Ariana Grande reminds listeners who's in charge on intimate thank u, next

Maura Johnston

February 11, 2019 at 8:35 PM·4 min read

Somewhere amidst the Drake dominance and Post Malone prominence of pop’s last 18 male-dominated months, Ariana Grande — the Nickelodeon alum who’s able to leap three octaves in a single breath — became radio’s biggest female star. But thank u, next, Grande’s fifth album, doesn’t have the insufferable swagger that one might expect from a world-beater who’s fresh off two singles debuting at No. 1, and sat out the Grammys and hit No. 1 on the charts in the same weekend. Instead, it’s a lovely, intimate collection that embraces its essential paradox of being both a grand pop statement and a bedroom-pop wonder.

thank u, next came out of a year where Grande was logging as many pixels for her celebrity as she was for her much-streamed fourth album Sweetener, which nabbed the Grammy, her first, for Best Pop Vocal Album on Sunday. Her breakup with the innovative MC Mac Miller in May and whirlwind romance with Saturday Night Live enfant terrible Pete Davidson got paparazzi clicking and tongues wagging; the singles from Sweetener were persistent radio presences, her silvery voice leaping out of speakers with a clear and present daring few other late-2010s hitmakers have matched. The tumult surrounding her — Miller’s death in September, her claim that she was taking a break from music, her split with Davidson — seemed to feed off itself.

Until the first weekend in November, when Grande decided to reclaim her narrative — not through a pointed tweet or Notes-screenshot Instagram post, but with a song. The sparkling “thank u, next” was a head-on examination of Grande’s past that named names; no need to puzzle over narrative intent with lyrics that showered loving appreciation on Miller and Davidson, as well as Grande’s other exes Big Sean and Ricky Alvarez, by name. Its surprise release and TMZ-ready hook sent it straight to the top of the Hot 100.

thank u, next embraces a vibe of few-holds-barred honesty, its emphasis on sonic softness recalling a spa day designed to heal and strengthen one’s sorest muscles and its guest-free roster reminding the listener of who, exactly, is in charge. The lyrics delight in specificity and the possibility of sending more devoted listeners on allusion scavenger hunts; “Imagine,” which opens the album, is elegiac and longing, its booming bassline snapping Grande’s reminiscing over late-night takeout and Instagram posts into sharply loving focus; “Fake Smile” details the red carpet’s dark side in a way that only the most-photographed stars out there can. Watery synths and trap snares abound, although a couple of string flourishes — a swooping break on the pillowy “Needy,” gently encroaching violins of the dreampop-adjacent “Ghostin” — and the brassy breaks on the sashaying kiss-off “Bloodline” add texture and tension.

Republic Records

The slippery-voiced Grande has always had some issues when it comes to enunciation, although the personal lyrics on thank u, next make it feel at times like a deliberate masking technique. But the breezy blow-off at the center of “NASA,” which has a late-period Mariah Carey vibe and a galaxy-brain twist on the idea of needing room from a suitor, is almost torpedoed by her lackadaisical pronunciation of “Ima need space.” Its puffy-cloud textures and fluttery synths make it at least more pleasant than “7 Rings,” the “My Favorite Things”-nipping ode to raking in the big bucks that turns Grande into a supreme influencer whose inner “savage” is unleashed by the drama she’s endured.

But after the year Grande has had — both in terms of her amassing star capital and enduring personal loss — she’s allowed to put out a self-indulgent song or two. (The other one on thank u, next is “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored,” which out-Veruca Salts “Rings” if only because of its collateral-damage quotient.) On thank u, next, Grande takes the advice she dished out in the Sweetener single “Breathin” to heart, giving herself space to grow by being honest about the ups and downs she’s endured, and using her imperfections not as weapons, but as reasons to love herself more. B+

Related content:

Reuters
Ugandan opposition politician kidnapped in Kenya, his wife says
A prominent Ugandan opposition politician was kidnapped during a book launch in Kenya over the weekend, transferred to Uganda and is being held at a military jail in Kampala, his wife said on Wednesday. Kizza Besigye has run against Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in four elections and lost each time, although he has rejected the results, alleging fraud and voter intimidation. "I request the (government) of Uganda to release my husband Dr Kizza Besigye from where he is being held immediately," said his wife Winnie Byanyima.
AFP
UN to vote again on Gaza ceasefire, US plans unclear
The UN Security Council is expected to vote Wednesday on another draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza in its latest attempt to exert pressure to end the war.The draft being voted on Wednesday also calls for "safe and unhindered entry of humanitarian assistance at scale," including in besieged northern Gaza, and denounces any attempt to starve the Palestinians.
Reuters
Exclusive-Putin, ascendant in Ukraine, eyes contours of a Trump peace deal
Vladimir Putin is open to discussing a Ukraine ceasefire deal with Donald Trump but rules out making any major territorial concessions and insists Kyiv abandon ambitions to join NATO, five sources with knowledge of Kremlin thinking told Reuters. U.S. President-elect Trump, who has vowed to swiftly end the conflict, is returning to the White House at a time of Russian ascendancy. Moscow controls a chunk of Ukraine about the size of the American state of Virginia and is advancing at the fastest pace since the early days of the 2022 invasion.
Associated Press
North Korea sent more conventional weapons to Russia, South Korea says
North Korea recently supplied additional artillery systems to Russia to support its war efforts against Ukraine, while some of the thousands of North Korean troops deployed in Russia have begun engaging in combat, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers Wednesday. The South Korean assessment came after Russia warned Monday that U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles adds “fuel to the fire” of the war.
AFP
Japan's manga powerhouse 'Dragon Ball' turns 40
"Dragon Ball" fans on Wednesday celebrated 40 years of the globally beloved Japanese manga, anime and video game franchise, just months after creator Akira Toriyama's unexpected death.Films, video games and other spin-offs followed as the franchise grew into a global phenomenon.
Associated Press
Time ticks down for negotiators at UN climate talks to find deal to curb warming and its effects
With time running down, negotiators at the United Nations annual climate talks on Wednesday returned to the puzzle of finding an agreement to bring far more money for vulnerable nations to adapt than wealthier countries have shown they're willing to pay. COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev asked negotiators to clear away the technical part of talks by Wednesday afternoon so they can focus on substance. Vulnerable nations are seeking $1.3 trillion to deal with damage from climate change and to adapt to that change, including building out their own clean-energy systems.
AFP
Japanese, Koreans bottom of global love life survey
Japanese people are the least satisfied with their sex and romantic lives, closely followed by South Koreans, a global survey by a French research firm showed. The same Ipsos poll also showed that South Koreans feel the least contentment from their "relationships with partners and spouses", with Japanese faring the second worst.
NBC News
Thousands without power in Washington state as severe weather begins hitting Pacific Northwest
Tens of thousands of homes in Washington state lost power Tuesday and downed wires or trees locked some highways as Northern California and the Pacific Northwest started feeling the effects of a powerful atmospheric river event, officials said.
CNN
3 unprovoked fatal stabbings across Manhattan show failures of criminal justice and mental health systems, city’s mayor says
Three unprovoked stabbings across Manhattan Monday morning that left two men and one woman dead show how the criminal justice and mental health systems fail New Yorkers, the city’s mayor said.
CNN
Hong Kong hears from jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai for the first time in four years at his trial
Jimmy Lai, the pugnacious Hong Kong media tycoon whose now shuttered tabloid Apple Daily was a regular thorn in Beijing’s side, took the stand Wednesday in his own defense for the first time in a high stakes national security trial that could send him to prison for life.
AFP
Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai tells court he championed 'freedom'
Jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai insisted his newspaper had championed democracy and "freedom" as he took the witness stand for the first time in his collusion trial on Wednesday.On Wednesday, Lai insisted that "the core values of Apple Daily are actually the core values of the people of Hong Kong... (including) rule of law, freedom, pursuit of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly".
AFP
Japan ramps up tech ambitions with $65 bn for AI, chips
Japan is readying a $65-billion push in microchips and artificial intelligence aimed at reclaiming its status as a global tech leader and meeting the urgent challenges of its ageing, shrinking population.After dominating in tech hardware during the 1980s, "Japan had a quite a long period of almost just sitting back and observing a lot of this innovation, particularly when it comes to artificial intelligence", said Kelly Forbes, president of the AI Asia Pacific Institute.
Associated Press
Southern China suspends ferry services as storm brings winds, high waters to coastal regions
Parts of coastal southern China suspended ferry services as a major storm passed into the South China Sea, bringing high winds and heavy waves to much of the region. It is now categorized as a low-pressure area lingering south of China’s Hainan Island, according to the Hong Kong Observatory, which said its maximum sustained winds were a relatively mild 40 kilometers (25 miles) per hour.
NBC News
Trump names former wrestling executive Linda McMahon as his pick for education secretary
McMahon, a former professional wrestling executive who is co-chair of Trump's transition team, led the Small Business Administration during Trump's first term.
CNN
SpaceX calls off nail-biting catch attempt as booster splashes down to Earth
SpaceX conducted the sixth Starship and Super Heavy test flight Tuesday afternoon, the fastest turnaround yet in the company’s test campaign.
AFP
Myanmar led world in landmine victims in 2023: monitor
Landmines and unexploded munitions claimed more victims in Myanmar than in any other country last year, a monitor said on Wednesday, with over 1,000 people killed or wounded in the country.Anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war killed or wounded 1,003 people in Myanmar in 2023, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) said on Wednesday.
AFP
ICC to sentence Timbuktu war criminal
The International Criminal Court will Wednesday sentence a jihadist police chief for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during a reign of terror in the fabled Malian city of Timbuktu.Al Hassan is the second Malian jihadist suspect to be sentenced by the court in connection with Timbuktu.
Politico
US envoy says Israel-Hezbollah truce is ‘within our grasp’
In Gaza, the food crisis worsens after looting.
Associated Press
Trump has called for dismantling the Education Department. Here's what that would mean
Annually, it distributes billions in federal money to colleges and schools and manages the federal student loan portfolio. The Education Department also plays an important regulatory role in services for students, ranging from those with disabilities to low-income and homeless kids. Indeed, federal education money is central to Trump's plans for colleges and schools.
Associated Press
Belem, host of next year's climate talks, is Amazonian city plagued with pollution and violence
For the last few years, climate scientists, environmentalists and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have been talking up the first U.N. climate conference to be held in the Amazon. In addition to the symbolism of hosting in the Amazon, COP30, as the climate talks are called, will be a pivotal gathering because nations must come with updated plans to reduce emissions.

Latest Stories