Look What “thank u, next” Taught Us
Ariana Grande’s much awaited music video for her newest single “thank u, next” dropped on December 1 and proceeded to break the internet. The celebrity-filled music video pays homage to four iconic movies, and features cast members from Grande’s hit Nickelodeon show Victorious, original characters from the movies it is inspired by and even Kris Jenner.
Within 24 hours, the video had shattered Vevo’s view-count record with a whopping 55.4 million views. And less than a week later, the video has reached 136 million views, earning the title of fastest video to reach one million views on Youtube. Released only a month ago, “thank u, next” is already being called the break-up anthem of 2018, and it has broken streaming records on Spotify.
The video begins with a nod to the 2004 hit Mean Girls, as some familiar faces (including Youtube star Colleen Ballinger and Aussie singer Troye Sivan) recreate a gossip scene from the movie. Later on in the video, Grande channels her inner Elle Woods in Legally Blonde-inspired segments, even remaking a scene with the original Paulette, Jennifer Coolidge. She later swaps the pink for pom poms as she portrays the cheerleaders of Bring It On. During an emotional moment in the video, Grande then embodies Jennifer Garner’s character from 13 Going On 30.
Grande’s song “thank u, next” became successful by teaching us how to get over the challenges of moving on after a breakup, and its music video brought this message to life and proved to be just as successful as the song, if not more. If you are one of the very few people who have yet to see it, make sure to check it out!
Kyla Flor is a senior here at St. Dominic High School. She is involved in photography club, NHS, and is a senior advisor. She is also the manager of the...