I think we can all agree Ariana Grande’s single “thank u, next” is an absolute smash and has been on repeat since she released it. This song explains the positive mentalities to have after a breakup, self-love, forgiveness, learning from your past and moving forward being just a few. The song in its entirety is important and relatable to almost everyone, but here are three things I’ve personally taken away from “thank u, next”:
“I’m so f***ing grateful for my ex”
Ariana’s had a fair share of men in her life (haven’t we all?). In “thank u, next” she thanks her exes for teaching her how to better herself. After a break up, it’s so common to hate your ex and wish the whole relationship had never even happened in the first place. It’s normal and almost an instinct fueled from anger and sadness. It’s okay to be angry and sad; those are valid feelings. But at some point, allow yourself to look back and reflect on all that the relationship taught you, good and bad. Use the relationship to determine what you’ll look for in your next one and how you’ll handle future situations. Instead of dwelling on everything that went wrong no matter who’s at fault, appreciate how it strengthened you and helped you grow as a person.
“They say I move on too fast, but this one gonna last. ‘Cause her name is Ari, and I’m so good with that. She taught me love, she taught me patience and she handles pain, that sh**’s amazing”
In this verse, Ariana hints at a new love interest in her life: herself. Loving yourself is the greatest relationship you can enter. After all, they say you can’t have a healthy, functioning relationship with someone until you fully love yourself first. Going through a breakup, you learn a lot about the person you were dating. What comes in the months following the break up is what you learn about yourself. What you like and don’t like and how you handle things. Use this situation to better yourself for the next one. Heartbreak is a devastating time, but it can also be the time to grow and do things for yourself. Go to that place you’ve always wanted to visit. Buy that outfit you’ve always wanted to wear. Nothing’s holding you back, so this is the time to do anything and everything you’ve always wanted to do.
“Thank you, next”
The main line in “thank you, next” is about appreciating what you’ve learned in the past and looking forward to what’s next. Thinking about the next stage of your life without that person in it isn’t an easy concept to comprehend. It’s hard to forgive, forget and admit to yourself that it’s officially over. For most people, this takes the longest time. But some things aren’t meant to last forever. Sometimes, people are meant to come into your life to teach you things. Moving on is hard, but once you do, it’s the greatest feeling. It might be your next relationship, a new place you live or a new job opportunity you’ll take. No matter the adventure, it’s the next part of your life and it begins the minute you replace resentment and denial with forgiveness and acceptance.
Ariana Grande has had to overcome a lot this past year and I admire the way she’s handled everything with grace and positivity. In this song, she was able to express her feelings toward past relationships, self-love and moving forward all without being petty, malicious or angry. I think these are all things we should take away to use in our own personal relationships. So, appreciate the lessons learned, grow from your past and use it to move forward. Or in other words just say: “Thank you, next.”