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As the Mean Girls musical arrives in theaters, Ariana Grande’s bold return single reminds me of a famous line from the original. At the school’s Christmas talent show, Damian, the endearing outcast, performs Christina Aguilera’s Beautiful, even incorporating the iconic first beat from the music video. He commands the audience, “Don’t look at me!” and then proceeds to amaze them. This conflicting desire for both anonymity and attention is reflected in Grande’s house-inspired track, Yes, And? She addresses the prying interest in her personal life while also inadvertently bringing more attention to it. “Don’t critique my appearance / Do not respond / Your life is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care about who I’m intimate with?” she sings. If you were unaware of the online rumors surrounding her health, divorce, and potential infidelity in a new relationship, you certainly are now.
These events may be surprising to the general public, as Yes, And? marks a relatively quiet period for the 30-year-old pop star after a highly productive time. In 2017, a suicide bomber attacked her concert at Manchester Arena, resulting in the death of 22 people and injuries to 59 others. A year later, she released No Tears Left to Cry, a defiant celebration of life and pleasure, followed by the album Sweetener. Shortly after its release, her former boyfriend, rapper Mac Miller, passed away from an overdose, leading Grande to end her engagement with comedian Pete Davidson. It seems that music became a way for her to cope with these events: she released two more albums in quick succession, Thank U, Next in 2019 which was self-reflective yet upbeat, and Positions in 2020 which was more sexually charged. However, since then, she has only made a few appearances on remixes of other artists’ songs. Outside of music, she has launched a makeup brand as many celebrities do, and has been working on a film adaptation of Wicked. During her break from music, she also got married and divorced real estate agent Dalton Gomez, and is now in a relationship with her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater. Grande’s personal life has faced backlash and she addressed it on Instagram at the end of 2023, saying: “I have never been more proud or happy or loved while also feeling deeply misunderstood by those who don’t know me, who put together whispers and create their own assumptions about my life.”
Grande’s displeasure with speculation surrounding her personal life is expressed through the empowering anthem “Yes, And?” which encourages those facing challenges to take ownership of their struggles and brush off criticism. The song takes a precarious approach to addressing the common theme of “haters” in pop music, attempting to draw parallels between the difficulties of celebrity life and everyday struggles. Co-produced by Grande, Max Martin, and Ilya, the track is irresistibly vibrant and agile, with a nod to Madonna’s “Vogue” and a strong embrace of pure house music. Following her hit single “Thank U, Next,” “Yes, And?” solidifies Grande as a master of using pregnant pauses in her music. There is something satisfying about Grande’s implicit acknowledgement of the limitations of joyful defiance and her straightforward rejection of negativity, delivered in her untouchable vocal range that sets her apart from the chaos. Perhaps the song explains why Grande’s signature ponytail is so voluminous – it’s hiding secrets.
Source: theguardian.com
