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Skipping into 2024 with a breezy, pony-tail flipper of a beat, Ariana Grande’s first single in three years has a perky New Year’s decision vibe. “Yes, and?”, using excessive on a breezy, brushoff title, channels the empowered perspective and snappy pulse of Madonna’s 1990 hit, “Vogue” (a tune Grande coated on her 2015 Honeymoon tour). Fans the identical classic as 52-year-old producer Max Martin can also catch a cheeky little nod again to British duo Mel’n’Kim’s 1987 home anthem “Respectable” within the brittle “take or leave us” sass of the phrasing.
“In case you hadn’t noticed/ well everybody’s tired,” begins Grande over a squidgy little synth worm hook, muted key chords and thumping 4/4 beat. The Floridian singer who grew up modelling her vocals on the large gargling choruses of Celine Dion and Whitney Houston (studying to nail the drama whereas protecting the quantity down) takes a candy, mild shimmery tone. Her voice smooth and glancing as a make-up brush tickling your eardrum, she units followers as much as be themselves no matter haters. In one other hat-tip to the queer historical past of “Vogue”, she sings: “Boy come put your lipstick on,” earlier than flitting right into a refrain that wears its expletives like chiffon, urging listeners to “be like ‘yes, and?’/ say that s*** with your chest/ and be your own f***in’ best friend.”
In a month which has already seen The New York Times publish a 5,000-word essay full of inappropriate hypothesis on Taylor Swift’s sexuality, Grande delivers her personal addition to the Swiftian “Shake It Off”/ “You Need to Calm Down” faculty of shushing judgey public commentary on a star’s private life. Swift’s wit is sharper, however Grande’s capacity to flutter so prettily by way of the storms of social media has its personal heat, delicate attraction. She jogs my memory of a hummingbird, all iridescent precision and nectar, fairly notes flying so quick you don’t discover the blur of her wings.
Last April she made a uncommon speech on TikTok to hit again at public criticism of her obvious weight reduction, noting that the “healthy” physique some thought she ought to regain was really the consequence of a interval when (within the wake of the suicide bombing at her Manchester live performance and the demise of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller) she was taking antidepressants, consuming and not consuming effectively. Now she clarifies: “don’t comment on my body, do not reply/ your business is yours and mine is mine.”
Martin – who’s been writing and producing for Grande since 2013’s “Bang Bang” – normally believes in songs constructing drama as they evolve. My personal niggle with “Yes, and?” is that, after it’s stacked his trademark chorus-hook on verse-hook, the emotion doesn’t transfer on a lot additional. But Martin and Grande have enjoyable following the “Vogue” method within the observe’s construction. There’s a spoken phrase, bell tolling and handclap-backed part by which Grande preaches that her tongue is “sacred” and affirms that she’s “protected, sexy, discerning with my time”. Ideal for the manifesters on the dancefloor. No marvel it’s bopped straight to the highest of the iTunes chart. As the primary single from Grande’s upcoming seventh album, it bodes very effectively. Thank u, Ariana. Next?
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