Pop superstar Ariana Grande is back after three years with her infectious new single "yes, and?" The Madonna "Vogue" esque track is bringing the dance-pop sensibilities of the 90s pop stars with the contemporary instrumentals of pop as we know it. In one of her best tracks to date, Grande calls out critics and haters who seem to never keep her name out of their mouths.
This summer, she was the center of some pretty heavy drama when media outlets reported she was getting a divorce from her husband Dalton Gomez. She was rumored to be starting a new romance with her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater. While all of that was true, it led to Ariana having a multitude of hate thrown at her, with even her fans calling her a "homewrecker."
This whole situation shows the parasocial relationship fans and the public have with stars, and how they feel like they know everything about their life, even though they don't. Grande is here to tell her story, and is ready to showcase her growth as an artist over the past few years, and how she doesn't care what people think about her life because she and her family know the story.
With a pretty long intro, immediately I can tell this track is different from the ones she has released before, with an upbeat and vintage-sounding vibe to it. Firing back at all the negativity, Grande's unmistakable vocals shine as she begins the song with "In case you haven't noticed/Well, everybody's tired/And healin' from somebody." Having been very vocal about this issue in the past, Grande brings up the point that everyone has something going on, and who are you to judge when you don't know the full story?
With uplifting lyrics, Grande encourages people to "put [their] lipstick on," and "walk [their] way through the fire," all while never letting their light die down, something she has explicitly said in other songs like "the light is coming."
The chorus is one of the most catchy things I have ever heard. I can already tell this will be a club favorite as you can't just sit and listen, you have to get up and dance. Grande encourages people further, singing, "'Yes, and?'/Say that shit with your chest, and/Be your own fuckin' best friend."
One of the more shocking callouts from the track comes in the bridge, where she puts on a whisper tone, much like in Madonna's "Vogue," once again. She talks about protecting her peace, and how she has her own life and everyone else has theirs. Further, she mentions body shaming, something she has been vocal about almost her entire career, and clapping back further says "Why do you care so much whose dick I ride?"
As if the track couldn't get any better, Ariana Grande busts out her dancing shoes in the music video, showing how versatile of a person she is. Overall, "yes, and?" is one of the strongest single comebacks of the past few years, and showcases her growth as a person and an artist, promising that her sound will never stay the same through her eras.
"yes, and?" is available to stream on all platforms. In November of this year, fans can also catch her as Glinda in Wicked.