Can You Believe Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” Came Out One Year Ago?
This time last year, our lives changed for the better; for the pinker, some might say. Ariana Grande’s boy-bye masterpiece “Thank U, Next” dropped one year ago Sunday, providing a new breakup bop not only for herself, but for any and all of her heartbroken fans. Can you believe it? What even is a year?
Grande celebrated the anniversary with a tweet thread describing the changes in her life over the past year:
“Happy birthday ‘thank u, next,’” she wrote. “I can’t believe i’ve spent more time alone this year than i have in my life, i can’t believe how many sessions w my therapist i’ve had, how many times i’ve sung this song, how much i’ve learned and healed, how much i still have to learn and heal!"
“Thank U, Next” debuted on top of the Billboard 200 albums chart, and made headlines thanks to its frank naming of Grande’s real-life ex-boyfriends, including recent ex-fiancé Pete Davidson, the late Mac Miller, rapper Big Sean, and dancer Ricky Alvarez. With lyrics like “One taught me love / One taught me patience / One taught me pain / Now I’m so amazing,” it also represented a different road for pop breakup narratives more generally, steering clear of rancor and down-in-the-dumps sadness, and expressing gratitude for ended relationships.
The single was followed by a rom-com-inspired music video, which paid tribute to Mean Girls, 13 Going on 30, Bring It On, and Legally Blonde, and featured an adorable cameo from her pet dog, Toulouse. A full album of the same name arrived swiftly the following February, and it also spent time atop the Billboard chart. The flurry of activity from Grande put a confident cap on what had been a rollercoaster year for one of our biggest stars, and for that we say...well, I think you can guess.
Originally Appeared on Vogue
