Is ‘Yes, And?’ Ariana Grande’s Comeback Single?

Lucy Matthews

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Ariana Grande’s comeback single ‘Yes, And?‘ (2024) serves as an upbeat kickback to the negative backlash surrounding her personal life this past year.

Moments after waking up, I scrambled to stream Ariana Grande’s comeback single Yes, And?. The thirty-second introduction caught me off guard, suggesting a switch to the house genre. Then, the moment I had been waiting for, as the pop princess’s polished vocals flowed into my ears like water after a drought.

“It serves as a delicious message that she is untouchable to those who are unworthy of her time”

And a musical drought it certainly has been. Aside from collaborations with The Weeknd, Mariah Carey and Demi Lovato, Yes, And? marks as a significant milestone since the release of Positions back in 2020.

House, Self-Confidence, and Saying ‘Shit With Your Chest’

It isn’t the first time performers renowned for their polished pop vocals have gone down the house route. Yes, And? echoes Beyoncé’s decision to embrace house synths with the release of Renaissance. Much like how Renaissance embraces themes of self-assurance and personal empowerment, Grande similarly encourages her listeners to “say that shit with your chest.”

Though a controversial response to recent allegations of cheating, perhaps this transition is good for Grande’s image. For a singer plagued by accusations regarding her body image and love life, it serves as a delicious message that she is untouchable to those who are unworthy of her time.

https://twitter.com/godsfavoritexox/status/1756492423654424781

Grande Honours Madonna’s ‘Vogue’ with House Switch

The track is politely upfront. Collaborating alongside producers Max Martin and Ilya Salamnzadeh, who worked on some of her best works, including her sophomore album, My Everything and Dangerous Woman, the track transports listeners back in time. Specifically, it takes them to the underground ballroom scene of the 90s, where Madonna once ruled the roost. This time, however, Grande is leading the way.

Having teased the red-lipped promotional single all week, fans had no clue what to expect from a singer whose vocals have been praised by Patti Lupone and Aretha Franklin. Yet, hit with tragedy in recent years with the Manchester Arena Bombing in 2017, the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller in 2018, and now divorce, the track is defiantly optimistic.

“Having taken a hiatus to film Wicked, the pop star has left a Grande-sized hole in the music industry.”

She certainly could have gone down any route with the new music rollout. Her response is Be Alright’s (2016) sassier sister with a turned-up house funk, armed with the strategies required to combat intense media scrutiny. The call to “put your lipstick on” is a subtle and suitable lyric for the music-turned-makeup mogul, whose r.e.m. beauty line has been embraced by patient fans waiting for her to put down the highlighter and get in the studio.

@ajaylldeluxe

yes, and? by ariana grande (first listen)

♬ yes, and? – yes, and?

Shooting Down the Haters, One Falsetto at a Time

There is an uplifting “mother has arrived, and she’s minding her business” message infused throughout the track. It’s certainly a fitting return for the singer who left her infamous manager, Scooter Braun, in August last year. She replaced him with Brandon Creed’s recently established firm, Good World Management. Questions have arisen regarding whether Grande’s favoured R&B route will make a comeback or whether she will shake up the pop industry altogether by honouring her love for musical theatre.

If one thing is for certain, AG7 is anticipated by fans worldwide. Having taken a hiatus to film Wicked, the pop star has left a Grande-sized hole in the music industry. When it premieres in November, the musical will undoubtedly take Grande’s vocal capabilities to new and unheard heights.

Rumours, Allegations and Defiance

The highlight of the single is the robotic, spell-like bridge, which gives her haters one last kick in the teeth. Her Wicked co-star, Cynthia Erivo, compared it to a Psalm on her Instagram story, and she wasn’t wrong. Grande chants, “My tongue is sacred, I speak upon what I like, protected, sexy discerning with my time”, and cheekily asks listeners to mind their own business when it comes to her sex life. It’s a bold move for Grande, especially in response to recent allegations surrounding her love life.

Last July, she coupled up with fellow Wicked cast-mate and The Spongebob Musical (2016) Broadway star Ethan Slater. Though both had allegedly left their partners before their fling began, vague timelines resulted in rumoured infidelities.

The soon-to-be Glinda is using her long history of controversy to uplift others. Critics who’ve weighed in on internet discourse will undoubtedly be tapping their feet to this destined disco classic. Grande has made a defiant, house hit of a comeback. It’s time she has her say, after all.

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