Ariana Grande is back. On July 31, the singer released her eighth studio album, Petal — and in true Grande fashion, it’s full of bops, ethereal beats, and lyrics that have fans spiraling. On social media, Arianators are analyzing the lyrics of one song in particular, and drawing parallels to one of Grande’s previous relationships. So, is “like i do” about Dalton Gomez? Here’s why fans think so.
If you haven’t listened yet, let me catch you up to speed. Grande’s “like i do” is the ninth track on Petal, and it’s arguably the horniest song on the album. That’s a good thing. The song is heavily centered around not only unapologetic sexuality, but also themes of self-confidence and taking back your power — things Grande is known for championing in her music. However, fans were quick to notice that the song’s lyrics could allude to Grande’s previous relationship with Dalton Gomez, whom she was married to from 2021 to 2024.
At first listen, “like i do” seems to be another freaked-up Grande track, with lyrics like, “Extra, extra, buy one, take me / Sexy how you come to see,” and, “You need me like I you / ‘Cause no one f*cks you like I do.” However, “like i do” might be a little deeper than a sex playlist jam. Another lyric — “I’ve been busy keeping your girl inspired / I know my brain gives you ideas / Stay on your mind like all the time” — has Arianators convinced the track is about Gomez, and making comparisons between Grande and his current partner, actress Maika Monroe.
On social media, fans were quick to point out how Grande and Monroe have slightly similar styles — with some even posting side-by-side photos of the two. One fan even wrote, “‘like i do’ being *possibly* about Dalton & she talking bout ‘been keeping your girl inspired’ girl that shot was DIRECT i know someone felt it wow.”
And while I love a diss track just as much as the next girl, the “like i do” lyrics might have a double meaning. In fact, the song might not be about Gomez at all — it might be about Grande’s fans.
Ariana Grande’s “like i do” could be about arianators.
Grande has been writing about parasocial relationships for quite some time in her music. On her previous album, Eternal Sunshine, Grande sang about the obsessive nature of fans in “Hampstead,” singing, “What makes you think you’re even invited? / The doors are closed with lights off inside and all the while / There’s no one home, you’re still outside / I wonder why.”
Instead of being about Gomez, “like i do” could be turning the lens onto fans, the media, and other outside observers who have drawn conclusions about her personal life. In “like i do,” Grande also sings lyrics like, “I’m making cents off of your nonsense (Ah, ah, ah, ah) / all that sh*t talk keeps me well-fed (Ah, ah, ah, ah),” and, “Yeah, you still watching from the sides / Yeah, you still, still show up first in line,” which seem like a jab at parasocial fans, but also the media and the press.
And the lyrics that fans think could be about Monroe and Gomez? They also fit into that same theme of parasocial relationships. When Grande sings about “keeping your girl inspired,” she could also be alluding to the viral “lookalikes” who impersonate Grande on social media. And when she sings, “You need me like I you / ‘Cause no one f*cks you like I do,” she could be referencing obsessive fans, gossip pages, and internet stalkers who are infatuated with her.
At the end of the day, we won’t know whether the track is about Dalton, Monroe, her fans, or even me — technically speaking, as someone who writes about celebrities daily. So, let’s just agree to put our headphones on, listen to the music, and maybe touch some grass afterwards. It’s what Grande would want, after all.