“Thank U, Next” is still a pretty new song that’s at the height of its popularity, and yet, Ariana Grande is ready for what’s next, as she teased her new song “Imagine” on Wednesday. Now the single is here, and while she doesn’t mention him by name, it appears the song is a tribute to Mac Miller. Back in November, Grande wrote that the song is about “a simple, beautiful love that is now (and forever) unattainable,” and it’s also worth nothing that Miller had an “Imagine” tattoo on his arm.
Grande wrote of the track on Wednesday, “I would say if ‘Thank U, Next’ = acceptance… ‘Imagine’ = denial. Hope that makes sense.” She continued in response to a fan, “Kind of like… pretending it never ended. Denial. But I look forward to you hearing it and having your own experience with it. You may take away something totally different and specific to your life! Love u.”
Also while teasing the song, Grande revealed some of the inspiration behind the Thank U, Next album, saying of it, “A lot of this album mourns failed yet important, beautiful relationships in my life (as well as celebrates growth / exploring new independence).” She also told a fan of the album’s progress, “We’re finalizing these mixes and arrangements now. I’m very happy with all of it. Lots of strings so. You know me. My heart meltssss.” Furthermore, she confirmed that the album will have thirteen songs, but it looks like it probably won’t be released until 2019.
Shortly before she released the song, she also addressed the late-night Twitter feud between Kanye West and Drake, writing in a tweet, “guys, i know there are grown men arguing online rn but [Miley Cyrus] and i dropping our beautiful, new songs tonight so if y’all could please jus behave for just like a few hours so the girls can shine that’d be so sick thank u.”
Even though “Imagine” is here, the world is still very much obsessed with “Thank U, Next.” The song just scored the biggest streaming week ever for a woman, and the video had the most YouTube views in the first 24 hours out of any video ever, with 55.4 million.
Listen to “Imagine” above.
