Grammy Award-winning artist Ariana Grande has once again taken the music scene by storm with the release of her latest single, “yes, and?”, accompanied by a visually stunning music video. The track is the lead single from her upcoming seventh studio album, titled “eternal sunshine”, set to be released on March 8, 2024. The international superstar, known for her powerhouse vocals and chart-topping hits, dropped the eagerly awaited track via Republic Records, this week, and is set to chart globally. This acts as the follow-up to the tenth-anniversary edition release of her album “Yours Truly”.
Recorded in the vibrant backdrop of New York City, “yes, and?” showcases Grande’s musical prowess, with the song being both written and produced by the artist herself, alongside the talents of Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh. Fans were treated to a sneak peek earlier in the week when Grande teased the impending release on social media, sparking an immediate wave of excitement and anticipation.
Addictive and melodic, the track has Grande’s signature style to it, somewhat reminiscent of her hit single “No Tears Left to Cry”, but with a more current pop edge that has flowing house vibes to it. Vocally sweet with strong ad-libs and gorgeous harmonies, Grande knows how to deliver and there’s no denying that she can add a perfect whistle-tone to her tracks, this one included. Her lyrics delve into people’s opinions about her, as well as criticisms, but instead of hitting back, she responds blazé, suggesting to her listeners that they should rise above it and focus on positivity—something we so can get behind!
The official music video for “yes, and?” is a cinematic masterpiece directed by Christian Breslauer. Released just hours after the single, the video adds a visual dimension to Grande’s latest musical creation. Breslauer’s direction seamlessly complements the energy and vibe of the track, creating an immersive experience for viewers. Full of choreography—by Will Loftis—that matches the blazé tone of the song and certainly showcases inspiration from the likes of Madonna’s “Vogue” and Paula Abdul’s “Cold Hearted”, as well as ballroom culture as a whole.
The statues at the beginning and the ending of the video reference her previous album cover artworks and brilliantly sets the stage for both the start and the end of the visual—we only wish that the critics walking in were the same ones walking out, only the latter being more casual, just so that the entire visual looped, but who needs that when there’s awesome dancing and multiple critics and a blazé Grande who is bound to absolutely dominate this year, not only with the release of her seventh studio album, but also with the release of the film Wicked, which is set to be released in November.
Grande plays Glinda the good witch—hence why her hair is blonde at the moment—and the film has certainly been a long time coming. It is based on the 2003 stage musical which is based on the 1995 book, “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West”, which is based on the characters from the 1900 book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum and the 1939 hit film adaptation starring Judy Garland.
Ariana Grande continues to solidify her position as a multifaceted artist, effortlessly blending her vocal prowess with creative direction in both songwriting and visual storytelling. “yes, and?” stands as a testament to her ability to captivate audiences and reinvent her musical style.
“yes, and?”, by Ariana Grande, is available to download and stream, right now, across all platforms, via Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings. Her seventh studio album, “eternal sunshine”, has only recently been announced and is set to be released on March 8, 2024, which is available to pre-order, pre-add, and pre-save, right now.
