"Rain On Me" is a song by Lady Gaga from her sixth studio album, Chromatica, released on May 22nd, 2020. The song features American singer Ariana Grande. The track was written by Gaga, Michael Tucker, Matthew Burns, Nija Charles, Rami Yacoub, Martin Bresso, Grande and Alexander Ridha and produced by BloodPop® and Burns with additional production by Tchami.
Background
"Rain On Me" was first mentioned in Lady Gaga's March 2020 interview with Paper, when then unknown to be with Ariana Grande, was described as a "monster of a dance tune, but its message is about submitting yourself to devastation ("It's coming down on me, water like misery") – a flawless dance floor crier as a "celebration of all the tears". Lady Gaga disclosed that she had collaborated with a "fellow female pop star who [had similarly experienced] immense trauma while in the public eye" and went into depth about the genesis of their song: "I sat with her and we talked about our lives. It's two women having a conversation about how to keep going and how to be grateful for what you do."
After release of Chromatica tracklisting (April 22nd, 2020) many of Gaga collaborators reposted it with description saying what track they contributed in. One of those was Nija Charles, who acknowledged that she co-written "Rain On Me".[1] Early demo version of the song (that doesn't feature Ariana's vocals) with different lyrics and instrumental leaked the same day the single was released.
In an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music's Beats 1, Lady Gaga talked about the meaning of the song.
| “ | This is about like an analog of tears being the rain. And you know what, it’s also a metaphor for is the amount of drinking that I was doing to numb myself. I'd rather be dry. I'd rather not be drinking, but I haven't died yet. I'm still alive. Rain on me. Okay, I'm going to keep on drinking. This song has many layers. | ” |
—Lady Gaga on Apple Music | ||
Also in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music's Beats 1, Lady Gaga talked about the writing process of the song with Ariana Grande.
| “ | Her [Ariana] and I connected right away and she was so wonderful. And I think maybe she assumed that it be that she came in and I was like, "Here, just sing this and thank you so much for your time," right? But instead I asked her what she needed, how she wanted to do things. When we were vocally producing her, I was sitting there, not this console [Gaga points to the console that was behind her during the interview]. We were at Jim Henson when we finished. I was sitting at the console and talking to her. And then I remember I said to her, "Okay, now everything that you care about while you sing, I want you to forget it and just sing. And by the way, while you're doing that, I'm going to dance in front of you," because we had this huge big window. And she was like, "Oh, my God. Oh, my God, I can't, I can't. I don't know. Oh, my God. Okay, okay." And then I did it and she sang, and she started to do things with her voice that was different. And it was the joy of two artists going like, "I see you. And I see all the things that we all--" And it was just awesome to watch her. She was so open to trying things that she hasn't done before. She was like, "I'm going to just trust you." And it was this beautiful, I think very healing process for me to not necessarily having a female artist that mentored me as I came up. And being able to be with her and hold her and be like, "Anything that you feel chains you, like any, like, pop cultural construct that you feel you have to live up to, I'd like you to please forget about it and be yourself." [...] When she came into the studio, I was still crying and she was not. And she was like, she was like, "You're going to be okay. I got you. Call me, here's my number." And she 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 like negativity onto something that was healing and so beautiful. And eventually she called me on my shit. She was like, "You're hiding." And I was like, "I am hiding. I'm totally hiding." And then this friendship blossomed. | ” |
—Lady Gaga on Apple Music | ||
During the acceptance speech for the winning "Rain On Me" in the "Song of the Year" at the 2020 MTV VMAs, Lady Gaga explained how the title of the song was indeed inspired by crying.
| “ | I remember thinking I had cried so many tears that it felt like unfathomable downpour from my eyes but even with that much rain, you don't have to drown, even though it feels like you are [drowning]. You can still swim. And if there's a strong current with a bunch of waves and they keep crashing over you, if you keep swimming, you'll reach the center of the ocean, where it's calm, still, and peaceful. | ” |
Release and promotion
Posters
Chromatica weather forecast
On May 26th, 2020, Gaga and Grande posted a one-minute skit in partnership with The Weather Channel, where they give a mock weather update while holding an umbrella, and talk about how they "would like to celebrate the rain". On May 28th, 2020, they released another weather update, filmed in Gaga's pool and Grande's bathtub.
Fortnite radio stations
- Main article: Fortnite
"Rain on Me" was added to a list of songs played on Fortnite radio stations. In early August 2020 players noticed that while getting in the car and turning on the radio "Rain On Me" could start playing.
Adobe competition
On August 26th, 2020, Lady Gaga announced an online competition with a $10,000 cash grand prize and a copy of a poster signed by her for the winner, where participants had to design a poster inspired by "Rain on Me", using Adobe creative apps.
Spotify
Digital Release
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Label: Interscope, Streamline Format: Digital download, streaming Released: May 22, 2020 Photography: Brandon Bowen Design: Studio Pending |
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| # | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rain On Me" (with Ariana Grande) | 03:02 |
Instrumental
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Label: Interscope, Streamline Format: Digital download Released: May 22, 2020 Photography: Brandon Bowen Design: Studio Pending |
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| # | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rain On Me" (Instrumental) | 03:02 |
Physical releases
Picture Disc Vinyl
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Label: Interscope, Streamline Format: 7" vinyl in a transparent plastic Released: May 22, 2020 Catalog #: B0032415-21 Barcode: 0602507284183 Photography: Brandon Bowen (side b) Design: Studio Pending  |
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| Side A | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Time | |||||||
| 1. | "Rain On Me" (with Ariana Grande) | 03:02 | |||||||
| Side B | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Time | |||||||
| 1. | "Rain On Me" (Instrumental) | 03:05 | |||||||
Limited Vinyl
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Label: Interscope, Streamline Format: 7" vinyl Released: May 27, 2020 Catalog #: B0032414-21 Barcode: 0602507311568 Photography: Brandon Bowen Design: Studio Pending  |
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| Side A | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Time | |||||||
| 1. | "Rain On Me" (with Ariana Grande) | 03:02 | |||||||
| Side B | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Time | |||||||
| 1. | "Rain On Me" (Instrumental) | 03:05 | |||||||
CD Single
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Label: Interscope, Streamline Format: Cardboard Released: May 22, 2020 Catalog #: B0032418-32 Barcode: 0602507284206 Photography: Brandon Bowen Design: Studio Pending  |
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| # | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rain On Me" (with Ariana Grande) | 03:02 |
| 2. | "Rain On Me" (Instrumental) | 03:05 |
Cassette
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Label: Interscope, Streamline Format: Cassette Released: May 22, 2020 Catalog #: B0032417-24 Barcode: 0602507284190 Photography: Brandon Bowen Design: Studio Pending  |
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| Side A | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Time | |||||||
| 1. | "Rain On Me" (with Ariana Grande) | 03:02 | |||||||
| Side B | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Time | |||||||
| 1. | "Rain On Me" (Instrumental) | 03:05 | |||||||
Remixes
Ralphi Rosario Remix
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Label: Interscope Format: Digital download, streaming Released: July 17, 2020 Photography: Brandon Bowen Design: Studio Pending |
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| # | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rain On Me" (Ralphi Rosario Remix - Edit) | 03:58 |
| 2. | "Rain On Me" (Ralphi Rosario Remix) | 07:31 |
Purple Disco Machine Remix
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Label: Interscope Format: Digital download, streaming Released: July 17, 2020 Photography: Brandon Bowen Design: Studio Pending |
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| # | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rain On Me" (Purple Disco Machine Remix - Edit) | 03:58 |
| 2. | "Rain On Me" (Purple Disco Machine Remix) | 06:34 |
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label | Catalog # | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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May 22, 2020 | Digital download • streaming | Interscope Streamline |
N/A | |
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Picture Disc Vinyl | B0032415-21 | 0602507284183 | ||
| CD single | B0032418-32 | 0602507284206 | |||
| Cassette | B0032417-24 | 0602507284190 | |||
| Instrumental (Digital download) | N/A | ||||
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Contemporary hit radio | Polydor | |||
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Universal | ||||
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May 26, 2020 | Contemporary hit radio | Interscope Streamline | ||
| Adult contemporary | |||||
| May 27, 2020 | Limited Vinyl | B0032414-21 | 0602507311568 | ||
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July 17, 2020 | Remixes (Digital download • streaming) |
N/A | ||
Remixes
On August 9th, 2021, Venezuelan producer Arca announced via Discord that she produced her own remix of the song for Lady Gaga's remix album Dawn of Chromatica (2021). Her rendition samples the songs "Time" (speeded up instrumental and vocals) off her fourth studio album KiCk i (2020), the Changa tuki track "Mételo Sácalo" by DJ Yirvin (both instrumental and vocals) as well as "My 2" (vocals at the end of remix) off her sixth studio album KicK iii (2021) and "Estrogen" (instrumental) off her eighth studio album kiCK iiiii (2021) which were not yet released at day when Dawn of Chromatica came out (they were released on December 1st and December 3rd of 2021 respectively).
Performances
Dates
Channel
| Tour | Dates | Performances |
|---|
| The Chromatica Ball | 2022 (All Dates, Except finale show) | 19 |
| Total of performances | 19 |
Lyrics
[Lady Gaga]:
I didn’t ask for a free ride
I only asked you to show me a real good time
I never asked for the rainfall
At least I showed up
You showed me nothing at all
It’s coming down on me
Water like misery
It’s coming down on me
I’m ready, rain on me
I’d rather be dry but at least I’m alive
Rain on me, rain rain
Rain on me, rain rain
I’d rather be dry but at least I’m alive
Rain on me, rain rain
Rain on me
Rain on me!
[Ariana Grande]:
Mmhm, oh yeah, baby
[Lady Gaga]:
Rain on me!
[Ariana Grande] & (Lady Gaga) :
Living in a world where no one’s innocent
Oh but at least we try mmhm
Gotta live my truth, not keep it bottled in
So I don’t lose my mind, baby yeah
I can feel it on my skin
(It’s coming down on me)
Teardrops on my face
(Water like misery)
Let it wash away my sins
(It’s coming down on me)
Let it wash away
[Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande] (Ariana Grande):
I’d rather be dry but at least I’m alive
Rain on me, rain rain
Rain on me, rain rain
I’d rather be dry but at least I’m alive
Rain on me, rain rain
Rain (rain) on (on) me (me!)
[Ariana Grande]:
Rain on me!
[Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande] (Ariana Grande):
Rain on me! (Oh yeah!)
(Rain on me, mm yeah)
[Lady Gaga]:
Rain on me!
[Ariana Grande]:
Rain on me, rain on
[Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande] (Lady Gaga):
Hands up to the sky
(I’ll be your galaxy)
I’m about to fly
(Rain on me, tsunami)
Hands up to the sky
(I’ll be your galaxy)
I’m about to fly
[Lady Gaga] (Ariana Grande) :
Rain on me (Rain on me!)
[Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande] (Lady Gaga) :
I’d rather be dry but at least I’m alive
Rain on me, rain rain
Rain on me, rain rain
(Rain on me!)
[Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande] (Ariana Grande) :
I’d rather be dry but at least I’m alive (At least I'm alive)
Rain on me, rain rain
Rain on me (Rain on me!)
[Ariana Grande] & (Lady Gaga) :
I hear the thunder coming down, won’t you rain on me?
Eh, y-yeah
(Rain on me)
I hear the thunder coming down, won’t you rain on me?
Eh, y-yeah
(Rain on me)
[Intro]
Oh
[Verse 1]
I didn't ask for a free ride
I only asked you to show me a real good time
I didn't ask for the rainfall
At least I showed up, you showed me nothing at all
[Pre-Chorus]
(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) It's coming down on me
(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) Water like misery
(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) It's coming down on me
(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) I'm ready, rain on me
[Chorus]
I'd rather be dry, but at least I'm alive
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
I'd rather be dry, but at least I'm alive
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain, rain
[Post-Chorus]
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
[Verse 2]
I didn't ask for the daylight
'Cause I was born for the night, and it changed my life
I knew the hurt wouldn't be small
You said you'd love me forever, but you don't call
[Pre-Chorus]
(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) It's coming down on me
(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) Water like misery
(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) It's coming down on me
(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) I'm ready, rain on me
[Chorus]
I'd rather be dry, but at least I'm alive
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
I'd rather be dry, but at least I'm alive
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
[Post-Chorus]
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
I'd rather be dry, but at least I'm alive
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
I'd rather be dry, but at least I'm alive
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me
Rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me
Rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me
Rain on me, rain, rain (Rain)
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
[Outro]
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain, rain
Rain on me, rain
Music video
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Promo Images
- Photography by Brandon Bowen.
Synopsis and fashion credits
The video begins with Lady Gaga lying on the ground with a dagger in her leg. It is raining at first before additional daggers rain from the sky onto her body. Gaga starts dancing with her backup dancers when the pre-chorus starts. The camera flips the ground upside-down to show Ariana Grande dancing with some more dancers. Ariana is shown dancing with the dancers for her verse. Gaga and Ariana start dancing and singing together as the second chorus starts. When the bridge starts, Ariana and Gaga are shown holding hands as their hair flows around as a reference to the final boss battle of the Bayonetta franchise. Gaga is shown as a giant watching over the dancers when the final chorus begins. The video ends with Gaga and Ariana hugging each other.
In an interview for Vogue Nicola Formichetti talked about meaning of changing shoes during the music video.
| “ | In the beginning of the video, she has on these really tall, stiletto spike heels. By the end, she is wearing platform boots. This silhouette is important. It’s still her, it still looks interesting, but it’s an evolution from high heels, which are more striking and more aggressive, to something that is more grounded. Maybe it’s a little more believable. It’s a different vibe, which we both love. | ” |
—Nicola Formichetti for Vogue | ||
- Lady Gaga wears a custom outfit by Vex Clothing, and boots by Ellie customized by Andre No. 1. Bloody injuries by AFX Studio.
- Lady Gaga wears a custom bodice by SSIK, a custom harness by Jivomir Domoustchiev, and platforms by Demonia customized by Lacey Dalimonte.
- Lady Gaga a custom corset by Garo Sparo, platforms by Demonia, and earrings by Kyle Chan.
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- Lady Gaga wears a custom outfit by Vex Clothing, and wings by Living Art Of Armando.
Behind the Scenes
- Photography by Alfredo Flores.
Media
- Playlist covers
Merchandise
- Main article: Official Merchandise
Credits
| Written by | Lady Gaga, Michael Tucker, Matthew Burns, Nija Charles, Rami Yacoub, Martin Bresso, Ariana Grande and Alexander Ridha |
| Produced by | BloodPop® and Burns |
| Additional Production | Tchami |
| Vocal Produced by | Benjamin Rice |
| Recorded by | Benjamin Rice at MXM Studios, Conway Recording Studios and EastWest Studios, Los Angeles
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| Mixed by | Benjamin Rice and Tom Norris at Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles Assisted by E. Scott Kelly |
| Mastered by | Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound, New York, NY
|
| Track Participants | Bass, Drum, Guitar, Keyboards by Burns Percussion by Leddie Garcia Saxophone by Rachel Mazer |
| Published by |
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| Ariana Grande Appears Courtesy of Republic Records, a Division of UMG Recordings Inc. | |
Video credits
| Location | Los Angeles, CA
| ||
| Director | Robert Rodriguez | ||
| Executive Producers | Missy Galanida and Isaac Rice | ||
| Producer | Jenne M | ||
| Art Direction | Travis Brothers, Bryan Rivera, Isha Dipika Walia & Darío Alva for Studio Pending | ||
| Manager | Bobby Campbell at Haus of Gaga | ||
| First Assistant Director | EV Salomon | ||
| 2nd Assistant Director | George S. Harkness III | ||
| Director of Photography | Michael Merriman | ||
| Visual Effects (VFX) | David Lebensfeld for Ingenuity Studios | ||
| Editor | David Checel | ||
| Production Design | Charles Infante | ||
| Prod Manager | Natalie Von der Burg | ||
| Coordinators | John Wayne and Sophia Rojas | ||
| Gaffer | Nizae Najm | ||
| Key Grip | Colin Stoye | ||
| Fashion Direction | Nicola Formichetti at Haus of Gaga | ||
| Styling | Marta del Rio at Haus of Gaga | ||
| Choreographer | Richard Jackson at Haus of Gaga | ||
| Choreographer Assistant | Graham Breitenstein at Haus of Gaga | ||
| Dancers | Christopher War Shazar, Ian McKenzie, Tamina Paris, Juan Zapata, Diamond Lynn Smith, Regina Fergerson, Von Ohlen, Tyler Naraysingh, Gerald D. Castle, Lindsay Taylor, Ashley Cruz, Katelyn Cushing, Victor Rojas, Kevin Frey, Cris Cangero, Joseph Szekula, Joshua Stevens, Eric McCoy, Samantha Peters, Brittny Sugarman. | Photographers | Brandon Bowen and Alfredo Flores (on the set) |
| Lady Gaga Glam | |||
| Make-up | Sarah Nicole Tanno at Haus of Gaga | ||
| Hair | Frederic Aspiras at Haus of Gaga | ||
| Nails | Miho Okawara | ||
| Ariana Grande Glam | |||
| Make-up | Michael Anthony | ||
| Hair | Josh Liu | ||
Trivia
- This is the fourth collaboration of Gaga with a solo female artist. The first three being "Telephone" featuring Beyoncé, the "Do What U Want" remix featuring Christina Aguilera and "Hey Girl" featuring Florence Welch.
References
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