Meaning of “Breathin” by Ariana Grande
“Breathin” (written as “breathin”) is a song by American singer-songwriter Ariana Grande. The lyrics of this track center around the anxiety the singer (Grande) is suffering from and how a very special person in her life helps makes things better. Thanks to that person, she’s able to “keep on breathin’” despite the intense fears and worries brought on by her anxiety.
On June 25th, 2018, on Twitter, a fan of Grande’s asked her what the lyrics of this song were really about. She responded by saying the lyrics are about “anxiety”.
Grande suffered from severe anxiety attacks
During her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Grande said the lyrics of the song are autobiographical. According to her, the song is about her anxiety attacks that got so intense that she often experienced great difficulty getting a “full breath”. She referred to that feeling as the worst kind of feeling.
How the song was born
According to Grande, she had been in the recording studio with her colleagues when she suddenly brought up the issue of how her anxiety was preventing her from breathing. Her colleagues liked the subject and decided to write a song about it.
Facts about “Breathin”
- “Breathin” was written by Ariana Grande and four others, including Illya Salmanzadeh, Cesar Ovalle Jr., Savan Kotecha and Peter Svensson.
- The song’s co-writer Salmanzadeh produced it.
- This tune was released on August 17, 2018. It is the ninth track from the album Sweetener, which is the fourth studio album of Grande’s musical career.
- This is just one of the few songs on the album not produced by American singer/songwriter/producer Pharrell Williams.
- The song’s background vocals are sung by both Grande and Salmanzadeh. The latter produced and co-wrote the track.
Does “Breathin” sample any song?
No, it doesn’t.
What musical genre does “Breathin” fit into?
This tune fits very well into the pop musical genre.
Was this song released as a single?
No. The album Sweetener produced only two singles: “No Tears Left to Cry” and “God Is a Woman”.
Did Ariana Grande shoot a music video for this song?
Yes. There’s an official music video for “Breathin”. The video, which looks at Grande’s struggles with anxiety, was released on November 7, 2018. Barely 24 hours after it was released on YouTube, the clip garnered more than 6 million views.
