Released: 2024
“Intro (end of the world)” by Ariana Grande is a raw contemplation on love and its place in our lives when they seem to be falling apart. It digs into the insecurities and uncertainties that come with a relationship, posing a series of hypothetical questions to test the depths and perseverance of a lover’s bond.
Ari’s song kicks off with some tough self-interrogation. “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?” she wonders out loud. She’s looking for a certain kind of assurance that one finds in a solid relationship, where love is felt right down to the marrow – “Feel it in your bones”, as she puts it. But like anyone, she’s grappling with those pesky doubts, voicing her uncertainty with a simple “I don’t know”.
Next, she takes us into a reverie of a significant interaction, a memory that’s hooked her for “like five weeks”. She can’t help wondering whether the person who kindled this thought, perhaps a lover, is also caught up in this memory. She’s curious about his interpretations and feelings, yet at the same time dismisses any judgement with a defiant “I don’t care”.
The chorus, though, is where the song truly takes flight. Grande envisages an end-of-the-world scenario, asking if her love would still hold if everything fell apart. “If the sun refused to shine… If the moon went dark tonight… And if it all ended tomorrow “. These gripping lines serve to intensify the emotional stakes, seeking assurance in chaos.
Finally, we arrive at the song’s crux, “Would I be the one on your mind?” Here, Ariana flips the perspective, questioning not just the other’s commitment, but her own as well. It’s an honest confession that she might also struggle to hold onto the relationship if everything was crashing down around them.
Taken at face value, “Intro (end of the world)” is a quest for affirmation of love amidst uncertainty and chaos. But it’s also clear that Grande is challenging our understanding of love itself: As something that gives us grounding when the world turns upside down. Sun or no sun, moon or no moon, with the right person, love should withstand the test of time… or the apocalypse, for that matter.
