The song debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 selling 438,000 copies in its first week on sale, earning Grande her biggest digital song sales week ever. The song later peaked at number two, surpassing "The Way" as her highest-charting single in the United States at the time. It also became Azalea's second-highest-charting single in the US, after her own single "Fancy". "Problem" remained in the top ten of the Hot 100 for the first sixteen weeks of its chart run, making its number three debut on May 7, 2014, and dropping out of the top ten on August 27, 2014. It topped the US Mainstream Top 40 and Rhythmic charts. Internationally, the single debuted at the top of the charts in Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland and the United Kingdom, while peaking within the top ten of the charts in most other territories, including Australia, Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Denmark, and Greece. "Problem" became the first song to top the UK Singles chart based on both sales and streaming.
To promote the song, Grande performed it first at the 2014 Radio Disney Music Awards, followed by the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Awards, on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Nev Todorovic and premiered on Vevo on May 30, 2014. It won "Best Pop Video" at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards and has been viewed more than 1.3 billion times as of September 2021. The song itself won "Best Song" at the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards.
As of 2018, the single has sold 3.7 million copies in the US and has been certified sextuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in March 2016. It ultimately reached combined sales and track-equivalent streams of 9 million units worldwide,[1] becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time.
PROBLEM
Ariana Grande & Iggy Azalea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got one more problem with you girl
Aye
Baby even though I hate ya
I wanna love ya
I want you you you
And even though I can't forgive ya
I want you you you
Tell me, tell me baby
Why can't you leave me
'Cause even though I shouldn't want it
I gotta have it
I want you you you
Head in the clouds
Got no weight on my shoulders
I should be wiser
And realize that I've got
One less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less, one less problem
One less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less, one less problem
I know you're never gonna wake up
I gotta give up
But it's you you you
I know I shouldn't ever call back
Or let you come back
But it's you you you
Every time you touch me
And say you love me
I get a little bit breathless
I shouldn't want it
But it's you you you
Head in the clouds
Got no weight on my shoulders
I should be wiser
And realize that I've got
One less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less, one less problem
One less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less, one less problem
It's Iggy Iggz, uh
What you got?
Smart money bettin', I'll be better off without you
In no time, I'll be forgettin' all about you
You saying that you know
But I really really doubt you
Understand my life is easy
When I ain't around you
Iggy Iggy, too biggie to be here stressing
I'm thinking I love the thought of you
More than I love your presence
And the best thing now
Is probably for you to exit
I let you go, let you back
I finally learned my lesson
No half-stepping
Either you want it or you just playin'
I'm listening to you knowin'
I can't believe what you're sayin'
There's a million you's baby boy
So don't be dumb
I got 99 problems
But you won't be one
Like what!
One less, one less problem
One less, one less problem
Head in the clouds
Got no weight on my shoulders
I should be wiser
And realize that I've got
One less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less, one less problem
One less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less, one less problem
One less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less problem without ya
I got one less, one less problem
The lyrics to Ariana Grande feat. Iggy Azalea's "Problem" describe a toxic relationship that the singer can't seem to let go of. She acknowledges that she shouldn't want this person, who has caused her pain, but she can't help but still desire them. The repetition of "I want you" and "it's you you you" emphasize how difficult it is for her to let go. Despite knowing that she needs to move on, she finds herself breathless and unable to resist when this person touches her and says they love her. The pre-chorus ("Head in the clouds, got no weight on my shoulders") highlights how she is lost in her emotions for this person and recognizes that she needs to be wiser and realize that she has one less problem without them.
In the chorus, the singer declares that she now has one less problem without this person in her life. She repeats this phrase several times, emphasizing how her life is better without them. In Iggy Azalea's verse, she adds another layer to the song by expressing that she will be better off without this person, betting on herself and her own strength to move forward. She also acknowledges that there are many others like this person and that she has learned her lesson not to let them back into her life.
Overall, the chorus of "One less problem without ya" is a catchy and memorable hook, but when the context of the lyrics are examined, it is clear that the song is about a difficult and painful relationship. The lyrics show that letting go of someone who has caused us pain is easier said than done, but ultimately it is necessary for our own well-being.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh huh, it's Iggy Iggz
The singer introduces herself as Iggy Iggz
I got one more problem with you girl
The singer has one more issue to resolve with the addressee
Baby even though I hate ya
I wanna love ya
I want you you you
And even though I can't forgive ya
I really want to
I want you you you
The singer has intense mixed feelings for the addressee despite past issues
Tell me, tell me baby
Why can't you leave me
'Cause even though I shouldn't want it
I gotta have it
I want you you you
The singer's desire for the addressee is inexplicable and overwhelming
Head in the clouds
Got no weight on my shoulders
I should be wiser
And realize that I've got
One less problem without ya
The singer acknowledges that separating from the addressee has made her life easier and she should be more mindful of that
I know you're never gonna wake up
I gotta give up
But it's you you you
I know I shouldn't ever call back
Or let you come back
But it's you you you
Every time you touch me
And say you love me
I get a little bit breathless
I shouldn't want it
But it's you you you
The singer is struggling to move on despite knowing it's the right choice, due to her intense feelings towards the addressee
It's Iggy Iggz, uh
What you got?
Smart money bettin', I'll be better off without you
In no time, I'll be forgettin' all about you
You saying that you know
But I really really doubt you
Understand my life is easy
When I ain't around you
Iggy Iggy, too biggie to be here stressing
I'm thinking I love the thought of you
More than I love your presence
And the best thing now
Is probably for you to exit
I let you go, let you back
I finally learned my lesson
No half-stepping
Either you want it or you just playin'
I'm listening to you knowin'
I can't believe what you're sayin'
There's a million you's baby boy
So don't be dumb
I got 99 problems
But you won't be one
Like what!
Iggy Azalea takes over and confidently asserts her independence without the addressee, expressing that her life is better off, and she's learned her lesson about unhealthy relationships
Head in the clouds
Got no weight on my shoulders
I should be wiser
And realize that I've got
One less problem without ya
The chorus repeats to emphasize that separating from the addressee has improved the singer's life overall
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AMETHYST AMELIA KELLY, ARIANA GRANDE, MAX MARTIN, SAVAN KOTECHA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind