Rewind ten years ago, a girl best known for her role on a Nickelodeon television show made her official debut in the music industry with her lead single, The Way. Fast forward a decade later, that same girl is ready to drop her first single after a two year hiatus. For some artists, a comeback like this would be like starting from chapter one. When your name is Ariana Grande, the journey picks back up right where it left off – and here’s why.
It’s been four years since Ariana released her sixth studio album, Positions, and ever since she put her music career on hold to pursue acting in the Wicked film, fans have been begging for new music. In fact, this is the longest fans have had to wait for new music in the history of Ariana’s career.
Having been a dedicated fan since 2013, I’ve noticed a divide in the anticipation of this new music and see them in two groups: one is her fans that have held on throughout this “musical drought,” and one is those that are insanely curious as to how an artist with such a huge reputation in pop music can possibly compete with the new wave of artists that emerged while she’s been gone.
There is no denying there is a new generation of artists in competition now, and many fan bases have been vocal about the way Ariana’s absence has made it easier for other artists to climb the charts. It’s true: the stage was set for a long time and the spotlight was there to occupy, but it’s only about to get harder for those new artists to hold their reign with this comeback.
What’s so intriguing about this new era of music is the rollout. For the first time ever, Ariana is not releasing snippets or sneak peaks. This is adding to the anticipation because this new sound will be a total surprise. Fans will truly not know what to expect until the music drops, and that’s what is keeping all eyes on Ari.
From my perspective, I think the way Ariana is premiering this new era is exactly how it needed to be done. Without hearing any clips, reading any lyrics, or having any hints as to what this album will be, it’s creating the most noise we’ve ever heard from her. No one has the chance to judge or critique before the album has a chance to debut. There is no opportunity to have an opinion or compare before that first listen. This may be the only time as a fanbase we can say that her silence is truly golden.
Ariana is a veteran of pop music, and I have absolutely no doubt she will hold that title. Her first single off her seventh album called “yes, and?” dropped on January 12, and the response it’s already gotten is massive. Between the song itself and the music video, it’s already clear this is Ariana’s year.
ROARA Magazine 