Ariana Grande returns to pop roots in first solo single in three years
Ariana Grande has returned to her pop star roots with her first solo single in three years.
The Grammy winning singer, 30, teased the release of the track Yes, And? last weekend by sharing the title alongside a blurred photo of her face to Instagram.
It follows after her chart-topping 2020 album Positions, which also had a deluxe edition released the following year with an additional song called Test Drive.
A music video for the track was released on Friday and the song is expected to feature on Grande’s forthcoming seventh album.
The house-inspired track opens with a repetitive, catchy beat that builds before her soprano vocals chime in.
The song appears to address people having opinions on her life and the instrumental channels Madonna’s 1990 hit Vogue.
She responds to the comments in the chorus by singing: “Say that shit with your chest, keep moving like ‘What’s next?’ ‘Yes, and?'”
It is brimming with her signature high vocal trills, which is sure to please her fan base.
Recorded in New York City, the new single was written and produced by Grande alongside Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh.
The music video begins with someone holding a red card which says “ag7” with co-ordinates listed underneath it and “your presence has been exclusively requested” inscribed on the back.
After seeing the card, someone in a lift says “real exclusive, typical Ari” while another adds “I think I liked her better when her ponytail was a few centimetres”.
A third chimes in saying “Right? Who cares if she’s happy? I don’t want happy, I want art”.
Another pair can be seen chatting about how they miss “the old Ari” while two more gossip about the pop star, with one asking “Oh my god did she really do that” to which the other responds “Well I read it on the internet so it must be true”.
After stepping out of the lift the group sit on chairs in what looks to be an old warehouse and watch on as Grande performs the song alongside some backing dancers.
Seven of the US singer’s tracks have gone to number one in the UK singles chart including 2014 hit Problem featuring Iggy Azalea and 2018 song Thank U Next.
Grande’s other hit records include 2016’s Dangerous Woman and 2019’s 7 Rings, which both went to number one as well.
The singer started as an actress on American children’s TV channel Nickelodeon, portraying Cat Valentine on Victorious, before she went on to star in a spin-off show called Sam And Cat.
Her debut album Yours Truly was released in 2013 and peaked in the UK charts at number seven.
The pop superstar is also starring as Glinda in the upcoming film adaptation of Wicked, the musical that tells the backstory of The Wizard Of Oz.
