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The Meaning Behind Ariana Grande’s “Dandelion” Is Spicy AF

Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead is officially here! With a tracklist of 19 songs (six of which are new releases), there’s a lot to unpack. While fans can’t get enough of the entire album already, the song “dandelion” has already stood out to many as a favorite. Not to mention, several of the song’s lines can be interpreted to have double meanings. To catch you up to speed, here’s a breakdown of the lyrics of “dandelion.”

Dandelions are known to symbolize resilience and healing in many cultures, both of which are prominent themes in the eternal sunshine album. As shown through both the tracks on the album and the Brighter Days Ahead short film, Grande emphasizes how she is marching toward better things in her life and moving past her dark, painful memories. Dandelions are also closely associated with the practice of wish-making. In this song, Grande is inviting her metaphorical love interest to make a wish on her, singing, “I’ll be your dandelion,” implying that she can make his dreams come true. 

In the song’s pre-chorus, Grande sings, “I got (got) what you need (you need) / I’m thinking you should plant this seed / I get this sounds unserious (mm) / But, baby boy, this is serious.” These lines can be interpreted in a couple of ways. On one hand, they may refer to Grande suggesting her love interest take the next step in initiating a relationship (metaphorically planting the seed so that their relationship can grow). On the other hand, many fans have interpreted this line to be something more suggestive and intimate. Grande is no stranger to innuendo-filled lyrics, with songs like “positions” and “34+35,” so this interpretation doesn’t seem far-fetched. 

In the chorus, Grande sings, “Got me like, ‘What’s your wish list?’ / You can get anything you’d like / I’ll be your dandelion, mm-mm.” These lines reference the act of blowing on a dandelion in hopes that your dreams will come true. Again, she speaks to her potential love interest, telling him that she can make whatever he desires come true, granting his wish like a dandelion. 

Grande sings in the second verse, “You like how I pray, the secret’s in me, mm /‘Cause boy come what may, I’m here on my knees / These other flowers, don’t grow the same / So just leave it here with me, let’s get dirty, dirty.” In these lines, Grande playfully implies that she’s not like the other girls her potential love interest has met before. Instead, she can “grant his wish” better than the others. 

In short, the song can be interpreted as being pretty suggestive, which came as a shock to many fans who expected “dandelion” to be heartfelt and emotional. 

With the wide range of songs on this album — each with different vibes — it looks like Grande has her fans covered for every mood!

Lily O'Neal is a senior editor at Her Campus at UCLA and a national entertainment writer. She covers the latest entertainment news, as well as topics relating to new movies, series and music (she LOVES K-Pop).

Additionally, Lily is majoring in Political Science at UCLA. Though she was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida, she loves the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. During the gaps between studying and writing, you can find her binging sit-coms or attending yet another K-Pop concert. She's also currently on a mission to find the best iced vanilla latte in SoCal.