Entertainment

Their Songs Give Us Clues About Their Relationship

by Kadeen Griffiths

It's been weeks since the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards and we're still no closer to figuring out if Ariana Grande and Big Sean are dating. I mean, I highly believe that they are because Grande has been playing pretty coy about the fact that they were caught holding hands backstage, but we don't know for sure. In fact, every time someone asks her straight-on, she dodges the question with ballerina-like grace. Are they dating or are they just really good friends? The world desperately needs to know! Without the words coming from Grande herself, we're forced to look to other sources for a glimpse into that relationship. For example, we're forced to examine their songs.

To date, Grande and Big Sean have collaborated on two songs together, one on her first album and one on her second. Both of these songs were love songs. Now they're kind of, possibly, we-don't-actually-know-ly dating. Coincidence? I THINK NOT. Look, I'm not able to confirm at this point whether or not Grande and Big Sean are a "thing" or a thing, but if they're a thing then I'm sure their songs can give us some insight on their maybe-love.

"Right There"

First of all, let's talk about Big Sean's opening of the song. "Right There" is considered by Grande to be a semi-sequel to her song "The Way". In "The Way", she's singing about how a guy she likes makes her feel and how she'd love him forever if he'd let her. In "Right There", she's singing about how now that they are together, she'll stay by his side always. Big Sean raps, "For my number one girl who got the top spot title." In a recent Instagram post, Big Sean congratulated Grande on her album with the words, "Ari’s #1 in 80 countries!" Hint hint. Nudge nudge.

"Oh, come on!" you might be thinking. "That song came out before he ever made that Instagram post." To that I say, shhh. We're combing their songs for clues about their relationship and that parallel is a huge clue. Especially when you combine it with Grande's chorus, "You should know I'm never gonna change. I'm always gonna stay. When you call for me, I'm right there." I take that to mean that their relationship is conducted mainly of long, loving phone calls and cryptic Instagram messages, but you might take it to mean I'm insane. Fair enough.

"Best Mistake"

"Best Mistake" is a love song that isn't really a love song. It's about an on-off relationship that neither party can really let go of because it's the best mistake they've ever made. It's clear there's a lot of passion even if there's not a lot of harmony. "'Cause if the water dries up and the moon stops shining,stars fall and the world goes blind, boy, you know, I'll be saving my love for you," Grande sings in the chorus.

Big Sean and Grande's relationship, if it is a relationship, is still too new for them to really apply this song to it, but at least it lets us know that they're willing to hold on and make it work when it does get rough. And that's a good thing, considering how both of their last relationships ended. Big Sean and Naya Rivera called off the engagement and she has since remarried and Grande broke up with her boyfriend Jai Brooks when he didn't support her after her grandfather's death. They both deserve to be happy and, if nothing else, we can learn from their songs that they sound really, really good together. And that's what really matters.