Eons ago, in the world of pop music, a collaboration between two musical giants, seemed to be much more commonplace on the charts; not only did collaborative pop tunes set the bar high for those catchy radio-friendly pop bops, but these singles were also an entire experience!
Two decades after Brandy and Monica teamed up for the legendary The Boy Is Mine, two pop divas known for their respective smash hit singles which have gone on to define the sound of pop and R'n'B for both the late '00s and 2010s, ushering the concept of the complete experience of a chart-topping pop collaboration back into the collective conscience!
Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande gifted the world with all of this and more, during a year where music has continuously provided both entertainment and solace for listeners, creating a haven and providing a sense of normalcy. This masterful piece of pop candy isn't only a throwback tinged tribute to the collaborate singles of yesteryear, it is a testament to the power of pop music, and a collective sense of unity.
An Inside Look Into 'Rain On Me'
The extremely upbeat and positive romp through Grande and Gaga's friendship is filled with so much glitter and cosmic imagery, but the single's origins took a second before they could evolve into the modern-day pop masterpiece we know and love today. Both Lady Gaga and Ariana are big stars in their own right, so it might be easy to conclude that they were both feeling immune to being starstruck on set, but, believe it or not, it isn't so; the so-called notion of being intimidated by the idea of 'celebrity' doesn't always escape for celebrities, themselves.
At the beginning stages of the project, Gaga felt intimidated by the idea of working with Grande, after the thank u, next singer expressed interest in being pals with Gaga; According to Glamour, Gaga revealed her hesitation had nothing to do with Grande, herself, but was actually a fragment of her own self-esteem. Gaga revealed, "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."
The Beginning Of A Beautiful Friendship
Gaga's feelings of intimidation surrounding starting a friendship with Grande were thankfully only fleeting! The pop powerhouses quickly began working on the song which would eventually become a pop bop of the summer. In the Winter of 2020, the duo began working on the music video which would propel the song's Nineties club-friendly vibe into a spectacle.
Grande and Gaga's choreography is only one of the elements which make the spectacular spectacle of a music video stand out, and it's not a surprise coming from these two seasoned video veterans; The twosome spent hours creating the choreography, paving the way for the final, fabulous footwork included in the video, but mastering dance steps didn't come without a tiny snag in the plan! Grande accidentally ended up with a slight cosmic-related injury, courtesy of her dance partner.
Gaga's lovely long fingernail was to blame for the small alteration to her friend's face, but thankfully Grande took the accident in stride and all smiles! She even made light of the situation, which her pal documented on social media. According to People, Gaga paid tribute to the silly and scratchy situation by posting a tribute to her Instagram feed, revealing she and Grande were in the thick of movement through the video shoot when Gaga revealed she had "Shanked [Grande] with my nail by accident, dancing." The 'injured' party laughed off the snafu, joking "It's an honor. I hope it scars."
The imprint Gaga hoped the single would make on the world, is way beyond a cosmic injury and holds quite a deeper meaning. The positive party-friendly feel Rain On Me sustains is a message of empowerment, a tribute to the accomplishments and capabilities of women, everywhere. Of the song and videos' important and sacred message, Gaga told Harper's Bazaar, "What I really want to do in this video so much is celebrate women, and I wanna show people how to do it."
'Rain On Me' Reigns Over The VMAs
"Show people how to do it," was what Gaga certainly did!
Rain On Me won big at the recent MTV Video Music Awards, where the duo also performed. Between their showstopping performance and 90's inspired purple polyester costumes, Gaga continuously made her way down the aisle and back to the podium for back-to-back award wins!
Themes of triumph and persistence were common in her acceptance speeches, alluding to the fact her forever friend Ari, was also well-familiar with the concept of rising from the ashes and starting anew after a difficult period of sadness. Gaga described Ari as her "Soul sister" in the acceptance speech for Rain On Me, which she accepted solo, and let their fans in on an interesting tidbit; both Gaga and Grande had, in Gaga's mind, "Turned their tears, which felt like endless rainfall, into diamonds."
Turning trauma into tragedy, both personally for Grande and Gaga, and also stemming from a collectively shared feeling pertaining to the current cultural climate, was cultivated in the form of a catchy, and an easily consumable gem of a pop song, perfectly crafted for radio. Rain On Me will likely serve as a positive piece of history in future time capsules dedicated to the historical year 2020, further proving the amount of power popular culture will forever possess.