A breakup song is defined as a three-minute opportunity to either cry or destroy the other person. When Taylor Swift broke up with one of her many ex’s, she would usually write a song that I can immediately tell is a song to end all relationships.
Some songs are ballads; slow, depressing and it is required to have a box of tissues by me every time I hear it. Others are the opposite; high energy, usually full of messages of girl power and that they’re better off not together. There are so many ways to express your feelings through music, that when artists feel like they can release what feels true to them, they have so many options. Charlie Puth mentioned in an interview that his most recent album was more personal than anything he’s written however, it was still based a lot on what he thought his fans wanted to hear. The more comfortable an artist becomes and the more they experience, they accumulate the ability to not be afraid to release their true feelings into the air.
With what Charlie Puth stated in mind, I opened Twitter and discovered a new song by one of my favorite artists in the entire industry; Ariana Grande. “thank you, next” is the title and I couldn’t wait to listen to it. As I searched for it in Apple Music I was trying to imagine what it would sound like. “It’ll probably be a bop. I mean, Dangerous woman had a few slow songs but most of her music makes you want to dance,” and “OOOOOOOO what if she totally destroys Pete Davidson,” were my exact thoughts before my first listen.
As the song began, my heart started to race. She mentioned her past relationships right from the start but not in the way I was thinking. She started thanking them for everything they gave her; love, patience, and pain. She never once mentioned whether she was treated wrong or why the relationship ended. It is not that type of song.
She sang about how she’s discovering herself. “Plus I met someone else…But this one gon’ last ‘cause her name is Ari and I’m so good with that” is the exact lyric she sings in this song. She says she’s “grateful for her ex” and for what she gained when she lost them. This song is a symbol of her strength and humble nature. What she has endured is extreme and I believe she finally feels comfortable enough to share her true mind with the world. She knows who she is becoming and who she wants to be, but she was only able to discover that through her heart breaking.
Ariana gave us the message that we do not have to hate the people that are no longer in our lives. She grew from them and became the bigger person in the end. I think we can all take advice from her as we continue through the years and always remember to say thank you.