After three long years of a major pop drought, one of the biggest pop stars on the planet is finally back! Pop icon Ariana Grande was gone for so long as she took a break from music to focus on her acting career, specifically her starring role as Glinda the Good in the upcoming musical set to release later this year, Wicked. She also took a step back from music to focus on her cosmetics brand, R.E.M Beauty.
Miss Grande announced her triumphant return with her latest single “yes, and?”—by wearing a sweatshirt with the title printed on it, no less. Arianators worldwide were quick to catch on and surely enough, the 30-year-old took to social media to confirm that the single is dropping on the 12th of January.
“yes, and?” will serve as Grande’s seventh lead single from “Eternal Sunshine”, her upcoming seventh studio album. The title of the album was revealed through a short clip posted on her Instagram which showcased scenes from Montauk, New York—a location in the mind-bending film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Stop teasing us and drop the date for the new album, Miss Ponytail!
In honour of the release of Grande’s new single, here’s a look back at all the ones that came before—from her debut era to her last studio album, “Positions”. We can’t wait to see where “yes, and?” falls in our personal Ariana Grande ranking.
Ariana Grande’s Lead Singles
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1. The Way
We’re taking cues from Miss Grande herself to pretend that her first single, “Put Your Hearts Up”, never happened—let’s move on. The lead single to her debut album, “Yours Truly”, “The Way” featured Grande’s late boyfriend, American rapper Mac Miller. Complete with whistle tones, “The Way” marks the start of comparisons between Grande and legend Mariah Carey. Given that the two are the best of friends now, even collaborating on a Christmas hit together, we’d say that “The Way” was the start of something special—in more ways than one.
2. Problem
10 years ago, Ariana released her second lead single, “Problem” from her second studio album entitled “My Everything”. Featuring Australian rapper Iggy Azalea, “Problem” is one of the best-selling singles of all time—par for the course when it comes to Miss Grande’s one-of-a-kind career. We love the jazzy saxophones in this hit song, not to mention the retro vibes of the music video.
3. Dangerous Woman
In 2016, Grande took a sharp departure from her typically “good girl” image by releasing “Dangerous Woman”. The lead single to the eponymous album, “Dangerous Woman” showed another, sultrier side to the pop star. Sexier, more confident, and more grown-up, “Dangerous Woman” is exactly what a song would sound like if James Bond were a lady who could belt her heart out. Those guitar riffs still give us the shivers.
4. No Tears Left To Cry
In 2017, following Grande’s concert, a terrorist bombing occurred in Manchester, England. The lethal attack took the lives of 22 people and injured 1,017. Grande was left traumatised by the event, but that didn’t stop her from helping the ravaged community by hosting a benefit concert called “One Love Manchester”, raising £17 million for the bomb victims.
The following year, Grande released her first song since the attack entitled “No Tears Left To Cry”. The lead single was filled with positivity, honouring the victims of the attack by choosing to rise above all the hate in the world.
5. Thank U, Next
As a pop star, your love life will always be the topic of discussion among the general public. Following her messy break-up from fiancé Pete Davidson, Grande released “thank u, next” in 2019, a massive moment in pop culture. Even though the song name-dropped several of Grande’s exes, “thank u, next” is far from a diss track and the same goes for its accompanying album with the same name. And who could forget the song’s iconic music video?
6. Positions
Her latest lead single, released in 2020 from her sixth studio album of the same name, “Positions” broke the internet when it was first announced. Grande’s fifth US number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, “Positions” all but cemented her spot as the leading pop diva of her generation. Maybe that’s the reason why the music video showcased Grande as the President of the United States. Leading a country and leading the charts can’t be too different, after all.
Keep your eyes peeled on your preferred streaming platforms to listen to the new single from Ariana Grande called “yes, and?”, out today.
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