Ariana Grande is blowing up everywhere right now. She released two albums within five months of each other, and both of them have said a lot about what’s going on in her personal life. While Sweetener was full of hope for better days and dropped in the heat of her engagement to Pete Davidson, her newest album, Thank U, Next is quite the opposite. TUN is Ari’s next steps. It’s full of sadness, strength, and moving on. Here are three songs with important messages that you should listen to regardless if you are in the same spot as Ariana or not.
Needy
Take these lines from her song needy:
“Sorry if I’m up and down a lot (Yeah)
Sorry that I think I’m not enough
And sorry if I say sorry way too much
You can go ahead and call me selfish (Selfish)
But after all this damage I can’t help it”
I like this song a lot because it resonates with me, i’m pretty damn needy. But that’s besides the point… the reason I love this song is because a lot of the time we don’t admit our own faults, especially in a relationship. Here, Ari is doing just that. We never want to admit we’re wrong about things because it hurts our ego. I think a good mindset to have is to be self aware and realize when we do things that may upset people or ourselves. Sometimes we need other people to lift us up and it’s okay to admit that.
NASA
“I’d rather be at home tonight
Usually I would love it if you stay the night
I just think I’m on another page tonight
It ain’t nothing wrong with saying I need me time
Usually I would orbit around you
But gravity seems to be the only thing that’s pulling me
You’ll be my rise and shine soon as them stars align, mmm”
I looove this song, like, love it. TUN, is all about Ariana finding herself, and doing what she needs to do to be happy. I think this song is a great representation of that. The song is about telling a guy that she needs to be by herself so she can actually value her time with him. Sometimes being alone and wanting to be alone is a fantastic way to center yourself and take a step back from the craziness of life.
Fake Smile
“I can’t fake another smile
I can’t fake like I’m alright
Woo, ah (Woo, ah)
And I won’t say I’m feeling fine
After what I been through, I can’t lie
Woo, ah (Woo, ah)”
Verse 2:
“I read the things they write about me
Hear what they’re sayin’ on the TV, it’s crazy
It’s gettin’ hard for them to shock me
But every now and then, it’s shocking, don’t blame me
I know it’s the life that I chose
But baby, I’m grateful, I want you to know
I’m happy for the love and all of the above
If I’m being honest, I done been through way too much”
This song is pretty deep. Ariana talks about the expectations of being in the light and being constantly watched and ridiculed. She refuses to ‘fake smile’ or make people believe she is okay when in reality, she’s not, afterall, she’s really been through some sh*t. Ariana is admitting that things in her life are messed up and it’s okay that they are. Her message is really important here. Ariana is a human, just like us, she’s telling us it’s alright to have faults and to be sad. You don’t need to hide your emotions!!!!!
I hope this inspired you to listen to the rest of TUN and not just her hit singles. Ariana has shared an emotional and detailed journey of her healing. I hope you can resonate with some of her lyrics like I did!