"Save Your Tears" and Listen to This Track

Written by Faith Logue

Graphic by Rebekah Witt

A surprising announcement occurred on April 21 when Ariana Grande announced she would be hopping on the “Save Your Tears” remix with the Weeknd. The original song cannot be topped; it is something of lyrical genius and executed well, but Grande’s vocals and presence on every song she’s in make the song even better. Grande surprised fans with this song because she sang in her lower register, something she normally never does. She has her signature high falsetto that drives each song she does, but on this remix, the lower register added the darkness and eeriness the song has.

The song starts identical to the original version of “Save Your Tears” with the Weeknd’s powerful vocals taking center stage. The song does a really good job of setting a scene in your mind because the imagery in the lyrics is so well done. The listener can imagine the Weeknd in a club looking at his ex and seeing a teardrop forming in their eyes, a reminder of the broken heart they hold. The song takes a turn as Grande’s dark and haunting words fill your ears, with more lyrics that provoke imagery, such as “Met you once under a Pisces moon/I kept my distance ‘cause I know that you/Don’t like when I’m with nobody else.” I am not entirely sure what a Pisces moon is supposed to look like, but knowing Grande and her connection to astrology, it makes a lot of sense when added into the song. Grande’s lyrics mirror the Weeknd’s lyrics in the previous verse, with one of them saying they make the other cry and always run away from them. Ironically, one side believes they are the cause of the other’s misery, but in reality, they both push each other away and make each other cry, though they say they want the other person to stop crying. 

My favorite part of the song has to be the end of the song, with the Weeknd and Grande harmonizing saying the lyric, “Save your tears for another day,” because she uses her signature falsettos and whistle notes while singing, which makes a switch from the deeper vocals she was using not even a minute earlier. I also think a good addition to the song itself was the music video. Grande has been using animated videos of herself in her videos, like for her new fragrance, “R.E.M.” In this video, she was a doll being built, and she was going through a factory getting body parts attached to her, which closely resembles her “34+35 music video.” Overall, the song and video are very well done, and it was a pleasant surprise, especially since it was announced on my birthday!