The Pop Corporation

Reading the comments on Ariana Grande’s new song ‘yes, and?’, you’re met with a lot of effusive praise. Stan culture, as we know, is a mixture of blind devotion (where would pop music be without it?) and preemptively hitting out at imagined critics.

One such comment says: “stanning ariana grande isn’t just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle, a reason to breathe, an escape from this cruel world filled with thieves. it’s art ❤“

And so, to Ariana’s house music direction. In the past, Ariana has made some pretty reasonable bubblegum R&B, and with her acrobatic, breathy vocals, she’s captured the attentions of people who err on the side of virtuosic. For a period, she was likeable at best, and too cutesy at worst.

But something changed. Not in the mind of her fans, of course, who will be doubling down and shouting harder in support of her, like she’s been wrongfully hit with murder charges.

Was it that period when she seemingly forgot how to walk, being pictured being carried everywhere. Seeing her then beau and rapper Big Sean holding her like she was a sickly Victorian prince, was a strange moment in popworld. However, that was unusual and silly – not a reason to start cocking an eyebrow at a little singer.

Was it her crassly talking about former beau Pete Davidson’s dick on Twitter? Was it the time she was dubbed a homewrecker by eagle-eyed pop enthusiasts online? Remember? She was pals with Ethan Slater and his wife, and then they split up and suddenly, Slate’s ex Lilly Jay flatly states that Ariana is “not a girl’s girl”.

While it absolutely diminishes Slater’s role in the whole thing, the mud stuck and suddenly, Ariana Grande wasn’t ‘cute’. And y’know, she did put a song out called ‘Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored’, before all this, so…

Then, there was chat about her playing with her look, playing with her race. Is it Kawaii aesthetic? Did she put too much fake tan on? Can she be accused of a blaccent? Is she the only artist you can level these things at?

The mood around Ariana has changed, and what’s so remarkable about this is that this is the same girl who, in May 2017, endured a suicide bomber at one of her shows, which saw fans of hers being killed. She performed at a tribute show in Manchester and generally, showed a maturity and strength that wasn’t expected, but she delivered on.

Of course, there’s very silly fun to be had in a young person’s errors – remember the time she got ‘7 rings’ tattooed on her hand in Japanese writing? And when you put the two characters together, it actually translates into “small charcoal grill”. Daft as it is, it showed an artist grappling with the intense criticism that comes with fame in the modern pop era.

When criticised for appropriating culture, she made a lengthy video that didn’t hit the spot for detractors. They wanted to see someone listening, learning and whatnot, but instead, sidestepped accusations and said: “What do you want me to do? It was done out of love and appreciation,” and was “an honest mistake,” tweeting that her feelings were hurt and with regards to everyone else, “no one considers feelings other than their own.”

More recently, accusations of ‘asianfishing’ have emerged, and whether or not Ariana is maliciously cosplaying or not, the criticism is there where initially, it absolutely wasn’t. And of course, fans of Ariana will point out the slew of other artists doing the exact same shit, and in many cases, sexism is rampant where men can get away with acting a certain way, and women can’t.

Most artists haven’t posted peevish things on their Instagram when faced with a delicate conversation: “White women talking about their weaves is how we’re gonna solve racism.“

However, if someone is being problematic, no-one is exempt from criticism, no matter how much you love them. Scrutiny has dogged Ariana in a way we’ve not seen with a number of her peers in more recent years, so at least she’s getting back to what she’s supposed to be doing – releasing new music.

‘yes, and?’ seems to be vaguely addressing negativity sent her way, and we hear her sing “if you find yourself in a dark situation, just turn on your light and be like, ‘Yes, and?’… say that shit with your chest, and be your own fuckin’ best friend… keep moving like, ‘What’s next?’.

It continues: “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“.

Is she in a better place? Has she just stopped caring?

Stans are going to love it regardless, but we’re going to have to wait to see if this is the start of a redemption arc for the hugely successful singer, or whether pop fans have moved on. The song itself is a reasonably energetic number, clearly influenced in part by Beyonce’s move into Chicago House-lite, and the kids are definitely rediscovering the joys of a sweaty club.

Perhaps we expect too much from popstars who are just trying to put good records out. Perhaps these 360 deals are giving too much access to a young person’s space.

Maybe, just maybe, we for once allow ourselves to mildly like or mildly dislike things without feverishly looking for the receipts? There’s a lot of evil in the world right now, and it’s ridiculous to give too much energy to a popstar, regardless of who they are. Stop trying to make Taylor Swift gay, stop expecting Ariana Grande to have all the answers and maybe, if we give ourselves a minute, it doesn’t really matter whether Ariana Grande’s new single is a game-changer or not.

Let 2024 be the year we start allowing ourselves to hear criticism without seeing it as an attack, but by the same margin, use our criticism to be taking down the big bad, or at least, be funnier and more throwaway with it.