Laying her cards out on the table? Fans think Ariana Grande may be doing just that with her new song “Ghostin” from her latest album, Thank U, Next.
The eighth track on the songstress’ fifth LP, which dropped on Friday, February 8, features lyrics that describe a relationship in which a woman can’t stop thinking about an ex: “Baby, you do it so well / You been so understanding, you been so good / And I’m puttin’ you through more than one ever should / And I’m hating myself ’cause you don’t want to / Admit that it hurts you,” Grande croons in the tune.
She continues on with the chorus and second verse: “I know that it breaks your heart when I cry again / Over him, mmh / … Though I wish he were here instead / Don’t want that living in your head / He just comes to visit me / When I’m dreaming every now and then (And then).”
Fans across Twitter believe those lines seem to hit a little too close to home for the Grammy nominee, who split from ex-boyfriend Mac Miller in May, only to take up with Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson later that month.
“YALL. Ariana’s ‘Ghostin’ is about how she felt bad that she was with Pete while she was still in love with Mac and how she knew Pete felt bad because he knew he would never be as good to her as Mac was,” one fan tweeted.
Others agreed, writing, “Me realizing ghostin is about her crying over Mac Miller n laying next to Pete while he watches her in pain over his death omg Ariana I’m DEPR,” and “Okay SORRY but is ghostin kinda about ariana saying sorry to Pete for realizing she still loves Mac after he passed and she doesn’t wanna tell Pete cause she ‘don’t want that living in [his] head’ and they have ‘so much to look forward to’ since they were engaged or am i reaching.”
The “Breathin” singer seemingly confirmed their theories on Twitter on Friday while responding to a fan who asked if she would be performing the song live. “If i can get thru it yea but right now it’s not on the set list,” she wrote. “I jus [sic] want to have a good time with y’all and like …. make it thru the show lol.”
Grande and Davidson, 25, got engaged in June, but called things off in October — one month after Miller died at the age of 26 of a mixed drug toxicity.
“Their relationship was really complicated with the passing of Mac Miller,” an insider told Us Weekly at the time. “It put a tremendous amount of strain on their relationship.”
A second source confirmed to Us in October that the Going Places star had done his best to be supportive. “Pete was 100 percent there for Ariana. She was not ready to be a in a relationship and she saw that.”
The Nickelodeon previously sang about both men, as well as exes Ricky Alvarez and Big Sean, in her single “Thank U, Next,” which was released in November.
