Are you bored with your music? Need some new tunes in your head? Go browse the top charts and you’ll find Ariana Grande’s whole entire album in the top 15. Take a listen. I guarantee the catchy pop songs will be stuck in your head over the next couple of days, whether you like it or not.
Grande’s new album thank u, next was released on February 8, and teen girls stayed up until the very last minute the night before to hear her debut. She was dropping hints and previews all over her social media prior to the album release, previewing to excited fans what was to come on her thrilling new album about heartbreak and self discovery. Senior Adrienne Bruch is a big fan of the album.
“I love the variation of all the songs, they each add different perspectives of different aspects of her life,” Bruch said. “There’s a song for every mood.”
The release of the first single on her album, thank u, next got fans raving immediately with her bold move of calling out her exes and her powerful message of loving herself instead. Weeks later, she came out with another single, “imagine” and then not too long after, “7 rings,” which were both instant hits as well.
Grande’s sassy yet sweet album consists of fast tempoed, catchy beats tossed in with some slow dramatic songs that might make you cry.
“My favorite song is ‘makeup’ because it makes me feel like a queen,” senior Julia Baumel said.
Grande’s previous album, “Sweetener,” released in 2018, was a lovestruck album that arrived after Grande witnessed the attack at her Manchester concert in 2017 that killed 22 people and injured over 500. She took this damage and responded with an album about love, happiness and strength. This was also when she met Pete Davidson and soon after became engaged.
In that same year, a quick turn of events changed everything, when Grande’s ex love and rapper Mac Miller died from a sudden drug overdose. Soon after Miller’s death, Grande and Davidson’s engagement was broken off. In just a matter of weeks, “thank u, next” was topping the charts. Her latest album continues this timeline of events and emotions.
thank u, next covers all the different aspects of Grande’s past couple months. With talking about her need for love and affection in “needy” or her asking for some space in “NASA,” each song has its own unique tune and story to it.
A song that got fans truly understanding the lyrics was “ghostin.” This slower song is believed to be Grande thanking Davidson for being so patient and kind while she cried about Miller’s death, indicating she was still in love with him, saying “Though I wish he were here instead, don’t want that living in your head.” “ghostin” is senior Polly Litts’ favorite song on the album.
“As a big fan of Miller, Grande and Davidson, it gives her fans insight on her thoughts and feelings on the matter in a beautiful and lyrical way, which shows Grande’s vulnerability,” Litts said. “Many artists wouldn’t be so open and honest about such a situation, but Grande is honoring Miller and respecting Davidson by releasing such an emotional song.”
Grande goes out with a boom with the last song on the album, “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored.” In this savage, catchy bop, she shows everyone who’s boss. However, the music video shows the real message she is trying to send, where she ends the video by really wanting the “girlfriend,” who looked like herself, not the boyfriend.
Each song on this album shares a different emotion and story, but in some hidden way, she always finds a way to send the powerful message of self empowerment and self love, without needing or depending on the love of a man. Just listen closely and you’ll see the message Grande is trying to send with her bold new album. That’s all for now. Thank you, next.
