Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande released their big duet tonight at midnight. “Rain on Me.” is an empowering pop song about persevering through hardship, healing, and finding beauty in the pain, heartbreak, and life.
Gaga spoke about collaborating with Grande and the many layers behind the lyrics of “Rain on Me” in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music.
“She was so wonderful,” Gaga gushed. “I remember I said to her, ‘Okay, now, everything that you care about while you sing, I want you to forget it and just sing. And by the way, while you’re doing that, I’m going to dance in front of you,’ because we had this huge big window… And she was like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God, I can’t, I can’t. I don’t know. Oh my God. Okay, okay.’ And then I did it and she sang, and she started to do things with her voice that [were] different. It was the joy of two artists going, ‘I see you…’ Humans do this. We create things that make us feel comfortable. We put them all around. I do it all the time. We all do things to make ourselves feel safe. And I always challenge artists when I work with them. I go, ‘Make it unsafe, make it super fucking unsafe and then do it again.’ And it was just awesome to watch her.”
Gaga also discussed the music video, which has not yet been released. “She was so open to trying things that she hasn’t done before. She was, ‘I’m going to just trust you.’ And it was this beautiful, I think, very healing process for me… [I did] not necessarily [have] a female artist that mentored me as I came up. And being able to be with her and hold her and be like, ‘Anything that you feel chains you, any pop cultural construct that you feel you have to live up to, I’d like you to please forget about it and be yourself.’ That woman has been through some really tough, really hard life-testing stuff, undoubtedly. And her ability to move on. When she came into the studio, I was still crying, and she was not. And she was like, ‘You’re going to be okay. Call me, here’s my number.’ And she was so persistent. She would try over and over again to be friends with me. And I was too ashamed to hang out with her, because I didn’t want to project all of this negativity onto something that was healing and so beautiful.
“And eventually she called me on my shit,” Gaga continued. “She was, ‘You’re hiding.’ And I was, ‘I am hiding. I’m totally hiding.’ And then this friendship blossomed and this song ‘Rain On Me,’ the lyrics that I wrote right here in this studio, ‘I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive. Rain on me.’ This is about an analog of tears being the rain. And you know what it’s also a metaphor for, is the amount of drinking that I was doing to numb myself. I’d rather be dry. I’d rather not be drinking, but I haven’t died yet. I’m still alive. Rain on me. Okay, I’m going to keep on drinking. This song has many layers.”
When the song came out, Grande reflected on her experience with Gaga. “one time ….. i met a woman who knew pain the same way i did… who cried as much as i did, drank as much wine as i did, ate as much pasta as i did and who’s heart was bigger than her whole body. she immediately felt like a sister to me,” Grande tweeted. “She then held my hand and invited me into the beautiful world of chromatica and together, we got to express how beautiful and healing it feels to mothafuckinnnn cry ! i hope this makes u all feel as uplifted as it does for us both. i love u @ladygaga, u stunning superwoman !”
The music video will come out Friday at 1 PM.
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Here, the lyrics to “Rain on Me,” via Genius, and the song below:
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Verse 1: Lady Gaga
I didn’t ask for a free ride
I only asked you to show me a real good time
I never asked for the rainfall
At least I showed up, you showed me nothing at allPre-Chorus: Lady Gaga
It’s coming down on me
Water like misery
It’s coming down on me
I’m ready, rain on meChorus: Lady Gaga
I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on mePost-Chorus: Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande
Rain on me
Ooh yeah, babe
Rain on meVerse 2: Ariana Grande
Livin’ in a world where no one’s innocent
Oh, but at least we try, mmm
Gotta live my truth, not keep it bottled in
So I don’t lose my mind, baby, yeahPre-Chorus: Ariana Grande & Lady Gaga
I can feel it on my skin (It’s comin’ down on me)
Teardrops on my face (Water like misery)
Let it wash away my sins (It’s coming down on me)
Let it wash away, yeahChorus: Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande
I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain (Rain) on mePost-Chorus: Ariana Grande & Lady Gaga
Rain on me
Rain on me
Oh yeah, yeah
Rain on me, ooh yeah
Rain on me
Rain on me, oohBridge: Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande
Hands up to the sky
I’ll be your galaxy
I’m about to fly
Rain on me, soon I’ll be
Hands up to the sky
I’ll be your galaxy
I’m about to fly
Rain on me (Rain on me)
Chorus: Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande
I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive (Rain on me)
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain (Rain on me)
I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive (At least I’m alive)
Rain on me, rain, rain (Rain on me, babe)
Rain on me (Rain on me)Outro: Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande
I hear the thunder comin’ down
Won’t you rain on me?
Eh, eh, yeah (Rain on, woo)
I hear the thunder comin’ down
Won’t you rain on me? (Me)
Eh, eh, yeah
Rain on me
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