For Ariana Grande, 2018 was a roller coaster. Last May, she broke up her boyfriend, rapper Mac Miller, who comforted her after the horrific bombing at her Manchester concert. Ariana started dating Saturday Night Live comedian Pete Davidson, and within weeks, they announced their engagement. At about the same time, Mac got busted for a hit-and-run, plus driving under the influence, after he smashed his G-Wagon into a utility pole. Over the summer, the internet obsessed with Ariana and Pete's adorable romance, and Mac appeared to be on the road to recovery, dropping his fifth album, with the single 'Self Care.'
In August, Ariana dropped her fourth album, Sweetener, which debuted at number one on the Billboards. However, as her career hit new heights, tragedy struck, as Mac Miller died from an accidental drug overdose at the age of 26. The shocking news devastated Ariana, and some internet trolls harassed her on social media, claiming Mac's death was her fault. (It wasn't.) Shortly afterward, Ariana and Pete announced that they separated, ending their engagement. At the end of September, Ariana begged for "just one okay day" on Twitter, and many fans grew concerned about her well-being.
Then, at the beginning of November, Ariana dropped a new single, the epic break-up anthem "thank u, next." In the song, Ariana embraces the "amazing" pain from breakups, and declares she's ready to forge ahead, concentrating on herself. The 25-year-old singer mentions her ex-boyfriends by name - Big Sean, Mac Miller, Pete Davidson - and thanks them for impacting her life. "One taught me love / One taught me patience/ And one taught me pain," she sings. "Now I’m so amazing / I’ve loved and I’ve lost / But that’s not what I see... And for that, I say / Thank you, next / I’m so f*cking grateful for my ex."
It's a song everybody can relate to, plus it's just really catchy. Now, after dropping some teasers on social media, Ariana has released the star-studded music video for "thank u, next." It features homages to your favorite teen comedies of the 2000's, including Mean Girls, Bring It On, and Legally Blonde. (To answer your most pressing question, yes Ariana "bends and snaps," and it synchs up perfect with the song.
The celebrity cameos include Kris Jenner (as Amy Poehler's cool mom from Mean Girls), Jennifer Coolidge (as her character Paulette from Legally Blonde, Matt Bennett (Ariana's former costar from the TV show Victorious), Jonathan Bennett (aka Aaron from Mean Girls) and a UPS Guy with "BDE" on his uniform, which may be a reference to Pete Davidson's "Big Dick Energy."
So, as 2018 winds to an end, let "thank u next" be your personal anthem. Treasure the joy of happy memories, be grateful for your previous relationships, even if they ended in pain, and look forward to the future, where anything is possible.
