After taking a break to prioritize her personal life and focus on her acting career, Ariana Grande returns to start 2024 with new music for her fans. In 2020, Ariana Grande released her sixth studio album “Positions,” which was received with positive reviews. Fans were eager for the singer’s new music when she started teasing pictures of her in the studio. Known for her impressive vocal range and vulnerability in her music, listeners are curious about how different this music and era of Ariana will be. Ariana Grande released her newest and lead single “yes, and?” from her seventh studio album on Jan. 12, 2024.
Despite being more private in recent years, there have been plenty of controversies and drama that have followed the singer/actress. In early-to-mid-2023, it was announced that Grande and her then-husband, Dalton Gomez were separating, with the divorce later settled in Oct. of that year. Broadway actor, Ethan Slater, known for his titular role in the “SpongeBob SquarePants” musical, later came into the picture as the two were rumored to be dating. This was a shock to the internet, as Slater was still with his wife at the time. As a result of these events, people started to question Ariana’s brazen behavior and alleged homewrecking ways. However, the timeline is questionable due to information coming from secondary sources, leaving things out of the full story.
The release of “yes, and?” and her upcoming album starts a new era for Ariana Grande as she steps into a different stage of her life while also straying from her typical music style. The single starts with a bouncy and lively instrumental along with Grande’s background vocals to set the vibe for the rest of the song. The melody’s tone is reminiscent of Madonna’s “Vogue” and 90’s pop music. The beginning of the song gives a feel-good vibe that is deceptively cheerful when met with the lyrics’ bite-back meaning of unapologetically doing what you want and telling critics to mind their own business.
Throughout the song, it is clear that this is Grande’s response to all the speculation and rumors surrounding her. In the second verse, she sings “Now I’m so done with caring / What you think, no, I won’t hide” referencing her annoyance with the negative public perception of her. The theme of moving on and saying “yes, and?” is reminiscent of her past songs such as “thank u, next,” “fake smile” and “shut up.”
The true bite-back message of the song mainly lies in the bridge as Grande sings in a down-tempo, almost spoken and sultry style. At one point in the bridge, she sings “Don’t comment on my body, do not reply.” Since being in the limelight, Grande has seen plenty of body-shaming comments, especially recently. She even responded in a TikTok about the comments, calling people out for making comments on other’s bodies. Following the line, Grande continues to sing “Your business is yours and mine is mine,” making the point of the song clear as she calls on people to mind their own business. The biggest shock for fans comes at the end of the bridge when she sings “why do you care so much whose **** I ride?” Grande clearly calls out people’s overbearing concern over her dating life and most recently the drama with her dating “SpongeBob” actor, Ethan Slater.
A few hours after releasing the lead single, Grande released the music video on YouTube. The song’s video is inspired by Paula Abdul’s music video for her song “Cold Hearted.” In the beginning, critics are talking about Grande such as one critic saying “who cares if she’s happy? I don’t want happy, I want Ari.” This type of sarcastic gossip at the beginning of her music video parallels her “thank u, next” music video. As the critics enter a room filled with statues, the statues break apart revealing Grande and dancers to perform for them. Grande shows off her dancing skills in the video and eventually wins over and entertains the critics with her song.
While the song doesn’t show off her vocals as much until the end, it remains a bop that has been well-received by fans, exciting them even more for her album. However, on the other side, some listeners question the lack of accountability Grande is taking for her alleged homewrecking ways and getting between a marriage by brushing it off. It calls the drama of her relationship with Ethan Slater into question, especially with the gray area and lack of evidence concerning the timeline of when they got together.
Verdict: “yes, and?” is so different from past Ariana Grande songs, that it might take a few listens to get used to. Although the groovy and sparkly song is deceptive regarding its lyrics, it still manages to shine for the typical fans, as it sends off a kiss and a wink to the haters.
