Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s new single ‘Rain On Me’ will hit a sweet spot for all disco lovers aficionados.

The women are already seen as complete pop goddesses in their own right but their collaboration on this track has paved the way for an absolutely crackling earworm. Pumped to the core with juicy disco-infused beats, the tune will transport you straight to the eighties. Yet the elite production work that’s been done here will retain a sense of contemporary pop and dance. The first verse is taken by Lady Gaga, who keeps it largely restrained, letting the background melodies do most of the work. An irresistibly funky bassline rears its head in the pre-chorus and Lady Gaga’s voice gets just thin enough to work her magic through the high notes. 

For a song that features women with bombastic voices, the chorus itself is instrumental in its entirety. However, the percussion mix, the syncopated rhythms, the uptempo electronic drums and synth make for a heightened, infectious experience that will leave you grooving from start to finish. There is just so much packed in that instrumental chorus; from Ariana’s signature hums to the sweet rhythm guitars, the song doesn’t run out of thrilling melodies at any point. Ariana Grande’s verse is somehow lighter and even sexier, as her frail, feather-light voice hints at something more vulnerable and expressive within the dance fest. The two women mix up their vocals again for the intoxicating pre-chorus and it’s honestly just disco-heaven at that point. 

The bridge of the composition is when the artists experiment with some of their unique vocal riffs. Ariana Grande keeps up with her sweet coos whereas Lady Gaga is heard going into a deep intonation mode. It’s always a blast when some of our favourite artists collaborate, and it’s even better when the feature actually lives up to the hype. 

When Lady Gaga talked about befriending Ariana Grande for the songwriting process, she said, “[Ariana] was so persistent. She would try over and over again to be friends with me. And 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.” 

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Author: Shaoni Das

Shaoni Das is a writer/editor currently based in Edmonton, Canada. She remains eager to inspect how the changing culture of music impacts upon the greater world.