Ariana Grande Moves on In New Song, “Thank U, Next”

BY Ashley Engle

Staff Reporter

On Nov. 3, singer Ariana Grande released her new single “Thank U, Next”.

“Thank U, Next” came out a day after Grande published tweets involving lyrics following ex-fiancé Pete Davidson’s joke about their broken engagement on Saturday Night Live.

The highly publicized joke received mixed thoughts amongst fans.

“I honestly didn’t see anything wrong with his joke. He’s a comedian, and for him I think this was Pete’s way of handling his depression with jokes. I think his joke was coming from a place of hurt, but honestly Ariana pushed back with a hit song as a response. So, I mean, Ariana definitely won this one I think,” said senior Alessia Loretta.

The song broke records upon its release. According to Forbes, “ ‘Thank U, Next’ broke Spotify’s global, single-day streaming record for a female artist. The song has earned nearly 8.2 million streams, according to thespotifycharts.com.”

“Thank U, Next” pays tribute to all of Grande’s exes, including Big Sean, Ricky Alvarez, Pete Davidson, and the late Mac Miller who died of an accidental overdose on Sept. 7.

Grande’s new song is adored by numerous students because of the praise for her exes and how they each taught her life lessons.

“I think ‘Thank U, Next’ pushes the envelope just a little bit more compared to anything she’s ever done. Besides the catchy beat, I love the personal touch she’s placed in this song by referencing her exes. She does so in such a positive way; it is very different from anything the music industry has seen before,” said senior Ciara Ryan.

Other fans have had specific lyrics that struck their mind as powerful. 

“I love the song overall, but my favorite lyric is where she talks about finding herself as being the most important relationship right now, and that it’s amazing that she’s been able to handle the pain. This part of the song carries the powerful message of self-love. Girls have to remember to love themselves for who they are because guys come and go,” said Loretta.

Grande has recently dealt with a number of instances involving grief. One was the Manchester bombing that occurred on her Dangerous Woman Tour in May 2017. She expresses the anxiety she suffers in her fourth album, “Sweetener,” mainly in the hit song “Breathin.”

Students remember the bombing that occurred last year and admired Grande’s dedication to those affected.

“When I initially heard about the Manchester bombing, I was so scared for her and our society. It’s crazy that stuff like that takes place in our world. It’s a situation that no artist would ever want to be in, especially when it involves her adoring fans in a night that was supposed to be fun and memorable,” said Loretta.

Grande has received scrutiny for ending her two-year relationship with Mac Miller and starting a relationship with Pete Davidson. The grief of hearing about Miller’s death is rumored to be one of the components to Grande calling off her relationship with Davidson.

“I think it’s terrible people are blaming her for his death. His sobriety isn’t her responsibility. He is responsible for his own actions and the life he chose to live,” said senior Amy Annese.

“Thank U, Next,” has been revealed to be the title for Ariana Grande’s fifth album.

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