The pop superstar opened up about why she chose ‘Yes, And?’ as the lead single off her upcoming album ‘Eternal Sunshine’
Ariana Grande had a feeling “Yes, And?” would be the right single to kick off her new era of music.
In a new video shared to social media on Tuesday, the pop superstar, 30, opened up about how she chose the upbeat, house-influenced song as the lead single from her upcoming seventh studio album Eternal Sunshine, out March 8.
Grande is seen previewing new music for her label, Republic Records, in the clip, focusing on “Yes, And?” in the midst of playing several other songs. “Maybe try listening pretending you haven’t heard the rest,” she said. “But the reason why I kinda liked [‘Yes, And?’] … it’s an all-encompassing, like, ‘What the f—?'”
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“Like, why aren’t we all thinking with the cap of, ‘Everyone’s tired, everyone is healing from someone or something that you can’t see on the surface.’ Everyone is feeling that. That’s why I kind of liked [‘Yes, And?’] as a, ‘We’re coming back,'” continued the Grammy winner.
The “Thank U, Next” musician set another disclaimer for the team before playing the single, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 following its Jan. 12 release.
“Pretend you don’t know the rest. Pretend it’s been three years since Positions. And pretend this is, you’ve been, like, seeing me in a f—ing blonde wig on the Daily Mail for the past year,” said Grande in the clip, to laughs from the Republic Records team.
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“I think I kind of like that being first because it’s a surprise, but also because it gives us a lot of a place to go,” she added of the track, explaining that it’s not an “obvious” choice for a lead single.
“It’s kind of like the ‘Thank U, Next’ formula, if you will, ’cause it’s like, ‘Thank U, Next’ came first because it had to,” said Grande of her 2018 single, which addressed her then-recent breakup from ex-boyfriend Pete Davidson as well as past relationships with Big Sean, dancer Ricky Alvarez and the late Mac Miller.
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“Yes, And?” finds the star responding to public conversation surrounding her appearance, her divorce from ex-husband Dalton Gomez and her current relationship with Wicked costar Ethan Slater.
Last week, Grande released a remix of the song featuring Mariah Carey.