Ariana Grande’s new single, “thank u, next”, without a doubt hit home in regards to our ex-boyfriends, but should girls really be thankful for all that their ex-boyfriends put them through? Well, ladies, I hate to break it to you but yes – yes, we should. Like Grande says, they’ve taught us pain, patience and love, but we should never thank them for the pain they put us through; we should thank them for how strong we’ve become.
In the first verse of the song, Grande addresses the names of her exes. This shows her ability to directly mention their names without bringing back painful memories. Digging through the past can be difficult, but finally talking about it and moving on can be so assuring.
Moving onto the second verse, Grande becomes aware of the problems she caused herself, but acknowledges she finally just needs a relationship with herself – something every girl needs at some time in their life. Boys can make us spend less time with our friends and more time thinking about them, which is very toxic. If you’re having doubts, say “no thank u, next,” and move on to the greatest relationship you’ll ever have… with yourself.
Grande finally talks about what she hopes for the future: marriage. That one guy who will last, who will show all of the exes what we’ve overcome. So thank all the guys that brought you here; they’ve taught you what a terrible, or even hopeless, relationship can feel like. It’s going to take a couple tries before you find the right guy, so remember it’s always ok to say, “no thank u, next.”