Thank U, Next

"Thank U, Next" arrived as a surprise on November 3, 2018, when Ariana Grande dropped the lead single from her fifth studio album with no prior announcement. Written during a period of intense public scrutiny following her breakup with Pete Davidson and the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, the song flips the script on conventional breakup anthems. Instead of dwelling on pain or anger, Grande rattles off a list of her former partners, including Davidson, Miller, Ricky Alvarez, and Big Sean, thanking each for a specific lesson learned. The chorus zooms out to a broader message: she's grateful for every relationship because they all led her to a better understanding of herself. The track was produced by Tommy Brown, Michael Foster, and Charles Anderson, with writing contributions from Victoria Monét and Tayla Parx. Its conversational, almost spoken-word delivery in the verses, paired with a breezy, synth-pop chorus, gave the song an intimate, diary-like feel that resonated instantly.

Commercially, "Thank U, Next" was a juggernaut. It became Grande's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for seven consecutive weeks. The song also topped charts in more than a dozen countries, including the UK, Australia, and Canada. Its streaming numbers were staggering: on Spotify, it broke the record for the most streams in a single day by a female artist, and the album it led eventually set the record for the largest streaming week ever for a pop album by a woman. The RIAA certified it 8x Platinum in March 2024, reflecting over 8 million equivalent units in the US alone.

The music video, directed by Hannah Lux Davis and released on November 30, 2018, became an event in its own right. It pays homage to four iconic early-2000s films: Mean Girls, Bring It On, Legally Blonde, and 13 Going on 30. Grande re-creates specific scenes with meticulous detail, and the video features cameos from Kris Jenner, Troye Sivan, and several of Grande's former Victorious co-stars. The video racked up over 55 million views in its first 24 hours, the biggest debut for any music video on YouTube at the time, and became the fastest Vevo video to reach 100 million views. It currently sits at over 883 million views, a testament to its enduring appeal. [edit]