Ariana Grande‘s new “yes, and?” single continues to garner millions of streams in the weeks since its release, with fans buzzing about the possible meanings behind her infectious lyrics.
Earlier this month, the Grammy winner, 30, shared the long-awaited visual for the track. It features Paula Abdul-inspired choreography, and scenes where Grande’s critics are “exclusively” invited to watch her perform.
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This, of course, coincides with the song’s kiss-off lyrics, which many fans believe were inspired by backlash sparked by her romance with her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater (whom she allegedly began a relationship with while they were both married to other people).
On January 22nd, Grande took to Instagram to respond to the success of her new single. As expected, many fans expressed disappointment and frustration with the song’s sentiment and some accused her of being a “homewrecker.”
Ariana Grande Shares New Statement On IG After "Yes, And?" Climbs The Billboard Charts
In her post, the "pov" singer shared clips from her latest music video. She wrote in her caption, "i am so so so……. so emotional. thank you from the bottom of my heart to my fans, the most incredible angels in the world, for the love you have shown this song and me."
Grande added: "it is overwhelming and so sincerely moving to see how many of you this song has resonated with and it is such a gift to feel so seen and held by you! thank you for your positivity, for your support and for everything. you have no idea how much you mean to me! this is absolutely because of and entirely for you. thank you!"
While many fans shared how much they "loved" the track and visual in the comments section, others took to X (formerly Twitter) to bring up her controversial relationship with Slater, 31. Interestingly, Grande's comments section was "limited" and only positive ones can currently be seen on it.
"Ariana Grande really out here praising herself as being a homewrecker in her new song like nooooooo girl," one tweeted as another added: "Can we just cancel #ArianaGrande for being a homewrecker."
According to SocialBlade, an analytics site, Grande’s Instagram account has experienced a decline in followers amounting to 369,630 since the beginning of January.
Grande's song and video appeared to be a response to the negative reactions she faced when news of her relationship with her co-star Slater surfaced, who at the time was reportedly married to his high school sweetheart Lilly Jay with a one-year-old child.
The "positions" crooner urges her fans to focus on their own lives rather than interfering in hers in the "yes, and?" lyrics. "Say that s–t with your chest, keep moving like, ‘What’s next? Yes, and?'" she sings.
Another notable lyric from the song is: "Your business is yours, and mine is mine / Why do you care so much whose d–k I ride?"
Her question was met with an outpouring of criticism on social media, with fans speculating (and several insiders seemingly confirming) that her relationship with Slater had begun before he ended his marriage with his estranged wife, Jay.
According to an insider who spoke to Page Six, Jay, who has a 17-month-old son with Slater, was "completely blindsided" by his relationship with Grande. As she herself told the outlet: "[Grande is] not a girl’s girl." Jay added: "My family is just collateral damage."
Since then, Grande and Slater have maintained a discreet lifestyle, yet occasionally appear in public, such as their trips to Disneyland or romantic nights out in New York City.
