The subtle references you may have missed in Ariana Grande's new song.

When Ariana Grande was accused of being a homewrecker in July 2023, the internet came after her in droves. 

Some would say it was for good reason since the relationship she allegedly helped break off included a one-year-old child. Others believe that the blame lies solely with the husband because his marriage was his responsibility.

Watch: Ariana Grande - Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Post continues below.

While we're not entirely sure if an affair even took place, with reports claiming she and her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater started dating after his relationship broke down, one thing was clear: Grande had a turbulent dating history, and all her dirty laundry was being aired out into the open.

There was her separation from her husband of two years, Dalton Gomez, which she announced right before the world found out about her and Ethan, and then there were rumours of her breaking up other relationships in the past, leaving the internet to believe that Grande was not a "girl's girl".

Up till now, the pop star had not addressed any of the speculations directly, even after Ethan's ex-wife Lilly Jay, who posted about their 10th anniversary in November 2022, came out and blasted her publicly to Page Six, saying, "My family is just collateral damage."

But over the weekend, the singer shared her response in the form of a song titled Yes, And?, the lead single off of her forthcoming seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine. The pop anthem features plenty of clapback moments, not just about the criticism she's received over her relationship, but also about the relentless comments she's received about her appearance.

So let's go through the lyrics together. 

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

Ariana Grande with ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, who died in 2018. Image: Getty.

After a 48-second intro, the song opens up with these lyrics, seemingly referring to her relationship with Mac Miller, who died in September 2018. The chorus also features the line, "Say that shit with your chest", a lyric that originally appeared in Mac's 2018 track, Jet Fuel. Because of this, fans believe the verse and line are a subtle nod to Mac.

Grande's album, Eternal Sunshine, pays homage to the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a romance/sci-fi movie about a woman who erases her memories of a relationship after it broke off. It was a well-known fact that it was one of Mac's favourite films, as he had referenced it several times in songs and interviews.

"Now, I'm so done with caring / What you think, no, I won't hide / Underneath your own projections / Or change my most authentic life."

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater first met on the set of Wicked. Image: Instagram @michelleyeoh_official.

This is when Grande addresses the public's perception of her relationship with Ethan, and the labels that were placed on her after they started dating. It's quite clear that the artist wants the world to know that she couldn't care less about what people are saying about her, and regardless of the criticism, she's going to continue living her best life.

"Don't comment on my body, do not reply / Your business is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care so much whose d*ck I ride?"

People have commented on the pop star's body for years, with some claiming she suffers from an eating disorder. Image: Instagram: @arianagrande.

Now, it's these lyrics that have sparked the most amount of controversy online, with people on TikTok and Instagram using it as proof that Grande was on the other end of an affair.

"Being a 'homewrecker' isn't the flex you think it is," one person on Twitter wrote. 

Being a "homewrecker " isn't the flex you think it is. https://t.co/7xlZtdDab2 pic.twitter.com/or2MxWyRNz

— ِ (@jclnti) January 12, 2024

The line also claps back at people who make invasive comments about her body, more specifically those who say she suffers from an eating disorder. Unlike the Ethan Slater drama, this is a topic Grande has addressed in the past.

@arianagrande

♡

♬ original sound - arianagrande

"I think we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people's bodies, no matter what. If you think you're saying something good or well-intentioned, whatever it is: healthy, unhealthy, big, small, this, that, sexy, not sexy," she said in a video shared to TikTok.

At the end of the day, music is up to the listener's interpretation, and while the above does check out, Grande could have been singing about anything really and we'd never know. 

Feature Image: YouTube.

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