Ariana Grande's 'Upbeat' New Album Stemmed From 'A Super Sad Chapter'

Scattered during Ariana Grande's triumphant Billboard Woman of the Year profile are major tidbits for each person who has diligently read every tweet, checked every Instagram story, and watched every YouTube drop on Ari's accounts since early October: concrete specifics on her second new album of the year.


Thank U, Next — the album, not the song — is almost ready for global consumption. In mid-November, once the interview took place, Ari was in the "polishing" phase of production, having spent one week writing the tracks and two weeks recording them with help from collaborators Tommy Brown, Social House, Victoria Monét, and Tayla Parx. Although as of Tuesday (December 4), she was tweeting Republic Records to "hurry yo ass up" with her final product.


Created in a zen-sounding studio outfitted in white ferns, candle, along with a light that assignments rippling water imagery, the new music isn't particularly inspiring Ariana mentioned. "A lot of it sounds really upbeat, yet it’s actually a super sad chapter."


It's a description that actually makes a lot of sense considering the work was fueled by pink champagne and a unbelievable quantity of heartache that the artist has endured in the past few months alone — most notably, that which resulted from the tragic death of her ex Mac Miller. At least one song on TUN is about the late rapper, according to the profile.


Another tune — one whose name we already know — tackles a happier memory. "7 Rings" is about a "challenging fall day in New York" that brought Ari and her companions to Tiffany's for some casual retail therapy. A number of glasses of champagne (what else?) Later, "we purchased seven engagement rings, and any time While I got back to the studio I gave everybody a friendship ring."


Billboard writer Natalie Weiner, who got to listen to the tracks, described the album as "defiant — deep, bass-driven bangers with trap beats alternating with airy, sad ballads — and aesthetically more adventurous than anything she has ever released." Lyrically, Weiner called it "unambiguously personalized and gutting."


Although maybe the ideal news to come of this interview is that Ariana, being the benevolent pop diva she is, is already looking forward to making even more new music once she hits the road for next year's Sweetener tour.


"Please. ["Thank U, Next" production duo] Social Residence is my beginning act — you don't think we're going to have a studio on the bus? That we're not going to be making records on the road? Naturally we are," she mentioned. "I desire have the ability to do what is authentic and truthful and organic. It's the only way that I have been able to survive."


It's a bold approach that's been working for Ari these past few months, and we are here to support its continuation. Please!