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United Kingdom Ariana Grande's 'Yes, And?': Details you missed in music video
Ariana Grande's 'Yes, And?' music video pays homage to Paula Abdul. Here's every key detail you may have missed.
- Ariana Grande released "Yes, And?" on Friday, the lead single from her forthcoming seventh album.
- The music video, directed by Christian Breslauer, is a choreographed response to critics.
- The video pays homage to Paula Abdul and contains subtle nods to Grande's past albums.
Ariana Grande kicked off a new era with "Yes, And?" on Friday, a dance-floor-ready response to her biggest critics.
The music video was directed by Christian Breslauer, who has previously worked with Doja Cat, SZA, and Lizzo.
Keep reading for the nods and references we caught in the clip, including praise from Paula Abdul.
The video opens with a teaser for Grande's seventh album, nicknamed "AG7."
The "AG7" card includes coordinates that point to Montauk, New York.
Many fans believe this to be a clue for the album title, which may have been inspired by "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." The 2004 sci-fi film was largely shot in Montauk and stars Jim Carrey, Grande's "lifelong crush."
Critics are "exclusively" invited to Grande's video shoot.
In the video's intro sequence, critics react to the card with skepticism. They exchange cruel comments ("Who cares if she's happy?") and rumors about Grande ("I read it on the internet, so it must be true").
By "exclusively" inviting critics to watch her perform, Grande is explicitly delivering this message to the people who ridicule her or pass judgment on her personal life, which she reinforces with her lyrics ("Now, I'm so done with caring / What you think, no, I won't hide / Underneath your own projection / Or change my most authentic life").
The concept was inspired by Paula Abdul.
The "Yes, And?" video narrative closely mirrors Paula Abdul's 1989 video for "Cold Hearted."
In the latter, record company executives come to watch Abdul perform and make dismissive comments about her work ("Hey, if there's any problem, we can always make changes").
Both Abdul and Grande dance for people who intend to judge them.
Abdul and Grande have met before, though it's unclear if they have a close relationship. They do share one major commonality: Both have been judges on popular singing competitions, with "American Idol" and "The Voice," respectively.
Grande's homage to Abdul is underscored by her monochromatic wardrobe and papillon hat.
Abdul's wardrobe in "Cold Hearted" is itself an homage; she wears the same police hat that Sandahl Bergman wore in Bob Fosse's 1979 musical "All That Jazz."
Abdul praised Grande in an Instagram post on Friday.
"WOW! Waking up to see @arianagrande pay homage to "Cold Hearted" in her new music video "yes, and?" was EVERYTHING!!!" Abdul wrote in the caption. " What an honor! What was your favorite part of the video? I love you, Ari!!!"
Grande responded in the comment section and thanked Abdul for inspiring her.
"i love you too, sweetest queen! thank you for your brilliance and for inspiring me (and so many people) endlessly!" Grande wrote.
Grande has addressed critics in her music before.
"Yes, And?" is familiar lyrical territory for Grande. She sings about criticism, rumors, and rising above it all in songs like "Shut Up," "Just Like Magic," "Thank U, Next," "The Light Is Coming," "Successful," "No Tears Left to Cry," "Be Alright," and "You Don't Know Me."
This theme has also bled into her visual art. In her 2018 single "God Is a Woman," she sings, "I can be all the things you told me not to be / When you try to come for me, I keep on flourishing." The music video depicts Grande as larger than life, watching calmly as a crowd of men hurls insults at her.
The "Yes, And?" choreography also recalls "God Is a Woman."
During Grande's live performances of "God Is a Woman," her dancers would mimic Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper painting. The intimate choreography was masterminded by Brian and Scott Nicholson, Grande's close friends and collaborators throughout the "Sweetener" era.
"Yes, And?" evokes a similar sense of intimacy between Grande and her dancers, although it was choreographed by a new name, Will Loftis.
Grande's performance opens with a group of statues, which pay homage to her past albums.
Grande's statue stands in the center with her hands covering her eyes, possibly as a reference to the phrase "see no evil." (The full Japanese proverb is "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.")
Grande's debut album, "Yours Truly," is posed on the staircase.
The staircase itself could also be a nod to the "Sweetener" era.
Her second album, "My Everything," sits on the floor.
Grande's iconic pose on the album cover has inspired copycats and conspiracy theories.
"Thank U, Next" can be seen lying on the floor.
The cover for Grande's fifth album was photographed by her friend, Alfredo Flores.
Grande wears red nail polish, in keeping with the color scheme for her next album.
Most of the "Yes, And?" video is styled in muted tones, so Grande's bright-red nail polish stands out.
Grande previously revealed the cover art for her as-yet-unnamed seventh album. The warm-toned shot of Grande's face, photographed by Katia Temkin, shows her wearing red lipstick.
Grande approaches the critics with a tuning fork.
According to Merriam-Webster, a tuning fork is a two-pronged tool "that gives a fixed tone when struck and is useful for tuning musical instruments."
It's often used to standardize pitch among a group of musicians, ensuring a harmonious sound. It can also be used for sound therapy.
In the video, Grande brandishes her tuning fork as if it's a sage smudge stick, cleansing the energy among the critics.
By the end of the video, she convinces the critics to dance with her. The ones who remain seated are bathed in red light.
Again, the red hue may represent "AG7." Grande implies that even her biggest critics will be converted by new music.
While Grande and her dancers turn back into statues, the critics do not.
The final touch could be a cheeky nod to Charli XCX, who stepped out in 2022 wearing a T-shirt that said, "They don't build statues of critics" — one day before she released her fifth album, "Crash."
