One of the most popular music artists in the world at the moment, Ariana Grande holds the incredible ability of capturing the attention of the public and listeners around the world.

Over the past few months, Grande has released new music whenever she felt like it.  First, her hit song “Thank U, Next” dropped and broke records, and then “Imagine” came along.  She also recently released a new hit song called “7 Rings,” and, to no surprise, fans and non-fans alike have fallen in love with it.  

Grande has incorporated older songs into her new pop songs.  For instance, the new hit starts off with the tune from “My Favorite Things” from the classic film The Sound of Music, and Grande clearly knew what she was doing when she chose to sample this classic. 

In light of this seemingly-creative move, other artists are coming for Grande claiming she took their music.  For instance, later in the song, there are similar tunes to other black artists that have accused her of stealing.  Princess Nokia, Soulja Boy, and 2Chainz blame Ariana for taking the tunes from “Pretty Boy Swag,” “Spend it,” and “Mine.” Some believe that these accusations have a lot to do with the issue of cultural appropriation.

“I love Ariana and her music, but I think she made a mistake by incorporating other artists’ music in ‘7 Rings,’” said sophomore Avery Silfin.

There are a few other things both in the song itself and in its music video that people considered to be controversial.

Many people and fans around the country hold the opinion that the lyrics in the song display the unauthorized adopting of elements of African American culture, which therefore makes the song suggest racist connotations. Ariana sings, “You like my hair? Gee, thanks! Just bought it.”  This line is displayed as a reference to weaves, which are a cultural tie associated with African Americans. 

“I can see how Ariana’s song can be controversial, but I don’t think that was her intention,” said sophomore Abbie Garfin. 

Grande is no rookie when it comes to controversy. As a result, Grande went to Twitter to issue an apology. 

“I’m so sorry my response was out of pocket or if it came across the wrong way.  Thanks for opening the conversation and… to everyone for talking to me about it.  It’s never my intention to offend anybody,” said Grande via Twitter. 

Her apology sparked different reactions from fans.  A number of them thought there was no need for an apology in the first place, while others did not think that her apology was sincere enough.  

On Friday, Feb. 8, Grande released her second album in the past year titled Thank U Next.  In the weeks following the singer’s split from comedian Pete Davidson, Grande went straight to the studio and produced her heartbreak into a sensational album. Included in the 12-song album are Grande’s previous singles “Thank U, Next,” “Imagine,” and “7 Rings.” 

“I am so excited for the Thank U Next album to come out,” said sophomore Sari Hartstein prior to the album’s release.  “I hope it’s like her recent songs because they are so catchy!”

In the album, Grande uses her music to grieve over the loss of her ex, Mac Miller, and creates anthems to empower both herself and other women. 

The album carries over the catchy and techno beats like the songs the previously released.  Some hits from the album include “Break Up with Your Boyfriend, I’m Bored,” “NASA,” and “Needy.” 

In addition to her new album, Grande released the music video for the song “Break Up with Your Boyfriend, I’m Bored” late Thursday night.  This music video stars Grande and Riverdale star Charles Melton.

Fans have been raving about both the song and accompanying video. This tactic of releasing a song and an impressive video within a week of each other is not new for Grande, as she has released two other music videos for her past three singles.  By releasing a music video, Grande increased the buzz surrounding her new album. 

“I love Ariana’s new album,” said senior Ava Osher.  “It’s so upbeat and the music video for break up with your boyfriend, I’m bored is really good. She definitely did not disappoint.”

So far, 2019 has turned out to be the year of Ariana Grande.  Although she has been in the press a lot because of her controversial love life, Grande has not let this stop her from creating new amazing music.  By dropping new singles and releasing her new album, Grande is solidifying her status as a pop icon, and we will definitely be hearing more of her music in the future.