Ariana Grande has always been known for her relentless positivity. Having been through so many tragedies in her lifetime, she is incredibly strong in continuing to strive towards happiness and push a message of optimism and kindness. Heartbreak and sadness can often make a person bitter, and breakups have been the inspiration behind many hit songs.
On November 3, 2018, Grande released a surprise song from her next album. The track, titled “thank u, next,” was released thirty minutes prior to the start of Saturday Night Live (which stars her ex, Pete Davidson). This caused fans to speculate- would it be a diss track? A series of cryptic lyric tweets by Grande increased the anticipation. As soon as it was released, “thank u, next” became an instant favorite (and even a meme)- its iconic lyrics, perfect vocals, and catchy beat have led it to be awarded the title of “the fastest song in history to pass 100 million streams.” On November 18, the song officially went platinum and Grande assured fans “don’t worry… you’re still getting a video.” However, it isn’t Grande’s first positivity anthem- she began her new era with “no tears left to cry,” her comeback single focusing on hope and recovering from sorrow, and “breathin,” which is about her anxiety.
This song is heartbreakingly beautiful. Of course, it’s a breakup anthem. She goes through her exes; (Big) Sean, Ricky (Alvarez), Pete (Davidson), and Malcolm (Mac Miller). One particularly touching line is “wish I could say ‘thank you’ to Malcolm, cause he was an angel” (in reference to Mac Miller’s passing). Ariana sings about the hard times she’s had; “I’ve loved and I’ve lost” and “how she handles pain, that s***’s amazing” are two examples. However, Grande makes it clear to listeners that she is taking the pain and lessons from these failed relationships and using it to help herself grow and become a better person. The title is literal and there is no “shade-” Grande is thankful for her past romances and everything they taught her (love, patience, and pain, to be specific).
It’s not only about ending romantic relationships, though. Grande stresses that she is focusing on her relationship with herself. She shows this by replacing the “one” in the lyrics “one taught me love, one taught me patience, one taught me pain, now I’m so amazing” with “she,” in reference to herself. This is pop perfection that radiates self-love and positivity, which is exactly what everyone could always use a bit of.