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  • My pants are falling off and I'm just playing them my new album.

  • Look, see. Now he's listening

  • - with the headphones. - ♪ Boy I met you... ♪

  • ( British accent ) It's-- It's top secret.

  • - It's so good. - ( cheering )

  • - Man: It's so good. - It's Ariana's music.

  • - Yay! - Lady Cultura: It's a new song.

  • - Ariana: Okay, David's turn. - Wow, this is a different sound,

  • - but I love it. - My pants are falling down. Excuse me.

  • Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground.

  • Hey.

  • ( music playing )

  • This girl crazy.

  • This is Brian and Fredo's favorite.

  • Right?

  • My pants are falling down.

  • But I'm committed to the style, so I just walk like this.

  • I'm playing them my album. That's weird.

  • We're outta here again.

  • It's been a secret.

  • ( laughs ) I don't know what I'm saying.

  • I just wanna be on camera.

  • Every time you try to pan away I'm like this.

  • I'm chasing you. I'm chasing you.

  • Oh, hey, I didn't see you there.

  • I hate that. Okay, bye.

  • ( laughs )

  • Holly.

  • You look amazing.

  • So I'm just gonna walk around and keep--

  • And keep playing it for everyone,

  • asking them to like it.

  • I'm forcing everyone to hear it.

  • They're always the first to hear everything and they're always honest with me.

  • - What's up with, like, halfway-- - I'm so annoying.

  • They all want me to leave the room.

  • ( music playing )

  • You know it. I'm putting pressure on him.

  • You like it.

  • ( indistinct chatter )

  • - ( humming ) - ( coughs )

  • Uh, here's a little tip, kids.

  • Don't drink laying down.

  • Don't do it.

  • I feel like I looked cool so I just took a little sip.

  • Then I choked.

  • ( humming )

  • - Hey. - Hey.

  • - Hum. - Get it.

  • - Hum. - He.

  • Okay, I have to pee.

  • I'm... I'm peeing.

  • Get it in the camera.

  • - ( laughs ) - Bye.

  • We'll be alright

  • This is the episode

  • in which we're gonna bring you into the "Sweetener" world.

  • And, uh, let you see a little bit of this journey

  • and how we created it, and a little behind the scenes

  • from "The Light is Coming" and "God is a Woman,"

  • and making the albums,

  • and studio moments with Pete, the VMAs.

  • I'm tired.

  • When you drop an album it's like...

  • temporarily dying.

  • I'm so tired.

  • Man: Yeah, yeah.

  • ( snapping fingers )

  • Ariana: ♪ Girl, what's wrong with you? ♪

  • Come back down, down, down, down

  • Is there such a ladder to get above this? ♪

  • Down, down, down

  • Girl, what's wrong with you? ♪

  • Come back down, down, down, down

  • Maybe I should grow myself where the mud is

  • Before I'm gone

  • ( holding note )

  • This is for everybody

  • Babe, you gotta take care of your body

  • Ain't no time to deny it

  • That is why we talking about it

  • Yeah, we talking about it

  • As an artist, I want to love each project I work on,

  • and in their own special way,

  • but this feels like the most me

  • an album has ever felt.

  • It just feels like super close to home.

  • More so than I've ever felt I think.

  • Like a lot of people were like,

  • "Oh, how does it feel like stepping out of your comfort zone?"

  • And I'm like, "Nah, I don't feel like I stepped out of my comfort zone.

  • I feel like I found it."

  • Unfollow fear and just say you are blocked

  • ( humming )

  • Working with Pharrell is really dope, because he's always,

  • like, down to push you places you've never been before.

  • And, like, I am super open in that way.

  • I love-- I'll try anything.

  • Don't be mad at me.

  • - Hmm? - But I think the second time the chorus comes around,

  • we might need you to do all the backgrounds again,

  • and go... ( holding note )

  • Oh, completely.

  • Yeah, absolutely.

  • - It's-- - ♪ Whoo-hoo

  • It's my "Star Search" moment.

  • - Yes! - I'm just gonna impersonate JHud and I'll nail it.

  • Yes, like, we-- Like those backgrounds--

  • Like they need to be so much louder the second time.

  • I feel like I have worked really hard for a long time

  • to solidify my sound.

  • And I feel like it's more solid than ever.

  • I'm doing a tutorial.

  • - Nice. - I'm doing a Pro Tools.

  • Baby's first Pro Tools lesson.

  • - For children. - ♪ Mmm

  • ♪ I'm too much in my head, did you notice? ♪

  • I like that.

  • And I think that came from Pharrell

  • bringing this new flavor.

  • Like '90s influenced. It was dope.

  • It's pretty special.

  • - Yeah. - And I'm so glad--

  • You can work your way to the top

  • Just know that there's up and downs and there's drops

  • Where?

  • ♪ I'm with ya, I'm with ya, I'm with ya, with ya

  • Unfollow fear and just say you are blocked

  • - ♪ You can feel it, feel it ♪ - What?

  • He's brought so much life to this music

  • and I'm so grateful.

  • I don't think you realize the vocal ( bleep )

  • that's about to happen.

  • Like, this ( bleep ) is so--

  • This is-- This is by far our most rainbow cloud song.

  • Yeah.

  • - It's a rainbow cloud song. - Yeah.

  • Literally, it's like you take a tincture,

  • and a tincture under the tongue.

  • And anybody is guaranteed to taste and see

  • and feel rainbow clouds.

  • - Hmm. - I'm just saying.

  • I'm excited.

  • ( Ariana giggles )

  • This and R.E.M. are the most rainbow cloudy to me.

  • Oof. Oof.

  • These two I feel like sound like my DNA.

  • - Wow. - Does that make sense?

  • Yeah.

  • Or how I wish I felt.

  • ( laughs ) Not how I feel.

  • How I'm striving to feel.

  • Listen, when you sing these songs on stage, okay?

  • You will tell people the story of how you felt

  • when we were doing this song.

  • That's what is so amazing.

  • - Yeah. - You-- You will have this to look back on.

  • It's an escape.

  • 100%.

  • I feel like this is like the most updated album

  • - to the last second that you ever made. - Yeah.

  • - The last second. - It was like-- And wait--

  • - You know, and then it's like-- - Yeah.

  • - Oh, my God, one last thing, one last thing. - Oh, ( bleep ). It was-- Yeah.

  • I was like, "Oh, my God, I have to tell you one more thing."

  • Exactly!

  • Uh, hi.

  • We're at the shoot

  • for "The Light is Coming."

  • And, oh boy, do I wish it would.

  • The light is coming

  • To give back everything the darkness stole

  • Stole, stole, stole

  • The light is coming

  • To give back everything the darkness stole

  • The light is coming

  • To give back everything the darkness stole

  • Stole, stole

  • The light is coming

  • To give back everything the darkness stole

  • The light is coming

  • To give back everything the darkness stole

  • Stole, stole

  • The light is coming

  • To give back everything the darkness stole

  • Hey, it's Dave Meyers.

  • We're on set of "Light is Coming."

  • Nicki Minaj and Ari doing it again together.

  • Concept this time,

  • we kinda wanted to go the opposite direction of last time.

  • Something really simple in the middle of a forest

  • with sort of an abstract relationship with light.

  • I suppose, metaphorically,

  • it's sort of trying to find your way through the forest of life,

  • and how the light is what guides you.

  • There are 14 beetles in my asshole.

  • Create a gap-- You went-- You went asshole.

  • ( Ariana laughs )

  • - And you-- You went like this. - It's the scariest.

  • I don't know. Can you see while we're over here?

  • Man: Oh, wow!

  • Ariana: Oh, no, no, no. Brian, can we wait till we get the shot?

  • Please? Because, like, I'm not gonna do it again.

  • - They have so many logs. - So, Brian--

  • He sat down so hard.

  • The first time we sat down over here.

  • I sat down so fast.

  • Slammed my nuts.

  • Slammed my nuts, right?

  • Slammed my nuts. It took my breath away.

  • It took my breath away. And I was like--

  • ( gasps ) To help it, right?

  • Nothing's funnier than "Took my breath away."

  • - Right here. You're dragging something. - Come on.

  • - You look ridiculous! - Thanks, babe.

  • Can you look at her?

  • ( laughs )

  • - She's cold. - She's cold, okay.

  • He would start the take right now with Fredo in the shot.

  • Okay, where am I going?

  • - Oh, yeah. - Oh, my God, no.

  • What? We're not ready.

  • Here we go. Okay.

  • Okay, okay, okay, okay.

  • Okay, we're-- Oh, my God.

  • Man: Go ahead and-- Slate.

  • And roll playback.

  • What did she say? ♪

  • What did he say? ♪

  • You don't listen 'cause you know everything

  • You don't even need dreams

  • Tellin' everybody, "Stay woke, don't sleep" ♪

  • Ah, gonna break the ( bleep ) down

  • You don't wait, tell 'em wait another round

  • Ah, guess you're way above it now

  • And that's your way to love it now

  • I'm, uh, trotting around

  • on some really, really, thick,

  • invisible, slippery roots.

  • I don't know who had this idea.

  • ( whispers ) Me.

  • But she's an idiot.

  • I think we got the first take.

  • Stay tuned, MTV.

  • His shot like drive-by

  • Why you had to make me go call up my side guy? ♪

  • Can't let a f-boy eff up my nice vibes

  • Yo, Ariana, come let me give you a high five

  • The light is coming

  • To give back everything the darkness stole

  • The light is coming

  • To give back everything the darkness stole

  • Hi. Okay, so, update.

  • Uh, Brian and I--

  • I'm pretty sure we were in that last shot.

  • In the background.

  • We didn't know any of the, um--

  • Those lights were gonna be, like, flickering like that.

  • Like back and forth.

  • And we were like, "What is that?"

  • We were like--

  • They, like, approached so gracefully and slowly.

  • I was like this--

  • What?

  • We're in the forest.

  • - Are we? - There can't be a leaf on my face.

  • Are we, though?

  • So basically the concept of this video is like

  • this is my forest, get out.

  • You know?

  • Actually, I have no idea.

  • I thought it was one thing

  • and now I don't think it's that thing.

  • So, I'm just gonna let Dave run with this one.

  • With "No Tears Left To Cry" I was like,

  • "Oh, this is what this is about."

  • This one I thought I knew, but now I don't.

  • I thought I saw the treatment and, like, read it,

  • and came up with it, but then I got here

  • and realized that's not what we're doing.

  • So, um, Dave... back to you.

  • Really I think what's special about this

  • is just show Ari and cut.

  • You know, we're not over-- overcutting it.

  • We're not doing-- You know, we're not overproducing it.

  • We're just sort of letting her move through the forest.

  • Even Nicki is only one take, you know.

  • So it's nice to see a performer in good light,

  • uncut every once in a while.

  • Just to know their X factor is real.

  • Oh, yeah, oh, yeah

  • The light is coming

  • To give back everything the darkness stole

  • - Yeah, cool. - That's my Molly girl.

  • Working with Dave Meyers on all the visuals for this album

  • has been so extraordinary and, like, such a blessing.

  • He's brought so much life to this music.

  • And I'm so grateful,

  • 'cause, like, working with someone who I can have the simplest conversation with

  • and he can bring it to life

  • has been, like, such a dream come true.

  • You can kinda be just over there,

  • and then just kinda milk the moment

  • as you feel the spotlight on you.

  • Oh

  • Your body since you're missing me

  • Work. Hell, yeah.

  • I call it sleepy drunk.

  • - Sleepy drunk? - Sleepy drunk.

  • Yeah, I'm never-- I'm never up this late.

  • So my mind is going to the deep, deep, deep, deep trenches.

  • I'm just really cold. So I'm just gonna roast myself

  • - Rotisserie. - Until it's time to go.

  • - I believe you. - Oh, my God, I'm too close.

  • Oh, my God.

  • My eyelashes are gone.

  • Guys-- No, this is the first--

  • Behind us is the balloon forest. They're setting it up.

  • This is the final scene where she kinda makes it

  • to a-- a little more illumination.

  • Uh, so it's a little more visceral, a little bit prettier.

  • It's only there for a moment

  • and then she disappears into the darkness of the forest.

  • To leave the viewer with the reality that the viewer faces,

  • which is they gotta find their way through their forest.

  • I think it's like five in the morning,

  • but it's gonna be amazing.

  • To give back everything the darkness stole

  • Stole, stole

  • The light is coming

  • To give back everything the darkness stole

  • The light is coming

  • To give back everything the darkness stole

  • Stole, stole

  • The light is coming

  • To give back everything the darkness stole

  • ( music stops )

  • ( cheers and applause )

  • And that is a good morning to Ariana Grande.

  • All right, guys, good night. That is--

  • You

  • You love it how I move you

  • You love it how I touch you

  • My one, when all is said and done

  • You believe God is a woman

  • And I, I feel it after midnight

  • At the end of the day,

  • none of us would be here without a woman.

  • To me, Ari took this to a quick transcendent level with the song

  • and so I was just going crazy with the visuals.

  • You know, I've always wanted to do the thinking woman,

  • which is obviously a twist on the thinking man.

  • There's no reason that we shouldn't understand the power of a thinking woman.

  • And it seems like that's what people are afraid of these days.

  • Hey, ladies, wanna say hello?

  • Ladies: Hey!

  • Oh, my God, that was so cute.

  • I didn't expect it to be that cute.

  • Hey, guys.

  • ( all laugh )

  • Just feeding my twins a little meal.

  • It tastes better than the mango, even.

  • "It tastes better than the mango, even."

  • It tastes better than the mango, even.

  • - Ew, what? What? - Man: Breastfeed her mom

  • and she's like ten years old.

  • Woman: Wait, stop, stop.

  • Stop talking about that, because I look really pretty.

  • Hey, guys.

  • Everyone, please.

  • It's super important.

  • That's ( bleep ) Madonna.

  • That's Madonna.

  • Okay, continue. Carry on.

  • So today's a really stellar day.

  • So, Madonna--

  • She gave us seven takes.

  • Not one, but seven.

  • And I, um...

  • I don't have words.

  • Gonna cry myself to sleep.

  • ( whispers ) Guys.

  • Life doesn't get better than this.

  • I swear to God if something changes,

  • honest to God, knock me out.

  • Madonna carried the struggle on her shoulders to--

  • to put out what Ari's able to put out now.

  • And so that-- that baton pass to happen on this video

  • is like ( bleep )-- It's subtle, which is what's badass about it,

  • but it's also so big.

  • And wire in.

  • - Stand by. - ♪ You ain't afraid

  • Baby, let me down and let's pray

  • ♪ I'm telling you the way I like, how I want it

  • Yeah

  • And I can be all the things you told me not to be

  • Yeah, when you try to come for me

  • ♪ I keep on flourishing yeah

  • And he see the universe when I'm in company

  • It's all in me

  • You, you love it how I move you

  • You love it how I touch you

  • My one, when all is said and done

  • This stuff is-- is a special, Ethan special.

  • - Implied. - Ethan's my-- my--

  • - My secret designer extraordinaire. - Chair remaker.

  • I can be a little bit literal

  • and then Ethan comes along takes my literal thought

  • and turns it to abstract avant-garde.

  • Let's pray

  • You, your love is like-- ♪

  • Ladies and gentlemen, that is a wrap!

  • Thank you very much.

  • - ( cheers and applause ) - Give him a hand!

  • Give him a hand!

  • ( cheers and applause )

  • ( Ariana laughs ) You're like--

  • I hate you!

  • All of us.

  • He hates me.

  • ( indistinct chatter )

  • He just rubs it.

  • - I'm hugging you. - Ready?

  • Yeah.

  • ( screams and laughs )

  • I give this to you, Ari, and to the fans.

  • And to every woman who's ever put up with a stupid ass dude.

  • All: Yes!

  • Who wants me to start it over?

  • The night feels strange

  • I'm always more curious

  • to hear what my fans have to say

  • about my music than, like, my label, or anybody,

  • because I feel like we have such a close bond,

  • and connection and relationship, I feel like.

  • And we'll get it, get it, get it, get it

  • Get it, get it, get it

  • That's why I flew in a fan from Paris named Anise.

  • You might know him as @behoright.

  • To listen to "Sweetener" before I played it for my label or anybody.

  • So, I'm always curious to hear what they have to say first.

  • So I kinda wanted to do that for a larger group of kids this time.

  • Just to celebrate the album and see what they think.

  • - Oh, my God! - ( applause )

  • Oh, my God!

  • - Yeah. - Do we like?

  • All: Yes!

  • It also helped me calm my nerves a lot

  • before I put it out.

  • - I love that. - That was--

  • ( overlapping chatter )

  • I'm so--

  • I'm so happy you were moved to get up.

  • It makes it so much better to know that, like,

  • it means so much to you.

  • - Ariana: That makes me happy. - It's-- Yeah.

  • - Yeah, trust-- That's incredible like that-- - Oh, thank you.

  • I'm just-- I'm just--

  • I feel so blessed that this record is actually happening.

  • - Oh, me, too. - Straight up.

  • Man: You could tell on your face you did something you love.

  • What was the first layer to this song?

  • What was the first layer to "Sweetener"?

  • The first layer to the song was this--

  • "Hey, how are you?" And I was like, "I'm good. How are you?"

  • And Pharrell was like, "Not-- Can we talk about, like,

  • some life stuff?" And I was, like, "Sure."

  • And he was like, "How's life?" And he was like, "Sure."

  • And he was like-- ( humming )

  • ( all laugh )

  • It's been beautiful, you know.

  • ( music playing )

  • There's something intimidating

  • about making a more personal album.

  • And breathe in, and breathe in, and breathe in

  • And there's a tremendous amount of pressure that comes with it

  • because you want people to feel the same way about it as you do.

  • But it's been beautiful,

  • and people seem to really understand it.

  • ( music playing )

  • Hey!

  • ( cheers and applause )

  • So we go five, six, seven, eight.

  • It goes-- ( grunts )

  • Ariana had a dope idea.

  • I was writing on the treadmill when I came up with the concept

  • for the VMA performance.

  • And I FaceTimed Brian and Scott

  • and Roy and Rashad, and I was like,

  • "We have to re-create The Last Supper."

  • We started making up choreography.

  • And tap-- You-- Tap.

  • ( singing ) ♪ You love it how I move you

  • You love it how I touch you

  • My one-- ♪

  • We rehearsed I think for, like, three full weeks.

  • And then we went to New York, rehearsed in this huge,

  • kind of warehouse vibe.

  • So we can pull the-- The table separated,

  • and get all the risers and columns in.

  • And then, yeah, it was cool to get to work with 47, I believe,

  • 47 women, all in this one piece, including Ariana.

  • - ♪ God ♪ - ♪ God is a woman

  • Oh, yeah

  • - ♪ God is a woman ♪ - ♪ Whoo

  • My one, when all is said and done

  • You'll believe God is a woman

  • ( cheers and applause )

  • Ladies, nice job.

  • - You're done. - Yeah, nice job, nice job.

  • I think everyone noticed

  • that when they saw the piece they were like,

  • "Wow, this is such a special moment

  • for all these types of women."

  • We had every-- Every type of woman on that stage.

  • Yell, everyone!

  • ( cheers and applause )

  • Ariana: Nonna, Mommy.

  • Hi!

  • - Hi! - How are you?

  • - Smile, Nonny. - Where'd you get that gorgeous camera?

  • Smile.

  • Man: Turn it on.

  • The red light means you're on camera, Mom.

  • - You look stunning, Mom. - Thank you, sweetie.

  • You

  • You love it how I move you

  • You love it how I touch you

  • My one, when all is said and done

  • You'll believe God is a woman

  • And I, I feel it after midnight

  • ♪ A feeling that you can't fight

  • My one, it lingers when we're done

  • You'll believe God is a woman

  • Y'all look so beautiful!

  • ( cheers and applause )

  • Where's Patience? Patience, where you at?

  • - Where's Patience? - Jesus.

  • - Jesus. - Jesus!

  • Jesus, come to the floor.

  • ( cheers )

  • Oh, my God, you look so good!

  • You look so good!

  • - I need a better outfit. - No way!

  • No way, no way.

  • I need something-- Should I put something on my head?

  • They have small ones--

  • - Can I have a small one? - Yeah.

  • Oh, my God, I wanna-- I wanna look--

  • Woman: I am the light.

  • All: I am the light.

  • We are the light.

  • All: We are the light.

  • We are the light.

  • All: We are the light.

  • We are the light!

  • All: We are the light!

  • - Whoo! - ( all cheer )

  • Whoo!

  • - Whoo! - Whoo!

  • You made this.

  • What? Are you so happy?

  • - Absolutely. - It's her dream.

  • ( laughs )

  • I think, um--

  • I don't know what to say.

  • - I love you guys. - We're proud--

  • Lani, I'm so proud of you.

  • I won't remember that you said that,

  • 'cause I'm gonna black out from anxiety.

  • - So-- - Same.

  • - Same. - Some anxiety.

  • I'm gonna black out in three seconds.

  • - Gonna have an anxiety attack. - Be fine.

  • It's gonna be dope.

  • - Oh! I'm so proud of you. - It's gonna be dope.

  • - I love you for that. - Thanks.

  • So exciting, but you kill this.

  • - I love you. - For real. You kill this, bro.

  • Look at all these generations of Grande women.

  • - That's right. - Yay!

  • And-- And your twins have been with you so long.

  • - Just as long as you. - From the beginning.

  • Yes.

  • - 25 years. - Literally.

  • I'm crying.

  • - This is-- I'm so excited. - I'm so glad, I'm happy.

  • - My heart has to pee. - Seriously.

  • - My heart has to pee. - I need a--

  • Does that make sense?

  • Do you know what you believe?

  • - God is a woman. - Literally.

  • - Thirsty. - Here's JLo.

  • ( vocalizing )

  • Baby

  • It was Brian's idea to bring out my Nonna and mommy at the end.

  • And when he told me about that I cried and my mom cried.

  • And Nonna's reaction was, like,

  • "It's about time you asked me.

  • I thought I was coming and never-- You never called.

  • When were you gonna ask me to join you?"

  • And I was like, "Sorry I'm late."

  • And, um, I definitely didn't think Lani was gonna do it,

  • but she did it and it meant the world to me.

  • Lani is my cousin.

  • And she's been like such an inspiration to me growing up.

  • I always wanted to as, like, smart and cool as Lani.

  • So, yeah, it was a really beautiful moment.

  • Did you have fun?

  • I-- I was so nervous.

  • Oh, you were?

  • ( cheers and applause )

  • - Amazing. - I sound okay?

  • Okay, good. Yay!

  • You all look good, ladies.

  • I died. The whole time I died.

  • - Whole time I died. Died. - Yay!

  • Jimmy Jam, one of the greatest producers of all time,

  • just texted me, "Now," capital, "THAT WAS A PERFORMANCE!

  • First one I've seen that actually seems super level star

  • where song and staging go together with an artist.

  • Not to mention, means anything, but, uh,

  • but giving you my two cents for free.

  • You my friend, have a superstar on your hands.

  • - Congrats, Ariana." - ( cheers and applause )

  • Yay, Nonna, Mommy, you did so good.

  • You didn't cry.

  • - I didn't. - You didn't cry.

  • Muah.

  • - And you didn't throw up. - I didn't throw up.

  • Yay!

  • These are my family!

  • ( music playing )

  • - ♪ Someday ♪ - There's a runner.

  • Man: What are they chasing?

  • Am I a Spice Girl?

  • Ari has been just killing herself all release week,

  • and she goes into that overdrive,

  • where she wants to be as close to the fans as possible.

  • And she does every show, she does every interview.

  • She does every appearance.

  • She's on every piece of social media talking to the fans

  • and expressing herself in every which way possible.

  • But that's who she is.

  • And that's why she's having this moment,

  • that's why she's a superstar.

  • And that's why she deserves

  • and will be the number one album in the country.

  • She doesn't know that yet.

  • You'll believe God is a woman

  • - ♪ My one ♪ - ( cheers )

  • ♪ I tell you all the things you should know

  • So, baby, take my hand and go slow

  • We can make it last and go slow

  • - Stop. - ( cheers and applause )

  • Woman: No way!

  • ( cheers and applause )

  • ( cheers and applause )

  • This has been, um, a "Sweetener" diary,

  • if you will.

  • And, um, I'm so excited

  • to bring you into the world of the Dangerous Woman diaries.

  • So, you've waited very long for this.

  • So, thank you for your patience,

  • and, um, I can't wait for you to see

  • what we've been holding on to for so long.

  • I hope you enjoy.

  • - ( cheers ) - ( vocalizing )

  • All right, ladies, I have a question.

  • - Can you do me a solid? - Yes.

  • I know one of y'all has a tampon.

  • - You've got to. - ( laughs )

  • - May I? - Yes.

  • ( overlapping chatter )

My pants are falling off and I'm just playing them my new album.

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