Tell me somethin' I need to know
Then take my breath and never let it go
If you just let me invade your space
I'll take the pleasure, take it with the pain
[Pre-Chorus: Ariana Grande]
And if in the moment, I bite my lip
Baby, in that moment, you'll know this is
Somethin' bigger than us and beyond bliss
Give me a reason to believe it
[Chorus: Ariana Grande]
'Cause if you want to keep me
You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta
Got to love me harder
And if you really need me
You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta
Got to love me harder (Lo-love me harder)
[Post-Chorus: Ariana Grande]
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Love me, love me, love me
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Harder, harder, harder
I know your motives and you know mine
The ones that love me, I tend to leave behind
If you know about me and choose to stay
Then take this pleasure and take it with the pain
[Pre-Chorus: The Weeknd]
And if in the moment, you bite your lip
When I get you moaning, you know it's real
Can you feel the pressure between your hips?
I’ll make it feel like the first time
[Chorus: Ariana Grande & The Weeknd]
'Cause if you want to keep me
You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta
Got to love me harder (I'ma love you harder, hey!)
And if you really need me
You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta
Got to love me harder (Love me, baby, love me; Lo-love me harder)
[Post-Chorus: Ariana Grande & The Weeknd]
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Love me, love me, love me
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Harder, harder, harder (Oh)
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Love me, love me, love me
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Harder, harder, harder (You gotta love me harder)
So what do I do if I can't figure it out? (Figure it out)
You got to try, try, try again, yeah (Woah, woah)
So what do I do if I can’t figure it out? (Figure it out)
I’m gonna leave, leave, leave again
[Chorus: Ariana Grande, The Weeknd & Both]
'Cause if you want to keep me (Hey!)
You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta
Got to love me harder (I'ma love you, love you, love)
And if you really need me (Ooh)
You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta
Got to love me harder (Got to love me, baby)
'Cause if you want to keep me (Hey)
You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta
Got to love me harder (Love me harder)
And if you really need me
You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta (I'ma do it, do it, do it)
Got to love me harder (I'ma love you harder, hey!)
[Post-Chorus: Ariana Grande & The Weeknd]
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Love me, love me, love me (Love me)
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Harder, harder, harder (Boy, you gotta love me, love me, baby)
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Love me, love me, love me (Just a little bit harder, harder, baby)
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Harder, harder, harder
About
“Love Me Harder” was released on August 20th as a part of a promotional stream hosted by MTV. This highly anticipated collaboration with The Weeknd is much less a feature and much more a duet.
In this song, Ariana and Abel trade verses and interchange lines with one another on the chorus. For Ariana these lyrics are far from the innocence she brought with her in 2013 with her album Yours Truly.
For Abel, these lyrics might even be considered mild, as he is known for being more than a little bit explicit with his sexual exploits.
Together the two strong voices combine to create this hit-song about aggressive loving backed by a minimal but rhythmic instrumental provided by Max Martin.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
The Weekend said during an interview with Zane Lowe that he was very nervous, but made the record “to send a message”.
Rolling Stone ranked the track as Ariana’s #29 best song, saying:
With the combination of Ariana and the Weeknd, it makes sense that the song has a bit of a sexual edge. But ‘Love Me Harder’ also channels cheesy ‘80s pop and features the sincere crooning of both artists. Together they make sultry synth-pop that sticks with you.
- 1.Love Me Harder