Ariana Grande Is Saying “Yes, And?” To Everyone Hating On Her Love Life

Welcome to the House of Grande. It’s been seven years since the singer flirted with ‘90s-inspired house beats — she was last en vogue on 2016’s Dangerous Woman hit, “Be Alright.” However, on her latest single “Yes, And?,” Grande returned to the dance floor with another intention in mind. In the track’s music video, Grande’s striking poses á la Paula Abdul and using the softer register of her voice to make one thing clear: She doesn’t care what critics think of her career... or her rumored relationships.

“Yes, And?,” which released on Jan. 12, comes after a particularly scandalous year in Grande’s personal life. In July 2023, the singer divorced her husband, Dalton Gomez, after two years of marriage. At the same time, reports came out that she started dating her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, who also divorced his wife of four years (Lily Jay) by the end of that month.

Though Grande has recently been spotted out with Slater, she’s been noticeably quiet about the rumored romance. She doesn’t name drop the Broadway actor on “Yes, And?” either — though, some fans believe her upcoming album might be inspired by the relationship. Despite her silence, it’s hard to ignore the track’s pointed lyrics.

“Yes, And?” begins on a soft note, before unfurling into a stuttering house moment reminiscent of Madonna’s “Vogue.” Grande fires her first lyrical shot in the opening verse, alluding to critics who will never understand what’s happening in her personal life. Or in this case, possibly the muddled timeline of her and Slater’s relationship.

“In case you haven’t noticed / Well, everybody’s tired / And healin’ from somebody / Or somethin' we don’t see just right,” she croons.

She then reminds everyone to mind their business — a theme she explored on her Positions opener, “Shut Up” — and reiterates that she’s “done caring about what you think” in the second verse.

It’s not until the track’s bridge that Grande seemingly references the Slater backlash. There, she breathily coos that her energy is protected, her “face is sitting,” and asks: “Why do you care so much whose d*ck I ride?” Oh?

Grande revs up the unfazed engine until the track’s outro, and it’s wildly infectious. Between “Yes, And?” and fans’ theories her romance with Slater might be the focus of AG7, this might not be the last time we’ll hear the singer using harmonies instead of statements to address the public.