Before becoming a standout track on Ariana Grande’s 2018 album Sweetener, her hit song ‘God Is A Woman’ was originally created with Beyoncé and JAY-Z in mind.
Songwriter and producer Ilya Salmanzadeh disclosed this during an interview with Ross Golan on the podcast ‘And The Writer Is…’, explaining how a writing session with Grande changed the song’s direction.
Salmanzadeh said the team initially considered having Grande sing the chorus while bringing in a rap feature, potentially leaving room for JAY-Z. However, Grande had a different vision after hearing the song.
“When we started again with Ari, we were thinking maybe it could be her singing the chorus, and we’d get a rap feature, but then when she heard the song, she was like, ‘No, we’re writing this for me.’ I was like, ‘Okay, fine,’” he said.
According to Salmanzadeh, Grande wrote the verses, pre-chorus and harmonies during the session, helping shape the song into the version eventually released.
‘God Is A Woman’ became one of the standout tracks on ‘Sweetener’, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2018.
The song’s early connection to Beyoncé and JAY-Z also raises questions about how it might have sounded on their collaborative album ‘Everything Is Love’, released in June 2018.
Although the collaboration never materialised, Grande ultimately released the track as her own, making it a defining song from that period of her career.
What You Should Know
A recent interview with music producer Ilya Salmanzadeh has revealed that one of the most famous songs in modern pop history was almost recorded by a different artist. The track was being developed for Beyoncé and JAY-Z, but Ariana Grande felt such a strong connection to it that she rewrote parts of it to suit her own style.
- Creative Evolution: This story highlights how the music industry works behind the scenes, where songs are often passed between superstars before finding the right fit.
- Career Impact: By taking charge of the song, Grande secured one of her biggest career hits, which eventually reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100.
