Ariana Grande Drops New Single “Thank U, Next,” Readies “Breathin” Video

Mike Nied | November 5, 2018 9:54 am
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Ariana Grande may have dropped an album in August, but she is already preparing to grace us with another era. The 25-year-old began teasing the potential of new music by posting some footage from the recording studio last month. With the announcement of her Sweetener World Tour, the “No Tears Left To Cry” diva confirmed plans to promote two albums simultaneously. Over the weekend she provided the first taste of what she’s been cooking up with the surprise release of her new single, “thank u, next.” On it, she reunites with frequent collaborators including writing partner Victoria Monét and producers Tommy Brown (TBHits), Michael Foster and Charles Anderson and shares a message to her exes.

“Thought I’d end up with Sean, but he wasn’t a match,” she sings of Big Sean. “Wrote some songs about Ricky. Now I listen and laugh,” she coos in reference to former backup dancer Ricky Alvarez. “Even almost got married. And for Pete, I’m so thankful,” she admits of her most recent breakup before fitting in a tribute to Mac Miller. “Wish I could say ‘thank you’ to Malcom, cause he was an angel.” Moving into the chorus, she thanks each of her former lovers for the impact on her life. “I’ve loved, and I’ve lost. But that’s not what I see. So, look what I got. Look what you taught me,” she adds. In a twist, she also works in a tribute to her latest relationship – one with herself.

“No drags…. no shade….. jus love, gratitude, acceptance, honesty, forgiveness … and growth,” the pint-sized hitmaker explained about the track in a tweet. Since dropping Saturday, it has amassed more than 8 million streams on Spotify. Today (November 5) it is topping both the Global and US Top 50 charts on the service. Meanwhile, “thank u, next” occupies the number 2 spot on US iTunes. That’s not all though. Ari also confirmed the imminent release of a video in support of her current Sweetener single. “Breathin video this week too!” We don’t know much about the visual just yet. However, it appears to have been directed by Hannah Lux Davis. She also shared a heartfelt note thanking her fans for their continued support.

“Thank u ♡ for hearing me and for making me feel so not alone 🖤 i truly am grateful,” she wrote. “No matter how painful! i’m thankful and i love u.” Press play on “thank u, next” and check out her announcement about the “breathin” video below!

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