Ariana Grande stirred a considerable divide last week when her latest song seemingly made an unapologetic allusion to the ongoing Ethan Slater controversy.
Last week marked Ariana Grande’s return with her first solo track in three years, titled “yes, and?” The song quickly claimed the top spot on the Global Spotify Chart, amassing over 11 million streams on its release day. However, the reception was notably mixed, largely due to the apparent reference to the controversy surrounding Ariana’s relationship with fellow Wicked cast member, Ethan Slater.
Reports linking Ariana and Ethan first surfaced in July, shortly after Ariana’s publicized split from ex-husband Dalton Gomez. Ethan, too, had recently separated from his wife, Lilly Jay. Sources close to the pair vehemently denied allegations of infidelity, asserting that their romantic involvement only commenced after both became single.
In contrast, Lilly Jay, who welcomed a child with Ethan in August 2022, publicly criticized Ariana, labeling her as “not a girl’s girl.” She expressed her focus on rebuilding a life for their son, emphasizing it as her sole priority.
The Ariana-Ethan romance faced backlash from online communities, and Ariana’s new song appeared to address the swirling controversy. The lyrics, “Your business is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care so much whose dick I ride?” hinted at a response to the public scrutiny surrounding her relationship with Ethan.
While the song does not explicitly identify the target of Ariana’s words, speculation pointed towards the ongoing backlash regarding her romance with Ethan. Despite some fans defending Ariana, “yes, and?” faced criticism for its controversial lyric choice. Some critics drew parallels to Ariana’s past involvement in breakups and referenced her 2019 track, “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored,” accusing her of glorifying being the “other woman.” Others labelled Ariana as “out of touch.”
A deeper examination of the backlash reveals a significant loss in Ariana’s Instagram followers this month. According to SocialBlade, Ariana experienced a drop of 369,630 followers since the beginning of January, with the majority unfollowing after the announcement of “yes, and?” on Jan. 7.
As of now, Ariana has not addressed the backlash surrounding her song, but updates will be provided if she chooses to do so.