'thank u, next'

 

'thank u, next' album cover (2019)

'thank u, next' is one of my favourite albums and was released by Ariana on February 8th, 2019. This album seems like a very personal one where Ariana delves into her emotions with love, loss, and finding herself alongside her confidence. The album has twelve tracks that I absolutely love, and I will be discussing the songs NASA and 7 rings. 

The song NASA is about Ariana's feelings in a relationship. In this relationship she feels as though she needs some time and 'space' to figure out what she wants on her own. The lyrics "I can't really miss you when I'm with you" show that she longs to experience the feelings that come with missing someone you love and the excitement that comes with seeing them again. "It's like I'm the universe and you be N-A-S-A" make it out as if Ariana wants time to figure herself out, and in the meantime she wants her partner to try to explore who she has become while at a distance (since NASA's goal is to explore the universe and uncover the mysteries that it has). This song is really interesting to me since is the track that comes right after 'needy', which is all about how she craves attention from her partner and admits she's 'obsessive and loves too hard'. NASA is not only a contradiction to 'needy' but the theme of wanting to spend time alone is  also a different theme that I feel hasn't been explored much in her other songs and albums.  

'7 rings' is definitely one of Ariana Grande's most popular songs as I remember hearing it everywhere when it released! As of 2024 the song has over 1.4 billion views on YouTube! This song details Ariana's success and the wealth she has obtained from her career. The lyrics "I want it, I got it" and "Ain't no budget when I'm on the set, if I like it then that's what I get" show that since her previous albums, Ariana has gotten enough wealth and confidence to take full control of her career, which I feel is definitely a lot of growth since her song 'Jason's Song (Gave it Away)' (make sure to read my 'Dangerous Woman' blog to find out more! 

Overall, I love the themes of this album and it feels like such a personal album. I have been listening to it since it first released and I still love it! Stay tuned for my next and final post about the newest album 'eternal sunshine'!