If 2016 wasn't a busy enough year for Ariana Grande with the release of her third album, Dangerous Woman, she had a pretty exhaustive 2017, to say the least. She continued promoting her album as well as her newly released fragrance, Sweet Like Candy, for almost an entire year.
If that wasn't enough, she starred as Penny Pingleton in Hairspray Live! which premiered on NBC towards the end of December 2016. Following months of rehearsal, at the beginning of February 2017, Ariana kicked off her second world tour, The Dangerous Woman World Tour.
After traveling around the United States for months, she brought her tour to the United Kingdom. On May 22, a tragic event took place: towards the end of the show, as fans were leaving Manchester Arena, a suicide bombing took place, killing twenty-three people, the youngest of which was eight years old. Days later, despite being traumatized, the singer held a benefit concert featuring other performers. Ariana raised close to three million dollars for those affected by the disaster.
The singer continued her world tour after several weeks of recuperation. Ever since ending the tour in the fall, with the exception of advertising her collaboration with Reebok, Ariana has been on the down-low; she has barely been on social media and has kept out of the public eye.
From her limited use of Twitter and Instagram, she has shared with her fans that she has been spending time with her close family, friends, and furry babies, of course.
On New Year's Eve, she posted a short video via Instagram eluding to new music. She has hinted numerous times for the past months that newest her album has been completed. However, fans craved verification and more details.
Sources close to her have confirmed that her fourth album, which currently remains unnamed, has finally been completed. Fans across the globe (including myself) are losing their sh*t.
Other musicians, such as Troye Sivan, have mentioned their new music featuring Ariana. Pharell, who has been praising Ariana for months and even performed at One Love Manchester, dropped major hints about a collaboration between the two stars. As if her fans needed anything more to freak out over, Pharell publicly claimed that Ariana's new album was unlike anything she has ever created before.
Some of her other close friends, like Alfredo Flores, have recently taken to social media to share their thoughts and praise about Ariana's newly-recorded album. Even her mother, Joan, commented about her daughter's new music; she claims it is amazing. Sources in the music industry who have heard the tracks offer nothing but confirmation of these claims.
It has been said by people who have heard the new music that, as Ariana is growing, her music is, as well. In no way were here songs ever immature, but, due to her experiences she's had in the past year, her songs are more mature. They reflect the development and strength Ariana has had to endure through everything: the hard work, joy, pain, confusion, and payoff regarding her work.
Ariana's music has always been incredible. Yet, I know that after living through such a life-changing experience, her music will only get better; they will reveal a truth and honesty about living in today's world. For some, it seems that the hottest hits of today revolve around meaningless lyrics that rhyme and an oversexualized, and sometimes degrading, image of women. I know that Ariana's upcoming album will be exactly what the music industry needs to shake things up to bring back authentic, genuine music everyone can look up to and relate to.
Keep it up, Ari! We can't wait!
