Motive

"Motive" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande and American rapper and singer Doja Cat. The two wrote the song with Victoria Monét, Nija Charles, Jeremy McIntyre, Steven Franks and its producers Murda Beatz and Tommy Brown. It was released by Republic Records on October 30, 2020, as the third track on the former's sixth studio album Positions. Background Grande first teased the collaboration with Doja Cat in an interview dated May 13, 2020. She said that they started to work on the song, which was titled "Motivate" at the time, towards the end of 2019. Grande recalled: "I remember when I first wrote it and sent it to her, she was in the shower and she was like, 'Bitch, I love this. I'm in the shower.' And I was like, 'Shower. Okay, there's no rush. I'm not putting out a project anytime soon, whatever. You can call me back.' She was like, 'I'm doing it right now." Doja Cat video called her the next morning. Grande praised Doja Cat's personality, calling her "a breath of fresh air". She also expressed her appreciation for her talent and "what she brings to the table musically", adding: "I was able to work with her earlier this year on this song that I want to save for whenever it's time again, to drop." "Motive" was revealed on October 24, 2020, when Grande posted the track list of Positions on social media. It marks the first collaboration between Grande and Doja Cat, and the first time either artists had worked with Canadian hip hop producer Murda Beatz.