It’s been three long years since Ariana Grande released her sixth studio album, Positions. And okay, fine, she has a good excuse: She’s been focusing on her role as Glinda the Good Witch in the upcoming Wicked movies. But the SAG-AFTRA strike did mean she got a little break from filming, and now, we’re starting to reap the rewards via new Ari. That began with her new lipstick-smacking, “Vogue”-interpolating single “yes, and?,” along with its cheeky music video where Grande wins over some skeptical critics. And now we have an album title: eternal sunshine (in lowercase, of course). But if you’re still saying “yes, and?” after that, here’s everything else we know about Grande’s next project.
It’s coming in March.
The 8th, to be exact. And it’s named after one of her favorite films, starring one of her favorite actors, Jim Carrey. Fingers crossed we get a ballad for Clementine.
View this post on InstagramIt made her cry.
Grande’s December 27 Instagram post includes a photo of her tearing up in the studio, plus a video of her crying on a couch because AG7 was almost finished.
Some of her friends have probably heard it.
Grande has posted a muted video of her mother, Joan, dancing, presumably to a bop from the album (maybe “yes, and?”?). Cynthia Erivo, Grande’s Wicked co-star, has also teased in an Instagram comment that “no one is ready,” adding, “I’m so freaking proud of you!! This project is so freaking special!!!❤️” Zach Sang said on his show that he was “maybe listening to a bunch of music” while hanging out in a studio with Grande. The rest of us will just have to be satisfied with the sound of the “st-” in one of the otherwise-muted studio videos she’s posted so far.
View this post on InstagramShe’s working with some familiar faces.
On December 7, Grande shared Instagram photos of herself in the studio with producer and composer Max Martin, one of her frequent collaborators. (He’s credited on “Problem,” “Side to Side,” “Greedy,” “Dangerous Woman,” “God Is a Woman,” “No Tears Left to Cry,” and more.) The reveal that they’re working together again didn’t necessarily come as a surprise, though — back in October, Grande posted a photo dump that included a balcony snapshot with Martin. Fans somehow recognized that the background was similar to the view from the rooftop of Jungle City Studios, a recording studio in New York.
View this post on InstagramFans notice that Ariana Grande’s recent selfie with producer Max Martin was taken from the rooftop of Jungle City Studios in NYC. pic.twitter.com/rW6KNNbRhu
— Pop Base (@PopBase) October 23, 2023Grande later posted a photo of another frequent collaborator, Ilya Salmanzadeh, in the studio, seeming to confirm his involvement in the upcoming album. The producer and composer previously worked on tracks including “Santa Tell Me,” “Bloodline,” “Bad Idea,” “Breathin,” and more. When “yes, and?” dropped, Martin and Salmanzadeh were among the credits.
Red lipstick could be important.
Alongside photos from the studio, Grande posted a shot that emphasizes a bold red lip. Fans soon also noticed that typing “7” into the Apple emoji keyboard suggests the red kiss mark. Of course, there’s no proof that this is related to the album. But that hasn’t stopped the internet from theorizing that an upcoming single might share a name with an r.e.m. beauty lipstick shade. Plus, given that Salmanzadeh and Martin have both been using the kiss-mark emoji on Instagram Stories, Grande doesn’t seem to mind the speculation, especially since it ended up becoming truth. The lead single “yes, and?” includes lipstick imagery (“boy come on put your lipstick on”) but who knows how much more will be in the full album.
#AG7 producer Ilya Salmanzadeh teases Ariana Grande’s new album with the 💋 emoji. pic.twitter.com/vO4sNE3mmz
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) December 29, 2023Ariana Grande shares text message from producer Max Martin ahead of her new era. 💋 pic.twitter.com/tANnRlMcAV
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) December 29, 2023The number seven is a theme of the rollout.
This will be her seventh studio album, after all. Her December 7 post had … you guessed it, seven pictures and videos from the studio. Her next posts related to the album were shared on December 17 and December 27.
The lead single, “yes, and?,” is already out.
Given that penchant for sevens, it only makes sense that on January 7, Grande announced that her first single from the album is titled “yes, and?” and was released on January 12. The very danceable song is basically about not giving a f— about what people say about you, even though Grande’s team is leaning into the whispers about the new album. Rumors about the title started after Grande wore a custom sweatshirt featuring those words, and really picked up after her mother, Joan Grande, liked a tweet referring to “yes, and?” as her “comeback single.” Finally, an anthem for UCB students everywhere.
View this post on InstagramAnd she wins over the critics in her new music video.
“You know, I think I liked her better when her ponytail was a few centimeters higher,” says one critic at the beginning of the “yes, and?” video, where they appear to have been invited to a private performance. Another snootily remarked about her “artisanal hummus line.” But once they enter a warehouse space full of Ari sculptures, they are treated to a performance of “yes, and?” that had some of them up and dancing by the end — even if it was all in their heads. The video arrives just a few weeks after Miles Diggs, a photographer, teased a picture of Grande “on Set in NYC yesterday.” In that photo, she’s wearing a brown leather getup — a bit different from the “yes, and?” look — which has us wondering if we should expect to see more from Grande soon. She knows the critics would love it.
This post has been updated.
Related
No Thoughts, Just Eternal SunshinencG1vNJzZmivp6x7t8HLrayrnV6YvK57wKuropucmnyivsiapZpll6eur7DEZpigb12WuaPBzGapnqSVlsCmecOaq55llJrBorXLrGWhrJ2h