Ariana Grande released her new song, “Thank U, Next,” about her ex-fiance Pete Davidson and other men she dated on Saturday, November 3, half an hour before the comedian was set to appear on Saturday Night Live.
The song, which also references her ex-boyfriends Big Sean and the late Mac Miller, features the lyrics “Thought I’d end up with Sean / But he wasn’t a match / Wrote songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh / Even almost got married / And for Pete, I’m so thankful /Wish I could say ‘thank you’ to Malcolm / ‘Cause he was an angel.”
She also indicated in the song that she’s happy to hang out with those close to her as she heals: “Spend more time with my friends / I ain’t worried bout nothing / Plus I met someone else / We having better discussions / I know they say I move on too fast / But this one gon’ last / Cause her name is Ari / And I’m so good with that.”
The title of the track, which is also the name of her upcoming album, was inspired by a phrase that Grande, 25, said she used to use all the time. She also used the words earlier this week to clap back at Davidson, 24, when he joked about their four-month-long engagement in a promo for SNL. The comedian asked singer Maggie Rodgers to marry him in the ad and complained that he is “0 for 3” after she turned him down.
“For somebody who claims to hate relevancy u sure love clinging to it huh,” Grande wrote in a now-deleted tweet, followed by “Thank u, next.”
She tweeted about the new song and album title on Saturday, responding to fans’ questions about it and shared a line from the track’s chorus, “I’m so …. f—kin ….. grateful for my ….. ex.”
The “God Is a Woman” singer also tweeted, “no drags…. No shade….. jus love, gratitude, acceptance, honesty, forgiveness … and growth.”
The couple split last month and Davidson is expected to address their breakup on SNL in his first episode back since they parted ways.
