It’s finally here. Less than a year after Sweetener‘s arrival and after so many hints and teases on social media, Ariana Grande has officially unveiled her fifth studio album, thank u, next, just after midnight on Friday.
The latest installment comes from a superstar who has loved and lost so rapidly, it could make anyone’s anxiety skyrocket. Naturally, thank u, next is an audio capture of coming to terms with the death of Mac Miller and her split from fiance Pete Davidson, all in the public eye and under immense pressure.
Singles such as the title track and “7 Rings” deal with recovery and empowerment, while “Imagine” is believed to be inspired by Miller, as Grande revealed on Twitter that the song is about “a simple, beautiful love that is now (and forever) unattainable.” The album also has a theme of “it’s okay to not be okay,” with tracks like “ghostin,” “fake smile” and “needy” focusing primarily on dealing with personal baggage.
In just one month, Grande is kicking off her Sweetener tour March 18 in Albany, New York. In the meantime, stream thank u, next in full here.
This article was originally published by Billboard.
