Bye (Ariana Grande song)

"Bye" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande from her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine (2024). The song was written and produced by Grande, Max Martin, and Ilya Salmanzadeh. It is an uptempo dance-pop and disco-funk song sonically inspired by 1970s music. The song, rooted in self-awareness and accountability, sees Grande bidding farewell to her partner.

"Bye" is two minutes and 45 seconds long.^[1] The song is a lavish and retro-inspired dance-pop,^[2] disco,^[3] and disco funk^[4] song with elements of Philadelphia soul echoing the sound of 1970s pop music.^[5] "Bye" features strings, adding in the disco influences throughout the song. Lyrically, Grande sings about how she is prepared to leave her partner, with her friend ready to pick her up.^[5] Taking place in the album's track list after "Intro (End of the World) ", the song follows the theme of having accountability and self-awareness in a relationship.^[6]

Upon release, the song received positive reviews from music critics. Kyle Denis of Billboard called the song "fantastic", ranking it at number three in the parent album's track ranking. Denis praised the song's pre-chorus and the usage of funk and disco influences.^[2] Nick Levine, a writer at NME deemed the song an album highlight, saying Grande is "playing disco diva".^[7] In a review of the parent album, Rolling Stone and Variety likened the song to "seventies pop"^[5] with the latter publication likening the song's sound to Gamble and Huff and Beyoncé.^[8]

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Eternal Sunshine.^[9]

Recording

• Mixed at Mixstar Studios (Virginia Beach)
• Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)

Personnel

• Ariana Grande – vocals, lyrics, composition, production
• Max Martin – production, lyrics, composition, drums, guitar, keyboards, bass, background vocals
• Ilya Salmanzadeh – production, composition, drums, synthesizers, guitar, keyboards, bass, programming, background vocals
• Mattias Bylund – horns, strings, strings arrangement, synthesizers, glockenspiel
• Karl Gunér – strings arrangement, synthesizers, programming
• Janne Bjerger – trumpets
• Magnus Johansson – trumpets
• Mattias Johansson – violin
• Erik Arvinder – violin
• Hanna Helgegren – violin
• David Bukovinszky – cello
• Peter Jonasson – trombone
• Tomas Jonsson – baritone saxophone
• Wojtek Goral – alto saxophone
• Per Strandberg– guitar
• Sam Holland – engineering
• Lou Carrao – engineering
• Eric Eylands – engineering assistance
• Rob Sellens – engineering assistance
• Randy Merrill – mastering
• Serban Ghenea – mixing
• Bryce Bordone – mixing assistance