Grande began work on her seventh album last summer. When the SAG-AFTRA strike interrupted the filming schedule for “Wicked,” she returned to New York City and spent a week in the studio with producer Max Martin.
“When I was writing, it was with no intention for the world to hear it. I was just kind of like, ‘Let’s just go. Let’s see what comes out,'” Grande told Zach Sang.
“Intro (End of the World)” was the second song Grande wrote for the album, following the title track, so we can assume the opener is a candid snapshot of what Grande was going through at the time.
The lyrics introduce two love interests: Grande’s then-partner, who’s a source of uncertainty, and a different man, who’s a source of inspiration. Based on what the public knows, these are likely her ex-husband Dalton Gomez and her boyfriend Ethan Slater, respectively.
Grande ends the song by wondering who would stick by her side if “the sun refused to shine,” a sly reference to the album’s title.
“I knew ‘Ordinary Things’ was the end of the album,” Grande told Lowe. “But I wonder, how I can put that button on it and have it land emotionally the way that I feel it can? And how can I answer the question?”
Grande was referring to the question that she poses in the intro track, the album’s first set of lyrics: “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship? Aren’t you really supposed to know that shit?”
Grande found the answer in the middle of a 40-minute voice recording of her grandmother, Marjorie Grande, whom she calls “Nonna.”
“I always record my Nonna when I’m with her because you never know what she’s gonna say and she’s the most hilarious person in the world,” Grande explained. “I had this 30-minute voice note of her and her friend Shirley talking. And it was just right smack in the middle of it. And I said, ‘Oh my god, that’s the answer.'”
The audio clip includes Nonna talking about her late husband, Grande’s grandfather, and how she would feel when he used to come home: “It was like God almighty arrived,” she says.
She also advises her granddaughter to “get out” if she doesn’t feel comfortable kissing her partner goodnight.
Nonna’s advice is reflected in Grande’s lyrics; the song is an ode to a partner who makes everything exciting and beautiful, no matter how “ordinary” the activity is.
“You hit like my biggest fan when I hear what the critiques say” is likely a callback to “Yes, And?” — while “I don’t need no diamonds, just your time” is 180 from Grande’s mindset in her smash hit “7 Rings,” a celebration of material wealth in the wake of heartbreak (“Lashes and diamonds, ATM machines / Buy myself all of my favorite things”).
Grande and Nonna are both credited as lyricists, while Grande is also credited as a coproducer alongside Martin, Luka Kloser, and Nick Lee.
In an interview with Business Insider, Lee said the song “immediately felt special.”
“Having her grandma on the song obviously added layers of meaning,” he said. “We heard from Max Martin that she really felt a certain way about this one.”
