R.E.M. (song)

"R.E.M." (sometimes stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American singer Ariana Grande from her fourth studio album Sweetener, released in 2018. It was written by Grande and Pharrell Williams, production being handled by the latter. The song title inspired the name for Grande's makeup brand, R.E.M. Beauty.[1]

For songs by the rock band R.E.M., see R.E.M. discography.
"R.E.M."
Song by Ariana Grande
from the album Sweetener
ReleasedAugust 17, 2018
Studio
  • Midnight Blue (Miami)
  • Conway (Hollywood)
GenreR&B
Length4:06
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Pharrell Williams

Background and composition
"R.E.M." was written and produced by Pharrell Williams (pictured in 2016)

"R.E.M." is a R&B song containing a doo-wop beat.[2] It runs for a duration of four minutes and six seconds.[3] The song "Dream" was originally recorded as a demo by T-Pain on March 12, 2011, and ran for a duration of four minutes and 27 seconds.[4] It was then passed onto Beyoncé and recorded under the title "Wake Up" in 2013.[5][6] Grande kept the chorus, but changed the song's lyrics.[7] She previewed "R.E.M." prior to the release of Sweetener.[8][9][10]

The song's title refers to rapid eye movement sleep, and is about "a relationship that blurs between the dreamworld and reality". Grande has said "R.E.M." is about "dreaming someone into your life", and is one of her favorite tracks on Sweetener.[11] Grande's vocals span 2 octaves, from Eb3 to Eb5.[12]

Reception

"R.E.M." received mixed reception from music critics. In 2018, Complex's Mallorie List ranked "R.E.M." number two on her list of "The Best Ariana Grande Songs".[13] Christopher Rosa of Glamour called the song's lyrics "a tad generic".[14] Out's Dennis Hinzmann said the track "feels like a throwback and a fresh pick all at the same time".[15]

Live performances

Grande first premiered a 20-second snippet of the song on Elle magazine's Youtube channel, during their game "Song Association" on July 12, 2018.[16] Grande also performed a snippet of the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on August 16, 2018. The song was officially debuted live on August 20, 2018 at The Sweetener Sessions.

She also performed the song live on BBC Radio 1 in September 2018,[17] and on the one-hour special, Ariana Grande at the BBC, which was recorded on September 7, 2018, and aired on November 1.[18]

This song is also one of the songs from the set list of her Sweetener World Tour.[19]

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel adapted from the liner notes of Sweetener.[20]

Recording and management

  • Recorded at Midnight Blue Studios (Miami, Florida) and Conway Recording Studios (Hollywood, California)
  • Mixed at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center (Atlanta, Georgia)
  • Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)
  • Published by EMI Pop Music Publishing/More Water From Nazareth (GMR)

Personnel

  • Ariana Grande – lead vocals
  • Pharrell Williams – songwriting, production, additional vocals
  • Andrew Coleman – recording, digital editing and arrangement for I Am Other Entertainment
  • Mike Larson – recording, digital editing, arrangement and additional programming for I Am Other Entertainment
  • Guilhermo Lefeld – recording assistant
  • Jon Sher – recording assistant
  • Phil Tan – mixing
  • Bill Zimmerman – additional engineering
  • Randy Merrill – mastering

Charts
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[21] 52
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[22] 68
Hungary (Single Top 40)[23] 35
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[24] 100
Portugal (AFP)[25] 67
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[26] 16
UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[27] 89
UK Audio Streaming (OCC)[28] 45
US Billboard Hot 100[29] 72

Certifications
Certifications for "R.E.M."
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[30] Gold 35,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

References
  1. "Ariana Grande on Her New Makeup Line R.e.m. Beauty, From Her Favorite Product to Her Space-Age Inspirations". Vogue. 2021-11-08. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  2. "Ariana Grande: Sweetener Review". Pitchfork Media. 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
  3. "Sweetener by Ariana Grande on Apple Music – iTunes". Apple Music. 2018-08-17. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
  4. "T-Pain on TikTok".
  5. "Hear Beyonce's Version of Ariana Grande's New Song 'R.E.M.'". Us Weekly. 2018-08-17. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  6. "Ariana Grande's "REM" is a flip of a leaked Beyoncé song". The FADER. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  7. Editors, Vulture. "6 Best New Songs of the Week: Ariana Grande, Mitski, Soccer Mommy". Vulture. Retrieved 2018-11-12. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  8. "Ariana Grande Teases New Song 'r.e.m.', Covers Justin Bieber, Whitney Houston & More: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  9. "Exclusive: Ariana Grande Sings New 'Sweetener' Song in ELLE's Song Association". ELLE. 2018-07-12. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  10. "Ariana Grande Teases New Song 'R.E.M.' | Billboard News". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  11. Youngs, Ian; Rumble, Taylor-Dior (2018-08-17). "Ariana Grande's Sweetener: The stories behind the songs". BBC News. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  12. Ariana, Grande; Pharrell, Williams; Ariana, Grande (2019-01-14). "R.E.M." Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  13. "The Best Ariana Grande Songs". Complex. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  14. Rosa, Christopher. "All the Lyrics on Ariana Grande's New Album That Are (Probably) About Pete Davidson". Glamour. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  15. "Track-by-Track Review: Ariana Grande's 'Sweetener' Does Not Disappoint". 2018-08-17. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  16. Magazine, Elle. "Ariana Grande Premieres a New Song from Sweetener in a Game of Song Association". Youtube. Elle. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  17. "Ariana Grande Performs "R.E.M." and "Them Changes" on BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-11-19.
  18. "Ariana Grande performs Sweetener songs for BBC TV special: Watch". Consequence of Sound. 2018-11-02. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
  19. "Ariana Grande kicks off "Sweetener Tour": Setlist + Video". Consequence of Sound. 2019-03-19. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
  20. Sweetener (CD). Ariana Grande. Republic Records. B0028815-02.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. "ARIA Chart Watch #487". auspOp. 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  22. "Ariana Grande Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-11-16.
  23. lightmedia.hu. "Single (track) Top 40 lista – Hivatalos magyar slágerlisták". zene.slagerlistak.hu. Retrieved 2018-11-16.
  24. "Ariana Grande – R.E.M." 2014-08-24. Retrieved 2018-11-16.
  25. Hung, Steffen. "Portuguese Charts – Discography Ariana Grande". portuguesecharts.com. Retrieved 2018-11-16.
  26. "www.sverigetopplistan.se – Veckolista Heatseeker – Vecka 34, 24 augusti 2018". www.sverigetopplistan.se. Retrieved 2018-11-16.
  27. "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  28. "Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  29. "Ariana Grande Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-11-16.
  30. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
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