Ariana Grandes smash hit, thank u, next, initially felt as though it was an overstep. One of the most powerful pop stars of the moment coming for an ex whose credentials were less than stellar could be seen as an abuse of the pulpit from which Grande croons.
A re-evaluation of the source material, however, frames the chart-topping track as a wonderful testament to self-love and overcoming adversity. Instead of vague lyrical clues and fan speculation over who the song was about, Grandes blatant name-drops lend a substantial bit of heft to an expertly crafted and languidly produced pop song. It should stand to reason, then, that the video would be just as clever and the songstress and company didnt disappoint.
What started as seemingly random references to 2000s romantic comedies on social media came to manifest themselves as a fully-fledged music video built upon audience nostalgia. The classic movies Mean Girls, Bring It On, 13 Going on 30 and Legally Blonde were parodied in the video and likely later plucked by fans from the vast abyss that is their Netflix watch list.
Music videos have a propensity to be rather predictable displays of wealth, fashion and finesse, thus this narrative space film nostalgia was the perfect lens through which to view a powerful song.
Breakups in popular culture are often framed as either emotionally heart-wrenching, as evidenced by Taylor Swifts I Knew You Were Trouble, or grandstanding claims of I Dont Fuck With You in really any verse by the name-dropped Big Sean. The notion that such events could instead be a positive, who cares exchange is a welcome reprieve from the established status quo.
Its clear that the creatives behind this effort have an eye on the times. Five years ago, this video may have resulted in various look-alikes popping up and being pushed away by Grande as she recited the names of their famous counterparts. Such a measure wouldve shifted the focus from the potency of the artist to a series of mental repetitions of, Hey, that guy looks like so-and-so.
A video promoting self-love and moving on from past romantic entanglements should only have one protagonist a mentality Grande auspiciously recognizes.
While some fans were less pleased with her August-released Sweetener than Dangerous Woman, the album that preceded it, it is impossible to ignore the artists immense growth from the days of The Way. Were still being given the signature sweeping range and attentiveness to bubbly production, but the artist behind the mic continues to mature. This is to be expected, of course, but such a transition is seldom done with such grace.
Grandes thank u, next video unequivocally places her as the definitive pop star of 2018, if Billboards Woman of the Year designation didnt state this already. Chun-Li rapper Nicki Minaj once vocalized on the pairs Side to Side: Im the queen of rap, Ariana run pop.
Was this statement tied to the song, or rather a premonition? As of now, its both. Haters if there are any left should take note: Dethroning a queen is damn near impossible, and why, really, would you want to try? Thank u, next.