Many celebrities have shaded their exes in their own songs; it seems like a trend now. From Taylor Swift, who is known for writing songs about her exes, to Selena Gomez, Little Mix and many more, Ariana Grande has joined break-up song royalty with her latest single “Thank u, next.”
I have already replayed this song hundreds of times. The song is super catchy and is typical for Grande’s music style. However, what helps Grande land her first No.1 on Billboard Hot 100 is definitely the powerful meaning behind the song.
Yes, “Thank u, next” is a song about Grande’s exes. In 3 minutes and 27 seconds, Grande name-dropped all of her exes; Big Sean, Ricky Alvarez, Pete Davidson and the late Mac Miller. Grande also told us about her life and how she moved on from everything.
However, her song is not about petty breakups or attempts to shade her exes. All the names were mentioned and followed with the lyrics, “One taught me love. One taught me patience, and one taught me pain.”
Grande even confirmed on Twitter that Alvarez and Sean heard the song before release.
She dropped their names just to support the fact that she is “f–king grateful” for her exes. Then Grande talked about how she moved on after all the breakups and another relationship, the one with herself.
“She taught me love, she taught me patience, and she handles pain, that s—’s amazing.”
I just love it. After everything, she comes back to her own self. She learned to love herself better and move on. She doesn’t let pain or any struggles in life get in her way. It is such a powerful message about self-love.
Grande also mentioned her dad, “One day I’ll walk down the aisle, holding hands with my mama. I’ll be thanking my dad ’cause she grew from the drama.”
Her parents divorced when Grande was a child. In an interview with Seventeen magazine, she opened up about “falling out of touch” with her dad. However, at the end of the day, she still forgave him and was thankful for him.
I admire the person she is, just strong, beautiful and kind. No shades were needed to make a hit. “Thank u, next” is full of love, kindness and gratitude.
The song also means Grande is ready to move on to something new. She looks at everything positively.
The song has been on repeat on my phone continually. Next time, when I forget to love myself and treat myself better, “Thank u, next” will be my reminder.
