Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored

"Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American singer Ariana Grande from her fifth studio album, ''Thank U, Next'' (2019). The song was written by Grande, Savan Kotecha, Kandi Burruss, Kevin Briggs, and the producers Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh. It was released through Republic Records on February 8, 2019, as the third and final single from the album. The pop- R&B and trap-pop song consists of a bass guitar and interpolates the NSYNC song "It Makes Me Ill" in the bridge. The lyrics depict Grande convincing a man to break up with his girlfriend.

"Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" peaked at number one in eight countries and received platinum certifications in 11 countries. The song debuted and peaked at number two on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, allowing Grande to become the second artist after the Beatles to have songs on the top three positions of the Hot 100 and the first solo and female artist to accomplish this feat. An accompanying music video was directed by Hannah Lux Davis and depicts Grande in a love triangle with a couple including a doppelgänger of herself. A scene in the video was compared to ''Single White Female'' (1992), while some publications criticized it for queerbaiting. Grande included "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" on the setlist of the Sweetener World Tour and performed the song with NSYNC on the first show at the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Background and composition

Grande announced the inclusion of "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" on the ''Thank U, Next'' track listing on January 22, 2019. It replaced the initial song "Remember", as she believed that it was too personal to release and wanted a "fun" song instead. Grande additionally uploaded a snippet of the song on her social media accounts prior to its release. It was released as the third and final single from ''Thank U, Next'' on February 8, 2019, and was distributed to contemporary hit radio and rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States on February 12, 2019.

Musically, "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" is a pop- R&B and trap-pop song, which includes Grande's "semi-rapped, disenfranchised" vocals placed over a "booming" bass guitar, and is accompanied by a "subterranean click beat". "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" contains an interpolation of the NSYNC song "It Makes Me Ill" from their third studio album '' No Strings Attached'' (2000), which is heard in the bridge. Grande inherits the cadence and lyrics from "It Makes Me Ill", and changes the lyric in the original song: "You can say I'm crazy, if you want to / That's true, I'm crazy 'bout you" to the lyric in "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored": "You can call me crazy cuz I want you / And I never even never fuckin met you". '' Billboard'' staff writers believed that Grande altered the song to become "a hyper-sexualized, alluring and suspenseful paen", while Elias Leight of ''Rolling Stone'' noted that the lyrics contrast from the "tale of envy ..overflow ngwith jealousy" in "It Makes Me Ill" to the possibility of "escap ngdullness" in "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored". "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" was written by Grande, Max Martin, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Savan Kotecha, and the songwriters of "It Makes Me Ill", Kandi Burruss and Kevin Briggs. The lyrics depict Grande convincing a man to break up with his girlfriend.

Critical reception

''Rolling Stone'' writer Rob Sheffield praised "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" for being "the perfect way to end ''Thank U, Next'' and compared it to the Britney Spears song "Get Naked (I Got a Plan)". Ross Horton of ''The Line of Best Fit'' described the song as "positively filthy" and opined that Grande's vocals should contain an "advisory warning". Writing for ''The Independent'', Helen Brown stated that "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" is "sexy" with Grande "embracing her inner mean girl". ''The Irish Times'' writer Ed Powers opined that it is "a sultry exorcism" where Grande searched for "merciful oblivion in the arms of a forbidden lover". At the 2020 Hito Music Awards, "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" won the award for Best Western Song.

However, Wren Graves of ''Consequence of Sound'' believed that the placement of "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" on ''Thank U, Next'' as the final track gave the album "a sour aftertaste". Writing for ''HotNewHipHop'', Devin Ch described the song as a "humorous quip at worst", while ''Entertainment Weekly'' writer Maura Johnston claimed that "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" is "self-indulgent" and negatively compared it to Grande's song "7 Rings" through the character Veruca Salt.

Commercial performance

North America

In the United States, "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 behind Grande's "7 Rings", which was her 13th top 10 song on the chart. With "7 Rings", "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored", and "Thank U, Next" simultaneously occupying the top three positions on the Hot 100 chart dated February 23, 2019, Grande became the first artist to monopolize the entire top three positions on the chart since the Beatles did so in 1964, and the first solo and female artist to accomplish this feat. The song remained on the chart for a total of 20 weeks, and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on June 15, 2020, for sales of over 3,000,000 equivalent units in the United States.

The song debuted on the ''Billboard'' Streaming Songs and Digital Songs charts at number two, lodging 59.2 million first week streams, and 36,000 digital downloads sold within its first week respectively. Additionally, on the Dance Club Songs chart dated May 4, 2019, "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" became Grande's seventh overall number one song and her fourth number one song in 2019, which was assisted with remixes by Dirty Werk, Country Club Martini Crew and Eric Kupper. On the Mainstream Top 40 chart issued May 4, 2019, it peaked at number three and remained for 20 weeks. "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" ranked at number 21 on The 25 Most-Consumed Songs of 2019 chart compiled by BuzzAngle Music, having sold more than 2,258,795 units. The song debuted at its number two peak behind "7 Rings" on the Canadian Hot 100 chart dated February 23, 2019, and was certified quadruple platinum by Music Canada (MC) on April 16, 2021, for 320,000 track-equivalent sales in the country.

Europe and Oceania

In the United Kingdom, "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" debuted atop the UK Singles Chart issued February 15, 2019, with 85,000 combined sales and replaced "7 Rings", which charted at the number two position that week. Grande became the first female artist to replace herself at number one on the chart and the second female artist to occupy the top two spots on the chart since Madonna in August 1985. She also became the first female artist to achieve three chart-topping singles in under 100 days and the fourth overall artist after Elvis Presley, John Lennon, and Justin Bieber, and was the first female artist with three songs in the top 10 as a lead artist after Ruby Murray in March 1955. The following week, "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" declined to the number two position, as "7 Rings" regained its number one peak. Grande subsequently became the first artist in the chart's history to self-replace for two consecutive weeks. The song received a platinum certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on August 30, 2019, for sales of 600,000 track-equivalent units in the United Kingdom.

In the Republic of Ireland, the song peaked at the summit of the Irish Singles Chart and became Grande's fifth song to top the chart. The latter achievement allowed Grande to become the second female artist with the most number one songs in the 2010s decade, after Rihanna's six songs. Grande was the first person to replace themselves on the chart since Ed Sheeran in 2017, and was the second female artist since Britney Spears to reach four number ones on the chart in less than a year during the 2000s millennium.

In Australia, "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" debuted at the number two peak on the ARIA Singles Chart dated February 24, 2019, where it remained for 13 weeks. It was eventually certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for selling 70,000 equivalent units in the country. "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" topped the New Zealand Singles Chart issued February 18, 2019, and charted for 14 weeks. The song was later certified platinum by Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ) for selling 30,000 units in the country.

Music video

Background

An accompanying music video for the song was released at midnight on February 8, 2019, which coincided with the release of the album. It was directed by American music video director Hannah Lux Davis and filmed inside a mansion in the Hollywood Hills. The music video is Davis' third consecutively-directed video from ''Thank U, Next'', after the album's title song and "7 Rings". Davis stated that the video's concept was based around a love triangle between Grande and a couple including a doppelgänger of the former, which Davis described as an "element of narcissism". It features actor Charles Melton and model Ariel Yasmine.

Synopsis

The video begins with Grande arriving in a nightclub while sporting a platinum wig. She notices Melton and his girlfriend Yasmine, the latter resembles Grande with her "sky-high ponytail". Although Melton is holding Yasmine, he is fixated by Grande's appearance. Grande is next seen at a house party without the platinum wig, as she attempts to gain Melton's affection. Throughout several scenes, Grande and Yasmine intimately dance together and caress the other person's hair, while the former portrays a "third wheel" as she follows the couple while rolling her eyes. Towards the end of the video, Grande advances towards the couple as they are lounging poolside. She approaches Melton, but swiftly pushes him away before turning towards Yasmine as they both lean in to kiss.

Reception

''Billboard'' staff considered the music video to be "sexy and stylish", while Tallie Spencer of '' Spin'' opined that it "complements the song's sassy tone". Writing for MTV News, Madeline Roth considered it to be "trippy" and compared the scene where Grande changes her appearance to the film ''Single White Female'' (1992), while ''Elle'' writer Alyssa Bailey noted that the music video is portrayed as "a good CW drama". However, some publications accused the video's climax for queerbaiting.

Live performances and cover version

Grande debuted the live performance of "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" on the Sweetener World Tour on March 19, 2019, where it was the fourth song included on the setlist in Albany, New York. She performed the song at both shows of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2019. During the first show on April 14, 2019, Grande paused midway through the song to introduce NSYNC members JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, and Lance Bass on stage to sing "It Makes Me Ill" with "intense choreography". They then followed up their performance with NSYNC's 1997 song "Tearin' Up My Heart", with Grande performing the dance moves while the video screens resembled a VHS tape with numbers and ripples. NSYNC's appearance during both performances elicited a loud crowd reaction.

American singer Lana Del Rey performed a cover version of "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" during her BBC Radio 1 ''Live Lounge'' appearance on September 9, 2019, which was approved by Grande on Twitter. Nick Reilly of ''NME'' stated that Del Rey's cover "is largely faithful to the original". It was nominated for Best Cover Song on the 2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards.

Track listing

* Limited edition cassette / 7-inch single
# "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" (Explicit) 3:10
# "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" (Edited) 3:10

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

Recording
* Recorded at MXM Studios (Los Angeles, California; Stockholm, Sweden) and Wolf Cousins Studios (Stockholm)
* Mixed at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
* Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York)

Personnel

* Ariana Grande vocals, songwriting, vocal producer
* Max Martin songwriting, producer, bass, drums, keyboards, programming
* Ilya Salmanzadeh songwriting, production, bass, drums, keyboards, programming
* Savan Kotecha songwriting
* Kandi Burruss songwriting
* Kevin Briggs songwriting
* Sam Holland engineer
* Jeremy Lertola assistant engineer
* Cory Bice assistant engineer
* Serban Ghenea mixing
* John Hanes mixing assistant
* Randy Merrill mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

See also

* List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top-ten singles in 2019
* List of ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs number ones of 2019
* List of top-ten singles in 2019 (Australia)
* List of number-one singles of 2019 (Ireland)
* List of number-one singles of the 2010s (New Zealand)
* List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 2010s

References

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2019 singles
2019 songs
Ariana Grande songs
Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
Music videos directed by Hannah Lux Davis
Number-one singles in Greece
Number-one singles in Iceland
Number-one singles in Israel
Number-one singles in Lebanon
Number-one singles in New Zealand
Song recordings produced by Ilya Salmanzadeh
Song recordings produced by Max Martin
Songs written by Ariana Grande
Songs written by Ilya Salmanzadeh
Songs written by Kandi Burruss
Songs written by Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs
Songs written by Max Martin
Songs written by Savan Kotecha
UK Singles Chart number-one singles
Music video controversies
Trap music songs