The award-winning album “Sweetener” by Ariana Grande is a collection of fifteen songs that explore the meanings of marriage, achievement, life, and emotional conflict. The seventh track by the American pop star is an incredible homage to her performance, and is shaped around the specifics of her dreams. When we get older, our fantasies can ideally transform into star-making projects, and each of us is no different when it comes to fantasising about success. Grande, on the other hand, is extremely proud of having attained stardom at such a young age. Let’s look at the context behind Ariana Grande’s song “Successful.”
Grande’s “successful” is something like a women’s “success anthem,” honouring any woman who has risen to great heights in life, regardless of age or borders. Sweetener’s three-minute-and-47-second track is more of a musical language that reflects a woman’s desires, hopes, and goals, as well as the joy she feels when her dreams come true with notable rewards and achievement.
Introduction
Despite the fact that ‘successful’ is for women in general, there isn’t much about Grande’s personal life. She focuses on the aspirations of ambitious people and the joy they experience as they achieve their goals. As fans, we can believe that this song is a nod to Grande’s efforts and popularity because she is a young star herself.
The iconic Republic Records released this track on August 17, 2018. It’s also worth noting that this is one of five tracks on which Pharrell Williams sings, the others being “blazed,” “R.E.M,” “sweetener,” and “get well soon.”
Successful Lyrics
Now we’re almost aware that Grande’s “successful” is all about the celebration of success among ambitious women. Let’s go through the lyrics before we get into the meaning of the song after that.
[Intro]
Yeah, yee, mmm, oh, eh
Yeah, ooh, ooh, yee!
[Verse 1]
I just got some real good news from work, boy (It’s a surprise, surprise)
You can’t imagine what I’m ’bout to say (It’s a surprise, surprise)
It’s so hard to hold back, baby (It’s a surprise, surprise)
I’m so excited, I can hardly wait (It’s a surprise, surprise)
Listen, bae
[Pre Chorus]
Tonight, I’m a baller, babe (Tonight, I’m a baller, baby)
Even way beneath in, yeah (Even way beneath me)
What else is there to say, boy? (What else is there to say, boy?)
Say, bae, you should play with me, babe
[Chorus]
Yeah, it feels so good to be so young
And have this fun and be successful
I’m so successful, yeah
And, girl, you too, you are so young
And beautiful and so successful, woah, yeah
I’m so successful
[Verse 2]
This ain’t nothing ordinary for me (It’s a surprise, surprise)
We ain’t goin’ to your favorite place (It’s a surprise, surprise, yeah, yeah)
You keep asking, What is so special? (It’s a surprise, surprise)
You really wanna know? You’ll have to wait (It’s a surprise, surprise)
[Pre Chorus]
Tonight, I’m a baller, babe (Tonight, I’m a baller, baby)
Even way beneath in, yeah (Even way beneath me)
What else is there to say, boy? (What else is there to say, boy?)
Say, bae, you should play with me, babe
[Chorus]
Yeah, it feels so good to be so young
And have this fun and be successful (I, I, I)
I’m so successful
And, girl, you too, you are so young
And beautiful and so successful, woah yeah
I’m so successful, yeah, yeah
[Bridge]
Let me put my hands over your eyes
(It’s a surprise, surprise, it’s a surpise, surprise)
Boy, are you ready for your surprise?
(It’s a surprise, surprise, it’s a surprise, surprise)
Mmm ah, oh, I’ma give it to ya (Mhm)
Mmm ah, oh, I’ma give it to ya (Oh, yeah)
Do you like it, babe? (Do you like it babe?)
Does it give you chills? (Does it give you chills?)
Does it make you feel cold? (Does it make you feel?)
[Pre Chorus]
Oh, oh, oh, woah
Tonight, I’m a baller, babe (Tonight, I’m a baller, baby)
Even way beneath in, yeah (Even way beneath me)
What else is there to say, boy? (What else is there to say, boy?)
Say, bae, you should play with me, babe
[Chorus]
Yeah, it feels so good to be so young
And have this fun and be successful
I’m so successful, yeah
And, girl, you too, you are so young
And beautiful and so successful, yeah
I’m so successful, yeah, yeah
Successful Lyrics Meaning
Now dig a little deeper into Ariana Grande’s “Successful” lyrics to get a better understanding of the context behind the words.
To be honest, Grande’s song “successful” is a brag, but it’s also a song written especially for women who celebrate their success. The chorus of this seventh track from ‘Sweetener’ is extremely sombre in comparison to the extraordinary vocal scores featured in other parts of the album. Grande’s voice is almost devoid of vocal ornamentation. Grande seems to do a role-reversal on the classic “man going home to his wife” trope in the first verse, explaining the super-exciting news she’s received from her job.
Grande has successfully recorded four studio albums in the span of five years, so it’s not surprising that she’ll be working later than her man. She goes on to say that the news she’s getting about crack is “unimaginable” and “surprisingly good.” Grande opens up about her situation, saying that she feels she can’t keep the news to herself for long because she’s so excited to tell her boyfriend.
[Verse 1]
I just got some real good news from work, boy (It's a surprise, surprise)
You can't imagine what I'm 'bout to say (It's a surprise, surprise)
It's so hard to hold back, baby (It's a surprise, surprise)
I'm so excited, I can hardly wait (It's a surprise, surprise)
Listen, bae
The pre-chorus, which features Grande’s powerful vocals, is about someone who has succeeded in life beyond their age and unbound obstacles. Grande is overjoyed to be able to share the positive news of her fruitful trip. She is unable to contain her joy and has an outburst of delicious feelings in which she expresses her gratitude for having accomplished so much in such a brief period of time.
[Chorus]
Yeah, it feels so good to be so young
And have this fun and be successful
I'm so successful, yeah
And, girl, you too, you are so young
And beautiful and so successful, woah, yeah
I'm so successful
Grande celebrates her accomplishments in this video, which date back to 2008, when she performed in the Broadway show 13. She landed the role of Cat Valentine in Nickelodeon’s Victorious in 2010, and she continued to star in a spinoff until 2014. Grande boasts of her accomplishments at such a young age, claiming that she has captivated her followers all over the world. She was 25 when she launched ‘Sweetener,’ and she was also the first artist in history to have four top ten songs in the same year. Grand thinks of herself as a young and attractive woman who has achieved success beyond her wildest dreams.
[Verse 2]
This ain't nothing ordinary for me (It's a surprise, surprise)
We ain't goin' to your favorite place (It's a surprise, surprise, yeah, yeah)
You keep asking, What is so special? (It's a surprise, surprise)
You really wanna know? You'll have to wait (It's a surprise, surprise)
Grande admits that her elation isn’t about some kind of celebration. She emphasises her fruitful journey in this section, which she wanted to share with her guy. She informs her husband that she will not take him to his favourite spot to reveal the fact. The singer is so aware of her man’s and interest that she even asks him to keep inquiring about what was so unique about her enthusiasm. She ends the verse by reminding him that if he really wanted to discover the reason behind her happiness, he should wait a little longer.
[Bridge]
Let me put my hands over your eyes
(It's a surprise, surprise, it's a surpise, surprise)
Boy, are you ready for your surprise?
(It's a surprise, surprise, it's a surprise, surprise)
Mmm ah, oh, I'ma give it to ya (Mhm)
Mmm ah, oh, I'ma give it to ya (Oh, yeah)
Do you like it, babe? (Do you like it babe?)
Does it give you chills? (Does it give you chills?)
Does it make you feel cold? (Does it make you feel?)
Grande demonstrates her ‘breaking the surprise’ in the traditional manner, by covering the person’s eyes with her hands. She inquires as to whether her man approves of the manner in which she intends to announce her surprise. She is ecstatic to learn how he feels when she was waiting to reveal the source of her satisfaction. Grande is proud of her accomplishments and dedicates this ode to any woman with boundless ambitions, especially those who have made it big in life.
Read the meaning behind the lyrics of the song ‘Sweetener’ by Ariana Grande on Genius in detail.
Conclusion
The song “successful” by Ariana Grande is a tribute to a young woman who has made it big in life thanks to her hard work and passion. Although this song can be easily applied to women, it aptly captures the joy experienced by women who have sacrificed their all to becoming who they are today.
Fun Facts About The Song
1. This track was teased in Ariana Grande’s No Tears Left To Cry music video.
2. The theme of this song is how it’s good to be young and successful. Ariana Grande wrote on Twitter about this, “girls feeling good ab their own individual success / celebrating each otha / flexin n shiiiit !”
About The Artist
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera is an American singer and actress. Born in Boca Raton, Florida, Grande began her career at age 15 in the 2008 Broadway musical 13. She rose to fame for her role as Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon television series Victorious (2010–2013) and Sam & Cat (2013–2014). She subsequently signed with Republic Records in 2011 after the label’s executives discovered YouTube videos of her covering songs. Her 1950s doo-wop-influenced pop and R&B debut album, Yours Truly (2013), topped the US Billboard 200 chart, while its lead single, “The Way”, charted in the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100. Upon release, critics compared Grande to Mariah Carey for her wide vocal range and whistle register.
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariana_Grande
