If you spent any time on TikTok or Spotify between 2020 and 2022, those seven words probably lived in your head rent-free. It’s a specific kind of earworm. It’s playful. Kinda cheeky. Honestly, it’s the peak of "main character energy" distilled into a single line of pop music.
We’re talking about "POV," the closing track on Ariana Grande’s sixth studio album, Positions. While the song is officially titled "POV," the search for excuse me i think you love me lyrics became a massive digital phenomenon in its own right. Why? Because that specific line—tucked into the bridge—carries the entire emotional weight of the record. It’s the moment the bravado of the rest of the album drops and gets replaced by something much more vulnerable.
The Positions album was a weird time for pop. We were all stuck inside. Ariana was transitioning from the "breakup anthem" era of Thank U, Next into something more domestic and, frankly, terrifying: being seen by someone else.
The Anatomy of the Line: What Ariana Was Actually Saying
Let’s get into the weeds of the excuse me i think you love me lyrics. The phrase doesn't actually appear in the chorus. It’s a bridge moment.
"I'm getting used to receiving / Still getting used to believing / That I'm part of the meaning / Oh, excuse me, I think I love you / (Yeah, I think I love you)"
Wait. Read that again.
Most people searching for the lyrics actually flip the "you" and the "me." They search for "excuse me I think you love me" when the actual lyric is "excuse me, I think I love you." It’s a fascinating psychological slip. We often project the affection we’re afraid to admit we feel onto the other person.
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The song was written by Ariana alongside Tayla Parx, Tommy Brown, Mr. Franks, and Oliver "Junior" Frid. Parx and Grande have this specific chemistry where they can make a massive pop ballad feel like a private voice note. That’s what’s happening here. The "excuse me" isn't a formal apology. It’s an interruption of her own internal monologue. It’s a realization.
It’s scary to love someone. It’s even scarier to let them love you when you don't particularly like yourself that day.
Why This Specific Lyric Blew Up on Social Media
Algorithms are a strange beast. "POV" wasn't even the lead single—that was the title track—but the "excuse me" section became the soundtrack for millions of videos.
Think about the "POV" trend. It changed how we use social media. Before this, "POV" (Point of View) was mostly a technical term for cinematography or a niche meme format. After this song dropped, "POV" became a universal language for empathy. People used the excuse me i think you love me lyrics to showcase their pets, their partners, or their own glow-ups.
The music is airy. It feels like a cloud. Produced by Mr. Franks and Tommy Brown, the track uses these lush, R&B-inspired strings that swell right as she hits that bridge. It’s designed to trigger a dopamine hit.
I’ve seen dozens of "lyric breakdown" videos, but most miss the technicality of her vocal delivery. She’s using a lot of breathy, light chest voice here. It’s not the "Dangerous Woman" belt. It’s the sound of someone whispering a secret in bed. That’s why it stuck. It felt real.
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Breaking Down the "POV" Meaning and Lyrics
If you look at the full text of the song, the narrative is pretty straightforward but deeply relatable. She’s looking at herself through her partner’s eyes.
The Struggle with Self-Perception
The opening lines, "It's like you got superpowers / 'Cause you can love out loud / Even all my fear and all my doubts," sets the stage. She’s admitting that her partner has a capability she lacks: seeing her value.
The Bridge Shift
Then we hit that bridge. The excuse me i think you love me lyrics (or "I love you," as she sings it) act as the pivot point. It’s the "Aha!" moment. She stops wondering why he loves her and starts admitting she’s in deep too.
Technical Brilliance
From a songwriting perspective, the structure is almost circular. It doesn't really "end" so much as it floats away. This mimics the feeling of a relationship that is ongoing and evolving. It’s not a "happily ever after" song; it’s a "working on it" song.
Misconceptions About the Positions Era
People often write off Positions as "the horny album." Sure, "34+35" exists. But "POV" and the excuse me i think you love me lyrics prove that the album was actually about healing from trauma.
Think about what Ariana had been through. The Manchester bombing. The passing of Mac Miller. The very public Pete Davidson breakup. By the time she wrote these lyrics, she wasn't just singing about a new crush (Dalton Gomez at the time). She was singing about the miracle of being able to feel anything other than grief.
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When she says "I wanna love me the way that you love me," she’s talking about self-actualization. It’s heavy stuff for a pop song.
How to Apply the "POV" Energy to Your Life
You don't have to be a multi-platinum pop star to get something out of this. The reason these lyrics resonate is that they touch on "Attachment Theory."
Psychologists often talk about "Anxious" vs. "Secure" attachment. In "POV," we see someone moving from anxious to secure. If you’re struggling with self-worth in a relationship, take a page out of the excuse me i think you love me lyrics playbook:
- Practice "The Mirror Exercise": Try to see one thing in yourself that your best friend or partner sees. Just one.
- Acknowledge the Fear: It’s okay to find love "excuse me" levels of startling.
- Listen to the Instrumentals: Sometimes, words get in the way. The orchestral arrangement of "POV" is actually great for anxiety.
The Lasting Legacy of the Lyrics
It’s been a few years since the song dropped, but the excuse me i think you love me lyrics haven't faded. They’ve become a part of the "Soft Girl" aesthetic and the "Healing Girl Summer" movement.
The song peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, which is respectable, but its impact on streaming and social culture was much larger than its chart position suggests. It’s a "sleeper hit." It’s the song fans scream the loudest during the Positions live performances (like the Vevo Official Live Performances, which, if you haven't seen them, you're missing out on some of her best vocal runs).
Music is usually about the "I." I love you. I hate you. I want you. "POV" is about the "You." It’s about the perspective shift.
Actionable Takeaways from the Song’s Narrative
If you're looking for the lyrics to use in a caption or just to understand the song better, keep these points in mind:
- Check the phrasing. If you want to be accurate to the recording, it's "I think I love you," but the internet has claimed "I think you love me" as its own version of the sentiment. Both work for different vibes.
- Understand the context. This is a song about the fear of being seen. If you’re using it for a post, it works best for moments of vulnerability or deep connection.
- Appreciate the production. Listen for the "cellos" in the background during the bridge. They are specifically mixed to create a feeling of "rising" emotion.
- Watch the Vevo Live Version. If you want to hear the most emotive version of those lyrics, the live-to-tape performance captures the "excuse me" line with a much more raw, conversational tone than the studio track.
At the end of the day, the excuse me i think you love me lyrics are a reminder that vulnerability isn't a weakness. It’s the ultimate flex. To stand in front of someone and admit that their perception of you is better than your own—and then to try and catch up to that perception—is the hardest work there is. Ariana just made it sound like a catchy pop song.