By Kayleigh Donaldson | Videos | November 30, 2018 |
By Kayleigh Donaldson | Videos | November 30, 2018 |
It’s been a major year for Ariana Grande, what with her critically acclaimed new album Sweetener. But of course the story that dominated her Summer was her flash-in-the-pan courtship, engagement and split from SNL comedian Pete Davidson. And we were rooting for those crazy kids. But from the ashes emerged a banger of a pop tune, the delightfully titled thank u, next. Ariana already sang this song on Ellen with a First Wives Club inspired performance, but for the video, she’s gone full rom-com. There are references to Mean Girls, Bring It On, 13 Going on 30, and Legally Blonde, plus an array of familiar faces and a lot of pink. Grande’s kind of genius with this video. It preys on our nostalgic feelings for all these films, it builds upon the past year where rom-coms became a big deal once more, and it recontextualizes those familiar tales as the ultimate post-break-up liberation. Only here, there’s no romantic hero at the end to whisk her away. It’s just Ariana, her girls, and a song.
I’m into this.
And Kris Jenner as the ‘cool mom’? Genius.