Imagine (AG Song)

## **Imagine**Promotional single by Ariana Grande

### Songwriter(s)

Y/N, Andrew Wansel, Muni Long, Nathan Perez, Priscilla Renea, Jameel Roberts, Ariana Grande

## Music video

"**Imagine**" (stylized in all lowercase) is the opening track and first promotional single from Y/N's first studio album and Ariana Grande's fifth studio album, *Thank U, Next*.

The song is thought to be about Grande's ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, who died from an accidental drug overdose in September 2018. Many of the lines in the song also mirror Miller's 2016 song "Cinderella", which was confirmed to be about Grande.

Commercially, this is Grande's highest-charting promotional single. It reached the top 10 in eight countries, as well as the top 20 in six countries. "Imagine" also debuted at number 24 on the US *Billboard* Hot 100, becoming the highest peak for any of her promotional singles in the country.

## Background

The song is about an unattainable love that is “now and forever” unreachable. The track has been described to be the opposite of “thank u, next,” which has a central message of self-empowerment.

The track was first teased in the music video of Grande's single, "Breathin" from her fourth album *Sweetener*, and then teased for a second time in the "Thank U, Next" music video.

On her Instagram story on December 11, 2018, Grande said "while "Thank U, Next" is about acceptance, "Imagine" is about denial. On December 12, 2018, Y/N tweeted the song lyrics "imagine a world like that" and "baby direct, name in the credits, like the movies do".

On January 22, 2019, it was confirmed that "Imagine" would be the first track from the album *Thank U, Next*.

Demo (Pro-Tools): ( listen)

### Cover art

Grande revealed the song's official cover art on December 13, 2018, on her Instagram stories. It was designed by Grande's ex-boyfriend and friend Ricky Alvarez. It appears to be a zoomed in and highly edited photograph from the filming of Grande's "Thank U, Next" music video.

The text on the cover art reads "想像", a condensed version of the word "Imagine" in Japanese ("想像する"). There is also a Japanese version of the *Parental Advisory* sticker.

## Lyric video

An official lyric video was uploaded on Y/N's YouTube channel accompanying the song release, on December 24, 2018.

## Commercial performance

Following its release, the song debuted at number 1 on the worldwide iTunes Song chart. It also debuted at number 2 on the Spotify US chart with over 1.7 million streams and at number 5 at Spotify Global Chart with over 3.7 streams.

On the US *Billboard* Hot 100, "Imagine" debuted at number 24, becoming highest peak for any of Grande's promotional singles. The following week it dropped to 71, and on the fourth week it spent its last week on the *Billboard* Hot 100. The song re-entered on the week ending February 2, 2019, at number 99. Following *Thank U, Next'*s release, the song re-entered and peaked on the week ending February 23, 2019, at number 21.

The song debuted at number 8 in the UK official singles charts, this being her tenth song to reach the top 10 in the country, and debuted at number 4 in Ireland. The song reached number 10 in Belgium, Malaysia and Singapore.

## Live performances

* Y/N performed the song live for the first time at *The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon* on December 18, 2018, accompanied by The Roots.
* Grande performed "Imagine" in a medley at the 62nd Grammy Awards in 2020, amongst three of her other songs: "My Favorite Things", "7 Rings" and "Thank U, Next".

Ariana Grande- ImagineAriana Grande - imagine (Live At GRAMMY'S 2020)
## Trivia

* The song was recorded and worked on during several different studio sessions, along side "Confused", "Needy", "Not Ok", and "Indica".
* This is one of Nonna Grande's favorite tracks from *Thank U, Next*, along with "7 Rings" and "In My Head".
* The line 'Staying up all night, order me pad thai' is reminiscent of of a lyric from Mac Miller’s 2016 song “Cinderella”, a song which Ariana confirmed was about her in a May 2018 Twitter post, where he raps about cooking stir fry 'And when you hungry, I can chef you up some stir fry'
* The cover art is a black and white version of a frame from the *Thank U, Next* music video.
* The song features vocals from Nicki Minaj, however, she is not credited.[*better source needed*]
* This song was not performed on the Sweetener World Tour due to it being too personal.
* This song ends with whistle notes.

## Lyrics

**[Verse 1: Ariana Grande]**

Step up the two of us, nobody knows us

Get in the car like, "Skrrt"

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

**[Pre-Chorus: Ariana Grande]**

Click, click, click and post

Drip-drip-dripped in gold

Quick, quick, quick, let's go

Kiss me and take off your clothes

**[Chorus: Ariana Grande]**

Imagine a world like that

Imagine a world like that

We could light up 'til I'm 'sleep on your chest

Love how my face fits so good in your neck

Why can't you imagine a world like that?

Imagine a world

**[Verse 2: Ariana Grande]**

Knew you were perfect, after the first kiss

Took a deep breath like, "Ooh"

Feels like forever, baby, I never

Thought that it would be you

Tell me your secrets, all of the creep shit

That's how I know it's true

Baby, direct it, name in the credits

Like the movies, ooh

**[Pre-Chorus: Ariana Grande]**

Click, click, click and post

Drip-drip-dripped in gold

Quick, quick, quick, let's go

Kiss me and take off your clothes

**[Chorus: Ariana Grande]**

Imagine a world like that

Imagine a world like that

We could light up 'til I'm 'sleep on your chest

Love how my face fits so good in your neck

Why can't you imagine a world like that?

Imagine a world

**[Outro: Y/N]**

Can you imagine it?

Can you imagine it?

Can you imagine it?

Can you imagine it?

Can you imagine it? (Can you imagine?)

Can you imagine it? (Can you imagine?)

Can you imagine it? (Ooh)

Imagine that

Imagine it, imagine it

Imagine it, imagine it

Imagine, imagine

Imagine, imagine

Imagine, imagine

## Navigation

 Released