Slowly but surely, music videos seem to be becoming a forgotten art, but there’s one artist whose videos will always go above and beyond: Ariana Grande. The cinematography! The concepts! The looks! It’s clear that Grande was raised in the era of MTV because her music videos always commit to the max — a little too literally in the case of “The Boy Is Mine.” In the Catwoman-inspired music video for Eternal Sunshine’s third single, Grande’s character attempts to make Mayor Max Starling (played by Gossip Girl’s Penn Badgley) fall in love with her by slipping him a love potion. He reveals a plan to clear the city’s rat infestation by releasing stray cats at night. Naturally, Grande uses this as an excuse to wear a latex catsuit and sneak into his apartment.
The music video is fun, sexy, and cinematic. It’s also a treasure trove of hidden Easter eggs that celebrate Grande’s friends and future. Here are the top five Easter eggs you may have missed in the music video for “The Boy Is Mine.”
Liz Gillies is in the video… but not in the way you think.
Cat and Jade? Nope, cat and rat. Grande’s Victorious co-star and longtime BFF Elizabeth Gillies is credited as the voice actor for the rats you hear ten seconds into the video. Grande posted an Instagram story ahead of the video’s release of an iPhone voice recording titled “Rat 2.m4a.” She tagged Gillies and thanked her “for lending us your gift of a voice,” saying that “it made all the difference.” LOL.
Brandy and Monica play the news anchors.
If you haven’t been able to place a finger on why “The Boy Is Mine” sounds slightly familiar, Grande clears it up for you in the music video. Her version of the song interpolates the ‘90s hit of the same name by Brandy and Monica. Grande told Apple Music in March 2024, “I love that song. I’ve always wanted to reimagine that in some kind of way.” She pays homage to the original singers in the music video for “The Boy Is Mine” by having them play the news anchors at the beginning of the video.
There’s a throwback to the “We Can’t Be Friends” music video.
Before Brandy and Monica interrupt the TV broadcast with breaking news, the TV is playing an ad encouraging viewers to “call Brighter Days today for an even better tomorrow.” Brighter Days Inc. is the name of the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind–inspired memory-erasing clinic Grande visits in the music video for “We Can’t Be Friends.” The ACU (Ariana Cinematic Universe) is expanding right before our eyes.
A pretty Wicked billboard is hidden in the background.
The ACU even breaks the fourth wall! In the scene where Grande jumps across a rooftop in the moonlight dressed as Catwoman, you’ll see the real-life promo art for her upcoming movie, Wicked, to the left. Grande knows how to market herself.
Grande may have hinted at the next Eternal Sunshine single.
Through Grande’s kitchen window, you’ll see a neon sign of a sun and the word “eternal” slightly cut off. Of course, “The Boy Is Mine” comes from an album called Eternal Sunshine, but it sits just a few tracks below a song also called “Eternal Sunshine.”
Grande performed “The Boy Is Mine” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on June 6, one day before releasing the music video.
She joined Fallon in an Instagram Reel ranking Eternal Sunshine songs by how close they stood to the camera. The only song she ranks besides “The Boy Is Mine” is “Eternal Sunshine.” The forecast for the album’s next single looks very sunny.
One bonus Easter egg just because: Grande did her own makeup for this video. Honestly, I’m not surprised — she’s the only person in the world who can draw a cat eye that flawlessly.