Yes, We’ve Had ‘Ghostin’ on Repeat and Yes, We’re Still Sobbing Over All the Mac Miller References

Get your tissues ready because this is going to be a trip. Ariana Grande just released Thank U, Next and there’s one song, in particular, that has left the world in pieces: “ghostin.” The beautiful, emotional track seems to be about both of her exes Mac Miller and Pete Davidson.

Mac passed away from a drug overdose on September 7, 2018, and while the pop star, 25, was with the SNL comedian, 25, at the time, naturally, her ex’s death affected her deeply. Ariana and Pete didn’t call it quits until October 2018, so it’s safe to say that until then, he was doing what any good boyfriend should do — be there for her, and that’s what the song is about.

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“Baby, you do it so well/ You been so understanding, you been so good/ And I’m puttin’ you through more than one ever should/ And I’m hating myself ’cause you don’t want to/ Admit that it hurts you,” she sings before the chorus starts. “I know that it breaks your heart when I cry again/ Over him, mmh/ I know that it breaks your heart when I cry again/ ‘Stead of ghostin’ him.”

While there’s no way of knowing what happened behind closed doors, the “thank u, next” singer often posted about Mac’s passing, which must’ve been difficult for both Ariana and Pete, who were engaged at the time. She also confirmed the song is about “feeling badly for the person you’re with bc you love somebody else. feeling badly bc he can tell he can’t compare…. and how i should be ghosting him.”

There’s one line though, that seems to be a response to “Cinderella” — one of the late rapper’s songs he dedicated to Ariana in 2016. “He just comes to visit me/ When I’m dreaming every now and then,” Ari sings in the second verse. Meanwhile, Mac sang, “You in my dreams/ That’s why I sleep all the time/ Just to hear you say I love you, just to touch you/ Just to leave you behind.” She even tweeted the lyrics to his song back in November 2018, which is when she was working on the new album.

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This isn’t the first time Ari seems to play with Mac’s lyrics in one of her songs. A few months ago, when she released “imagine,” many believed it was about Mac, especially after she confirmed it’s about “pretending it never ended. denial.”

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Lastly, the beat of “ghostin” resembles Mac’s “2009,” a nostalgic song off his last album. Both tracks feature powerful instrumentals and sound angelic. We’re not crying, you’re crying.