Ariana Grande

“​thank you, next”

By Suneet Singh

Ariana Grande offers yet another reminder of why she is America’s

sweetheart with the release of her single, “thank you, next.” The single
came as a surprise to her fans after the release of her critically
acclaimed album ​Sweetener​ and offers a glimpse into Grande’s
personal life.

The music world stands oversaturated with bashful breakup songs, but Grande takes the high
road with this single by saying “thank you, next” to the rumors. Without doubt the 25-year-old
singer-songwriter has had a painful year with the recent death of her ex, rapper Mac Miller, and
breakup with fiancé, comedian Pete Davidson, yet the popstar highlights love, gratitude,
self-growth and new beginnings throughout the song.

Contrary to the sassy title, Grande reveals the themes of forgiveness, acceptance and healing.
She bravely showcases her vulnerability right off the bat by publicly addressing her
ex-boyfriends by name: the rapper Big Sean, the backup dancer Ricky Alvarez, Davidson and
Miller. ​The singer uses the song as a platform to push rumors to the side and take control of the
gossip revolving around her love life.

Grande offers clarity to her fans by referencing two of her most controversial and public
relationships. She mentions her most recent relationship with Davidson by saying that she is
thankful for their relationship, even if their plans to marry did not work out. The most
heart-wrenching line for the late Miller’s fans is “Wish I could say “thank you” to Malcolm/‘Cause
he was an angel.” In this line, Grande wishes that she could let him know how much he meant
to her. She lets listeners know that “One taught me love/One taught me patience/And one
taught me pain” in a suspenseful melody. These lessons gave her the perspective to thank them
with the iconic chorus line “Thank you, next,” which she repeats numerously before arriving at
the line “I’m so fucking grateful for my ex.”

Grande teases listeners into thinking that she has met someone new, but then reveals that new
love is herself: “She taught me love/She taught me patience/How she handles pain/That shit’s
amazing.” With that, the focus of the song shifts from boys who didn’t work out back to herself.
Grande does include some of her famous sass by stating that she only wants to get married
once, but if “God forbid something happens/ Least this song is a smash.”

Following the single’s success, Grande released a music video on November 30, becoming one
of the most-viewed videos in YouTube’s history. Shortly after its premiere, it broke the record for
most Vevo views, 55.4 million, in 24 hours. Three days later, the video surpassed Adele’s
“Hello” and broke another record for reaching 100 million views in the shortest amount of time.
The video even led to a spike in Amazon Prime streaming of the movies “Mean Girls,” “Bring it
On,” “Legally Blond” and “13 going on 300,” all female-empowerment movies that Ariana paid
homage to.

The single allowed Grande to regain control of the narrative of her life. Grande showed not only
her ability to take back ownership of the gossip, but also of her romantic life and growth as a
person. Grande has been an inspiration to women everywhere, but “thank you, next” provides
women with a catchy new anthem emphasizing self love.