Ariana Grande Just Responded To The Backlash Over Lyrics In Her New Song "7 Rings"
It seems like Ariana Grande has been on an emotional roller coaster ride and there's no end to it in sight. Ever since dropping the official music video for her latest song "7 Rings" just a few days ago, the artist has been bombarded by controversy at every turn. While the video is vivid with hot pink hues, dripping in diamonds, and frothing with champagne bubbles, the luxurious vibes didn't sit well with everyone. However, Ariana Grande responded to the "7 Rings" backlash, letting everyone know her feelings about the recent negativity.
In case you haven't heard why some people are so upset about the song, let me fill you in. Certain artists — including Princess Nokia, Soulja Boy, and 2 Chainz — have accused Ariana Grande of ripping off their work, according to Fox News. In a since-deleted Instagram video posted by Princess Nokia, she addresses the fact that she believes the lyrics to "7 Rings" are too similar to the lyrics in her track "Mine" for comfort. According to E! News, Princess Nokia recorded herself saying: "Does that sound familiar to you? ‘Cause that sound really familiar to me. Oh my God!" she continues: "Ain't that the lil' song I made about brown women and their hair? Hmm… Sounds about white." Soulja Boy has made similar assessments, re-tweeting a celebratory post Grande made with regard to the "7 Rings" music video release, and adding "Give me my credit. Period".
However, these accusations of artistic theft are only the initial stages of the hot water Grande may be in. As reported by E! News, a fan later posted a screenshot of the track to her Instagram story, which included a caption that critiques the lyrics: "'You like my hair? Gee, thanks, just bought it'... White women talking about their weaves is how we're gonna solve racism." Grande's reaction to her fan's assessment of the song was to add the post to her own Instagram story, adding that she has "so much love" for the person who made it.
After many users expressed their frustration over Grande's apparent misunderstanding of the critique, sparking a discussion on whether or not the lyrics to "7 Rings" are culturally appropriative, Grande made the decision to delete the post altogether. However, Instagram user @theshaderoom refused to let it be forgotten and posted the receipts to their page.
On this post is where Grande left an apology:
i think her intention was to be like... yay a white person disassociating the negative stariotype that is paired with the word "weave"... however i'm so sorry if my response was out of pocket or if it came across the wrong way. thanks for opening the conversation and like... to everyone for talking to me about it. it's never my intention to offend anybody.
Fox News also reports that Grande's sensitivity towards and understanding of cultural appropriation in her work has been a trending topic as of late. Combined with accusations of artistic theft made by various black artists and the use of self-tanner to make her skin appear much darker (among other issues) has caused certain Twitter users to express disappointment with her decisions, as @delliemeats and @frecklesnlove have done.
Regardless of the backlash against her song "7 Rings," Digital Music News reports that the track broke Spotify records by being played almost 15 million times in the first 24 hours of its release. The record was previously held by Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You," which was played a little over 10 million times during Christmas Eve 2018.
