If you’ve been following the journey of Ariana Grande’s latest single, “7 Rings,” then you know that it’s been a bit of a rocky journey. Sonically, the song is fantastic — so much so that plenty of other artists and fanbases were quick to claim they heard influences/similarities. The song shot immediately to No. 1 on the Billboard chart, but not before both Princess Nokia, Soulja Boy stans, and Asian fans were quick to level accusations of appropriation against Grande. You’ll have to decide for yourself on those levels, but I think we can all agree the issues with her palm tattoo have been, uh, well distracting.
Never fear, the diva knows exactly how to change the conversation back to the music, by adding one of the prime purveyors of trap himself to a flashy new remix. Considering the “7 Rings” video was definitely an homage to the entire trap house aesthetic, which 2 Chainz is arguably the foremost authority on, getting him on the song is a good way to appease the hip-hop powers that be for Ariana’s controversial first major move into the genre. Listen to the new version with a 2 Chainz verse and a little more scatting from Ariana above and keep your ears peeled for the rest of Thank U, Next — out so so soon on February 8.
