Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” Breaks YouTube Record

Inori Kawauchiya, Guest Writer

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Dropped on the third of November, 2018, Ariana Grande’s single “Thank U, Next” was transformative in multiple ways. Its music video broke the record of reaching one million likes on YouTube the fastest—33.9 minutes. In fact, so many “Arianators” were on her music video’s page that YouTube’s comment section even broke down for a while.

The music video also has over 46 million views beating the up and coming K-Pop group BTS who got 45.9 million views for “Idol.”

So, what made this video stand out amongst all the other performances that Grande had put on?

Fans were stunned at the number of emblematic scenes that referenced multiple millennial shows, including “Mean Girls,” “Legally Blonde,” “13 Going on 30,” and “Bring It On.” Grande put a twist to the “Burn Book,” replacing victims of “The Plastics” with her own exes. She even included the smallest but most meaningful details, such as the absence of Mac Miller in the “Burn Book,” commemorating his death.

Grande meant for this single to show the closure of her relationship with Pete Davidson and give respect to her past partners, as well as move past her previous “Sweetener Era.” Until the release of Grande’s next album, “Thank U, Next” will continue to serve its meaningful messages and reflective purpose.