Track Review: The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Die For You”

The premier work husband-wife duo of 2010s pop music is back. In a welcome surprise, The Weeknd and Ariana Grande have joined forces for a fourth time for a remix of the former’s “Die for You.” Originally released as the sixth single from The Weeknd’s blockbuster 2016 album Starboy, “Die for You” has ridden traction on TikTok into a genuine resurgence across streaming and radio. Now, with the help of Grande, the song is challenging to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100 almost seven years after it first graced DSPs as the closing track of The Weeknd’s Grammy-winning third studio album.

Following the Top 10-peaking “Love Me Harder” (2014), Positions standout “off the table” (2020), and the No. 1 hit “Save Your Tears (Remix),” the “Die for You” remix had a certain standard of excellence to uphold. Duets between The Weeknd and Ariana Grande just work; the subtle darkness of his tone finds a natural complement in the sweetness of hers, but they can meet each other in the middle by way of his flexible falsetto and her sultry lower range. The “Die for You” remix is built for tear-streaked solo listens in the same way that the “Save Your Tears” remix was engineered for stadium singalongs. Less of the union of two powerhouses and more of a subtle assist with Grande playing a steady supporting role, the reimaged version of “Die For You” finds the “positions” singer decorating the track with her trademark high notes and fluttery riffs.

On her verse, which she wrote and recorded in her trailer while filming the film adaptations of Wicked, Grande displays her improved enunciation and lyrical flourishes that call back to the throughline that ties together each of her collaborations with The Weeknd. “And you insinuatin' that you think we might be better,” she croons, a callback to the “I realize that it's much too late / And you deserve someone better” lyric from the “Save Your Tears” remix. The pair’s synergy on this track is seamless; the way their voices dance across the throbbing synths echoes their history of collaborations that depict tortured lovers who simply cannot let go of each other. Grande is curiously absent from the second half of the song, and her presence is missed. The last chorus begs for an explosive finale where Grande belts alongside her work lover to close the song. Nonetheless, the new version of “Die for You” continues the pair’s streak of top-shelf duets. Seriously, when’s the joint album dropping?

Score: 77