Ariana Grande opens a new era with ‘The Boy Is Mine’ remix

Ariana Grande teams with Brandy and Monica for a ‘The Boy Is Mine’ remix as her ‘Eternal Sunshine’ era reshapes 2024 pop.

Ariana Grande is officially in her next chapter. Months after releasing her chart-topping album ‘Eternal Sunshine,’ the pop star has launched a surprise “new era within the era” by teaming up with Brandy and Monica for a reimagined version of ‘The Boy Is Mine,’ tying together 1990s R&B history with one of 2024’s biggest pop campaigns.

What’s new: Ariana Grande’s ‘The Boy Is Mine’ remix marks a major 2024 pivot

As of May 21, 2026, Ariana Grande’s most talked?about move of 2024 remains the rollout around her seventh studio album ‘Eternal Sunshine,’ released March 8 via Republic Records. But within that cycle, a fresh milestone arrived when she dropped an official remix of her song ‘The Boy Is Mine’ featuring Brandy and Monica, the duo who turned the title phrase into a 1998 R&B classic. According to Billboard, the remix was released June 21, 2024, only a few weeks after Grande’s ‘The Boy Is Mine’ single and video first hit streaming services.

The collaboration functions like a pop time warp: Grande’s track, produced with Max Martin and Ilya, borrows its title and cat?and?mouse romantic tension from the Brandy and Monica hit, while the remix literally folds those original voices into her 2024 sound. Variety notes that the new version keeps the sleek, minor?key groove of the album cut but adds fresh harmonies and ad?libs from Brandy and Monica, turning it into a three?way vocal showdown that bridges R&B and contemporary pop.

For US fans, the remix is also a symbolic moment. Grande has long cited 1990s R&B as a core influence, and she already nodded to the original “The Boy Is Mine” in the high?concept music video for her track, where she plays a Gotham?style antihero opposite actor Penn Badgley. Bringing Brandy and Monica into the official remix closes the loop between homage and collaboration, signaling that Grande is both curating and reshaping the canon she grew up with.

Inside Ariana Grande’s ‘Eternal Sunshine’ era: charts, themes, and US impact

‘Eternal Sunshine’ itself has been one of 2024’s defining mainstream pop releases. According to Billboard, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming Ariana Grande’s sixth chart?topping album in the United States. It moved the equivalent of 227,000 units in its first week, per Luminate data cited by Billboard, driven heavily by streaming and robust digital sales.

The set has been powered by the No. 1 Hot 100 hit “Yes, And?,” which premiered at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2024. Rolling Stone described the single as a “house?driven mission statement,” noting that its brisk four?on?the?floor beat and confrontational lyrics repositioned Grande as a more self?possessed and assertive narrator after a stretch away from releasing solo studio albums. Follow?up single “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” extended the album’s presence on US radio, with Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart showing strong multi?week support at Top 40 stations as of late spring 2024.

Thematically, ‘Eternal Sunshine’ is being framed as Ariana Grande’s most cohesive record since 2018’s ‘Sweetener.’ Critics at outlets like Pitchfork and The New York Times have highlighted its mix of disco?inflected pop, downtempo electronic textures, and confessional lyrics that navigate heartbreak, public scrutiny, and the possibility of starting over. The title itself nods to Michel Gondry’s 2004 film ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,’ and several songs reference the idea of memory editing and rewriting one’s emotional history.

For US listeners, that narrative has played out against a constant backdrop of celebrity coverage, but Grande’s strategy has been to keep the focus on songwriting and vocal performance. According to Variety, she recorded much of the album quietly while also filming the two?part ‘Wicked’ movie adaptation, effectively juggling a blockbuster Hollywood schedule with the demands of a major?label pop release.

Brandy and Monica join Ariana Grande: why the ‘The Boy Is Mine’ remix matters

The original “The Boy Is Mine” by Brandy and Monica spent 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998, per Billboard’s chart archives, and helped define late?’90s R&B’s mix of lush harmonies and narrative drama. By inviting both singers onto her own “The Boy Is Mine,” Ariana Grande transforms what began as a wink into a multi?generational collaboration that underscores her place in that lineage.

According to Rolling Stone, Grande first floated the idea of a collaboration when she previewed the album for Brandy and Monica, sharing how their hit had inspired the mood of her new track. The remix reportedly came together quickly, with the R&B veterans cutting new vocal takes tailored to Grande’s arrangement rather than simply interpolating the 1998 melody. Variety notes that both Brandy and Monica add subtle melodic flourishes that complement Grande’s stacked background vocals, effectively creating a three?layered call?and?response structure that pushes the song closer to classic R&B while keeping its modern pop sheen.

Culturally, this matters for several reasons. First, it reflects a broader 2020s trend in US pop where younger stars don’t just sample ’90s records but bring the original artists back into the spotlight. Second, it helps introduce Brandy and Monica’s catalog to a new generation of listeners who primarily consume music via TikTok snippets and streaming playlists. As of May 21, 2026, “The Boy Is Mine” (both the original and Grande’s version) continues to appear on curated R&B nostalgia playlists on services like Spotify and Apple Music, keeping the cross?era dialogue alive.

For Ariana Grande, the remix is also a subtle statement about vocal craft. Unlike some big?name remixes that lean on production gimmicks or surprise rap verses, this one is built almost entirely around three powerhouse singers trading lines, stacking harmonies, and subtly flexing their control. That focus on pure singing reinforces the perception—common in US critical circles—that Grande is one of the strongest technical vocalists in mainstream pop, an assessment echoed by NPR Music and other Tier 1 outlets.

US charts, streaming, and what’s next for Ariana Grande’s 2024–2026 run

On the metrics side, Ariana Grande’s 2024 output has performed well across US charts and platforms. As of May 21, 2026, Billboard’s data show ‘Eternal Sunshine’ logging multiple weeks in the upper reaches of the Billboard 200, occasionally rebounding thanks to new singles and video drops. “Yes, And?” notched at least nine weeks in the top 10 of the Hot 100, per Billboard, while “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” and “The Boy Is Mine” have each notched multi?week runs on the Hot 100, albeit at slightly lower peaks.

Streaming has been a major driver. According to a March 2024 report in Variety, the album generated tens of millions of on?demand streams in its first week alone in the United States, with tracks like “Yes, And?,” “We Can’t Be Friends,” “Imperfect for You,” and “The Boy Is Mine” emerging as early fan favorites. TikTok usage—especially of hooks from “The Boy Is Mine”—further boosted visibility among younger US listeners, who have increasingly turned to the platform as a primary discovery engine for both catalog and new releases.

Looking ahead, the biggest looming question is touring. As of May 21, 2026, Ariana Grande has not yet launched a full?scale US tour in support of ‘Eternal Sunshine,’ largely because of scheduling conflicts with the ‘Wicked’ film promotion cycle. Outlets including Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter have speculated that a combined “music plus movie” campaign—potentially including select live performances, soundtrack tie?ins, and festival appearances—could emerge once the films’ release windows solidify and Grande has more flexibility.

The touring gap hasn’t stopped her from staying present on US stages in other ways. Grande has performed select songs from ‘Eternal Sunshine’ on major TV platforms, reportedly including NBC late?night appearances and award?show slots, though dates and lineups are still evolving as of May 21, 2026. For fans hoping to see a full live arrangement of “The Boy Is Mine” with Brandy and Monica, the most realistic near?term options would be one?off special events or award?show performances rather than an immediate nationwide arena tour.

Ariana Grande, ‘Wicked,’ and the balancing act between Hollywood and pop

The context for all of this is Ariana Grande’s unique position in the US entertainment ecosystem. She is simultaneously one of the country’s most-streamed pop artists and a central figure in the upcoming two?part film adaptation of the Broadway musical ‘Wicked.’ According to The Hollywood Reporter, Grande was cast as Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba, with the first film originally scheduled for a November 2024 release before strikes and production shifts reshaped the calendar.

Filming ‘Wicked’ has influenced the timing and aesthetic of the ‘Eternal Sunshine’ era. Rolling Stone points out that Grande leaned into vintage Hollywood glamour and surreal, film?inspired visuals in the “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” video, echoing the emotional surrealism of ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.’ Meanwhile, the “The Boy Is Mine” video, with its comic?book cityscape and campy narrative, mirrors the heightened theatricality of a musical, even though the song itself is grounded in R&B and pop.

From a career?management perspective, the strategy reflects how top?tier US pop acts increasingly operate across multiple media at once rather than following the traditional “album, then tour, then hiatus” cycle. For Grande, that means designing music that can stand on its own on playlists but also support an extended campaign stretching from single drops and remixes to film soundtracks and late?night TV performances.

US audiences are likely to experience this convergence most directly once ‘Wicked’ marketing ramps up and the timeline for future Ariana Grande music becomes clearer. If the pattern holds, fans can expect carefully staged promotional moments where songs from ‘Eternal Sunshine’ and new material intersect with her on?screen work, potentially including cross?platform performances and curated playlists highlighting her dual identity as pop star and movie lead.

How Ariana Grande is reshaping 2020s pop for US listeners

Stepping back from the day?to?day news cycle, Ariana Grande’s ‘The Boy Is Mine’ remix and the broader ‘Eternal Sunshine’ era reveal several trends shaping US pop in the mid?2020s:

First, the project underscores how deeply modern pop leans on R&B aesthetics even when marketed as mainstream Top 40. Songs like “The Boy Is Mine,” “Imperfect for You,” and “Intro (End of the World)” rely on tight vocal stacks, subtly swung rhythms, and emotional storytelling that draw directly from R&B traditions, even as they sit comfortably on playlists alongside electronic and dance?pop tracks.

Second, it highlights how legacy and nostalgia operate differently for artists who grew up in the streaming era. Grande is old enough to remember the original Brandy and Monica hit as a formative influence, yet young enough that much of her fan base discovered that song retroactively through playlists and social media. By staging an explicit cross?generational collaboration, she’s effectively curating 1990s R&B history for Gen Z listeners while reinforcing her own roots.

Third, the era shows how major?label pop releases now unfold more like serialized TV seasons than one?off album drops. ‘Eternal Sunshine’ began with “Yes, And?” as a bold pilot episode; continued with narrative?driven videos for “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” and “The Boy Is Mine”; and then expanded with the Brandy and Monica remix as a kind of mid?season crossover event. As of May 21, 2026, additional episodes—whether in the form of deluxe tracks, live sessions, or soundtrack tie?ins—still feel possible.

Finally, the remix underlines the enduring importance of vocal performancein a landscape often dominated by production trends. Ariana Grande, Brandy, and Monica are all vocal stylists with distinctive approaches, and “The Boy Is Mine” plays to that strength: runs, harmonies, and dynamic control take center stage. In a US market where some of the year’s biggest hits lean on chant?style hooks and minimal melodies, this track’s emphasis on classic singing stands out.

For readers looking to dive deeper into this evolving story, you can find more Ariana Grande coverage on AD HOC NEWS at more Ariana Grande coverage on AD HOC NEWS. For official updates on releases, merch, and tour announcements, her team maintains Ariana Grande's official website, which aggregates music videos, streaming links, and direct?to?fan news.

FAQ: Ariana Grande’s ‘The Boy Is Mine’ remix and ‘Eternal Sunshine’ era

When did Ariana Grande release ‘Eternal Sunshine’?

Ariana Grande released ‘Eternal Sunshine’ on March 8, 2024 via Republic Records. According to Billboard, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking her sixth US chart?topping album and reinforcing her status as one of the dominant pop voices of the decade.

What is the connection between Ariana Grande’s ‘The Boy Is Mine’ and the 1998 hit?

Grande’s “The Boy Is Mine,” featured on ‘Eternal Sunshine,’ borrows its title and love?triangle concept from the 1998 Brandy and Monica duet, which spent 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. While Ariana’s track is a new composition, she has been open about the influence of the earlier song, and the official remix featuring Brandy and Monica makes that lineage explicit by bringing the original singers into her 2024 sound world.

Are there US tour dates for Ariana Grande’s ‘Eternal Sunshine’?

As of May 21, 2026, Ariana Grande has not launched a full US arena or stadium tour specifically branded for the ‘Eternal Sunshine’ album. Reporting in outlets like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter suggests that her commitments to the two?part ‘Wicked’ film and its promotional schedule have complicated immediate touring plans, though fans and industry watchers continue to speculate about a future tour or residency once her calendar opens.

Where does ‘Eternal Sunshine’ fit in Ariana Grande’s overall discography?

‘Eternal Sunshine’ is Ariana Grande’s seventh studio album, following ‘Yours Truly’ (2013), ‘My Everything’ (2014), ‘Dangerous Woman’ (2016), ‘Sweetener’ (2018), ‘Thank U, Next’ (2019), and ‘Positions’ (2020). Critics at outlets such as Rolling Stone and Pitchfork have described the new album as a mature synthesis of her earlier work, blending the trap?pop of ‘Thank U, Next,’ the R&B lean of ‘Positions,’ and the experimental touches of ‘Sweetener’ into a cohesive, emotionally driven project.

How has US critical reception been for ‘Eternal Sunshine’?

US critical reception has been broadly positive. According to reviews aggregated by outlets like Variety and NPR Music, writers have praised the album’s lyrical vulnerability, compact running time, and focus on sonic coherence. Many have singled out “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love),” “The Boy Is Mine,” “Imperfect for You,” and “Intro (End of the World)” as standouts that showcase Ariana Grande’s vocal range and emotional nuance.

What role does ‘Wicked’ play in Ariana Grande’s 2024–2026 plans?

‘Wicked’ is central to Grande’s broader trajectory in this era. As Glinda in the two?part film adaptation, she is stepping into one of modern musical theater’s most iconic roles while also expanding her profile in Hollywood. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the films’ production and promotional timelines have influenced when and how she can tour, release videos, and stage live performances. For US audiences, this means her music and film work are likely to be intertwined for several years, with each feeding into the other’s visibility.

However her schedule evolves, Ariana Grande’s 2024–2026 run—anchored by ‘Eternal Sunshine’ and punctuated by the ‘The Boy Is Mine’ remix—confirms that she remains a central architect of how mainstream pop sounds, looks, and feels in the United States.

By the AD HOC NEWS Music Desk » Rock and pop coverage — The AD HOC NEWS Music Desk, with AI-assisted research support, reports daily on albums, tours, charts, and scene developments across the United States and internationally.
Published: May 21, 2026 · Last reviewed: May 21, 2026

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