On Sunday, pop star Ariana Grande announced the upcoming release of her new single, her first new solo music in three years, titled “Yes, And?” for January 12 of this year. Her last studio album, Positions, came out in 2020, with a deluxe version in January 2021. The announcement was fairly simple, with just a blurry picture of the singer in a seemingly dark space, wearing red lipstick.
In the caption, she wrote, “yes, and? ♡ 1.12.”
On December 27, she shared a glimpse into her process making music, including shots of the studio, crying and laughing with friends, and collapsing on the couch after a long day recording.
In the last few years, Grande has been focusing on other projects, including her REM Beauty brand and the film adaptation of the musical Wicked in which she stars as Glinda, across from Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. Her personal life has also undergone changes in 2023, with a divorce from her former husband, real estate agent Dalton Gomez. She began dating Broadway star Ethan Slater, who she met on the set of Wicked. Slater is cast as Boq, a resident of Munchkinland.
Just before the new year, Grande emphasized how 2023 was “one of the most transformative, most challenging, and yet happiest and most special years” of her life on Instagram.
“I’ve never felt more at the mercy of and in acceptance of what life was screaming to teach me. i’ve never felt more fulfilled by or present in my work, being able to cherish every moment,” she wrote to her followers in an Instagram Story. “i gave everything i could have possibly given of my heart and of myself to the projects i was fortunate enough to be a part of and learned so much from every brilliant, beautiful, soul that i had the privilege of creating art with and crossing paths with this near.”
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.