She taught me love: a "thank u, next" review
Ariana Grande has had a rough couple of years. What with the Manchester Arena bombing following one of her concerts and rather tumultuous relationships with Mac Miller and Pete Davidson, things haven't been easy for her. Just as Sweetener seemed to be the reprieve she was craving, Miller overdosed, people went in for the attack, and she and Davidson broke off their engagement. It only seemed natural that perhaps what Grande needed most to help her through another difficult chapter of her life was to get back into her music.
And that's exactly what she did. Over the course of a few weeks in October, Grande would go about working on what would eventually become thank u, next, dropping the title track half an hour before an episode of SNL where Davidson had intended to discuss their broken engagement in a comedic fashion. Needless to say, her response to that announcement and this song changed his tune, and it's clear to see why. Although Grande does mention her exes by name and mentions that songs about Ricky Alvarez make her "listen and laugh" within the first verse, the track is not about that. Instead, Grande takes a moment to reflect on all her relationships and how they made her stronger. "One taught me love / One taught me patience / And one taught me pain / Now I'm so amazing," she coos in the pre-chorus, and after the titular kiss-off, she mentions, "I'm so fucking grateful for my ex." It's about taking the best of every relationship and moving on, recognizing your own worth in the process. Self-love deserves to go above all else.
thank u, next carries the rest of that power throughout its twelve tracks. It's Grande's most cohesive album to date, painting every glorious and messy pink of love and celebrating it. Whether relationships, friendships, or one-time flings, there's no shying away from the pain and joy these bring. But Grande has fun with it, relishing in every single moment no matter the emotion it needs. Because of this, it's a visceral project that will no doubt resonate with her fans and beyond. For an album recorded pretty much in the course of a few weeks, it's pretty remarkable.
The album kicks off with promotional single "imagine". A sensual R&B cut, Grande dreams of her ideal relationship: "Staying up all night / Order me pad thai / Then we gon' sleep 'til noon." It gets particularly extravagant at points, "dripped in gold," but the harsh reality comes creeping in soon enough: this can never be achieved. Grande has commented that the song is denial about the end of the relationship, caught up on the good times and not understanding why it's over now. Things could have been so perfect; why can't this romantic ideal be reached? "Why can't you / Imagine a world like that?" Grande pleads, and as she continues to ask if this love can be imagined through orchestral percussion and beautiful whistle tones, listeners are left with the sinking revelation that perhaps this relationship will never be possible, whether it be for Grande or anyone else.
Most of the other tracks on this album tackle the complexities of emotions in relationships. "needy" and "NASA" are excellent contradictions of each other: while the former clings onto a partner and comes to the conclusion that sometimes it feels good to be wanted, the latter acknowledges that sometimes "time apart is beneficial." "I can't really miss you if I'm with you / And when I miss you, it'll change the way I kiss you," Grande sings in the pre-chorus, and coupled with a fun beat and plenty of space references, both referring to expanse and what exists beyond our grasp, it's a cute bop that reminds a partner that even though you can't always be by their side, that doesn't mean they're not loved.
Meanwhile, the hook-ups on this record sizzle. "bloodline," "bad idea," and "make up" are naughty and playful tracks that are fun to dance to, whether in a college dorm room or out with friends. The former track, which has an awesome guitar lick anchoring most of the beat, focuses on how Grande isn't "looking for [her] one true love / Yeah, that ship sailed away." She doesn't mind spending time with this friend-with-benefits, but their expectations aren't matching, and she needs to set down the ground rules: she doesn't "want [them] in [her] bloodline." "bad idea" catches Grande in a moment where she's trying to forget the past by getting it on with someone who, much like "bloodline," isn't someone she sees herself with for long. "make up" makes use of some great make-up puns to showcase a messy relationship that leads to some passionate action behind closed doors, an amazing feat for a track of less than two and a half minutes. It's not an ideal or healthy situation, but it still hits home like something out of a wild fantasy.
I'd be remiss not to mention the other moments where Grande is cutting to the very brunt of her emotional pain, much like on "imagine." "fake smile" makes use of a Whitney Rene sample to tackle Grande dealing with all of the stress following 2017 and 2018, how she's realized that she can't keep hiding what she's feeling because her true emotions are valid. This track has a darker tone than a lot of the other songs here, making use of a minor key and skipping beats to highlight the fragility of Grande's mental state. "ghostin'" also cuts deep, as Grande seems to be sharing her grief following Miller's overdose and Davidson attempting to console her through her tears. "I know that it breaks your heart when I cry again / 'Stead of ghosting him," she whispers in the chorus. The visceral pain Grande highlights on this song is heartbreaking, and to know that she was hoping that perhaps things could work out, but as the following track "in my head" reveals, that wasn't the case.
"But forget about the relationships for a second, Luke," you scream; what about self-love? That exists in "7 rings," Grande's Trap Anthem of 2019. Sampling a classic piece from The Sound of Music, Grande relishes in her money and expensive things, sharing a story of buying matching seven engagement rings for her friends, a group Grande affectionately calls "[her] bitches." These "girls with tattoos who like getting in trouble" are ready to get the party started, and don't let anybody stop them. It's somewhat of an outlier on this project, Grande cribbing from modern trends and potentially other artists to achieve this sound. But it's still a fun banger that I'm pretty sure I'll here at every single party I go to this year.
​But there is another outlier on this album, the brilliantly-titled "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored" (don't mind me, just linked my fanfic based on this song). Words cannot describe how much I love this tongue-in-cheek track; the bouncy R&B-production, the lyrics that are literally side-eyeing the girlfriend Grande wants her love interest to dump, and the intense craving of this song are all big wins. Even though Grande recognizes the absolute ridiculousness of the situation ("You could call me / Crazy if you / Want to / And I never even ever fucking met you"), she wants this wish-fulfillment fantasy and that is all. Thank you, next. Honestly, me too, sis. More power to you.
thank u, next is that album. It's full of some awesome R&B-pop bangers that capture every single angle of love, and I love it so much. It watered my crops, it was the peak for one of my roughest weeks in recent memory, and sometimes that's all you need. Plus, it flows smoothly from track to track and is just so lovely. You've probably already listened to it, but give it another play. This will hopefully resonate in so many ways with you like it did for me.