This past year, pop artist Ariana Grande has had her share of pop culture drama.
Grande has been speculated to have caused several scandals, causing a decline in her overall popularity. However, Grande appears to be determined to stay steadfast in her career by starting 2024 with a new single and announcing her new album titled “eternal sunshine,” which will be released in early March.
Grande’s new single, “yes, and?”, released on Jan. 12, has gone viral with both love and hate. Fans ranged from liking the song to being very disappointed. “yes, and?” follows the typical style of Grande’s previous songs, which can be described as mellower pop.
This new song seems to be all about moving past drama, fitting the theme of Grande’s past few months. The song starts with a techno beat and the phrase “keep on dancing” on repeat. A line of the chorus is “Keep movin’.” The message of this song is to keep pushing through bad moments and hate and to stay true to oneself.
If you like Grande’s music, you will surely like this song. It didn’t stray from her typical brand and fits right in with her other albums. However, this familiarity makes this song almost boring. Many fans expected something new from Grande that would not just add to her brand but revive it. This song was almost too predictable.
Grande’s music tends to be a little monotonous, making it hard for this to be the comeback song that she may have been looking for. As for the message behind the song, fans were also divided between liking and disliking Grande’s message. Fans of Grande certainly celebrate the idea of her new single pushing against all of the backlash she has received. However, many other listeners may see this as distasteful, given her current “homewrecker” reputation.
As for the new album following this single, it may not be as exciting as fans hope. Given the lack of creativity in “yes, and?,” it is more than likely that the rest of the album will follow a similar style. Grande’s pop music is good to play on the radio or in a clothing store, but I would not add it to my Spotify playlist.
Along with the song itself, Grande was quick to release a music video as well. In the past, Grande has developed some interesting music videos like her “thank u, next” video, which was a nod to the movie “Mean Girls.” Or her “God is a woman” video that had beautiful artistry inspired by religious themes. However, the music video for “yes, and?” was just as unimpressive as the song itself.
The video featured Grande and a few dancers dancing inside a cement structure. Even their costumes were simple black and white outfits. Perhaps Grande was going for a theme of simplicity with this project. However, the fine line between simple and dull was certainly crossed. For a comeback song, this one felt unimpressive.
Overall, there is doubt that Grande will be able to stop her decline with her new music. Though her message was clear, it lacked the wow factor needed to bring the right attention. “yes, and?” seems weak when compared to the other pop music being produced in the industry. Other artists are gaining much more positive attention than Grande, which will certainly put a damper on her album’s release.
If you need background music or have been a consistent fan of Grande’s other albums, then this song is worth listening to. If you were hoping for something new and exciting to listen to, then I would move along.
