Imagine

Album: Thank U, Next (2018)
Charted: 8 21
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This dreamy ballad finds Ariana Grande fantasizing about a romance where she can pursue their relationship out of the public eye.

    Staying up all night, order me pad thai
    Then we gon' sleep 'til noon
    Me with no makeup, you in the bathtub
    Bubbles and bubbly, ooh
    This is a pleasure, feel like we never act this regular


    Grande said the intimate song is about a "simple and beautiful" love that is "now and forever" unreachable.
  • Grande released "Imagine" just over a month after she dropped her upbeat breakup anthem "Thank U, Next." She explained to fans on Twitter that she wanted to balance out the self-assured energy of "Thank U, Next" and "7 Rings" with the more vulnerable emotions of this song. Both of those themes "are equally prevalent," she went on to say, both on the album and in her life.

    Grande added on Instagram: "I would say if 'Thank U Next' equals acceptance. ''Imagine' equals denial."
  • Grande wrote the song with:

    American songwriter Priscella Renea, whose other credits include Chris Brown's "Don't Wake Me Up," Pitbull's "Timber" and Fifth Harmony's "Worth It."

    Jameel "JProof" Roberts, who also contributed to the writing of Usher's 2014 hit "Good Kisser."
  • The song was produced by:

    Andrew "Pop" Wansel, who together with his frequent songwriting partner, Warren "Oak" Felder, has produced several of Nicki Minaj's singles including "Your Love" and "Right By My Side." His other credits range from Tory Lanez's "Say It" to Demi Lovato's "Sorry Not Sorry."

    Nathan "Happy" Perez , who has written and produced songs for the likes of Miguel ("Sky Walker"), Mariah Carey ("#Beautiful") and Camila Cabello ("Crying in the Club").

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

John Lee Hooker

John Lee HookerSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for Bruce Pollock's 1984 conversation with the esteemed bluesman. Hooker talks about transforming a Tony Bennett classic and why you don't have to be sad and lonely to write the blues.

Angelo Moore of Fishbone

Angelo Moore of FishboneSongwriter Interviews

Fishbone has always enjoyed much more acclaim than popularity - Angelo might know why.

Millie Jackson

Millie JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Outrageously gifted and just plain outrageous, Millie is an R&B and Rap innovator.

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Lita Ford

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.