inevitably influenced her art. The songs that followed are less about Pete Davidson the person and and more about the specific emotions their union and dissolution evoked.
Sweetener: The Sound of Healing
"raindrops (an angel cried)"
Opening the "Sweetener" album, "raindrops (an angel cried)" sets a tone of mystical reflection. While not directly about Pete, its placement as the first track suggests a worldview shift. The song speaks to finding light after darkness, a thematic parallel to how Grande viewed her relationship as a chaotic but transformative experience. The production, featuring a gospel choir and shimmering synths, feels like a spiritual cleansing, hinting at the singer’s attempt to process chaos through faith and music.
"breathin"
"breathin" is arguably the most direct sonic response to the anxiety of the Davidson engagement. Released as a single, the track captures the feeling of being overwhelmed by the pace of modern life and intense media scrutiny. Lines like "I'm hysterical, not because I'm laughing, I'm hysterical, not because I'm crying" perfectly encapsulate the emotional whiplash she described. The driving beat functions as a survival mechanism, a reminder to keep moving forward despite the noise, making it an anthem for anyone feeling trapped by their circumstances.
Thank U, Next: The Narrative of the Relationship
While "Sweetener" explored the emotional processing, 2019's "Thank U, Next" album is where the Pete Davidson chapter became the central narrative. The title track became a global phenomenon, but it was the album’s deeper cuts that offered the most poignant reflection on that specific relationship.
thank u, next
The album's lead single is a masterclass in turning personal scandal into pop gold. While the lyrics name-check her past relationships—Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, and Pete Davidson—the song is less about them and more about self-growth. Grande asserts that she is better alone than in a bad relationship, transforming the potentially messy subject of moving on from a fiancé into a bold declaration of independence.
7 rings
"7 rings" is a complex song often misunderstood as a simple flex of wealth. Sonically, it samples the "My Favorite Things" waltz, but lyrically, it delves into the freedom found after a restrictive relationship. Critics noted that the "buy myself the freedom" line was a direct reference to the costly prenup she secured. The song suggests that the material liberation she experienced post-engagement was just as important as the emotional one, framing the breakup as a necessary step toward self-sufficiency.
