Here’s The Subtle Way That Ariana Grande’s New Song Appears To Honor Her Late Ex Mac Miller

ICYMI: Ariana Grande is back with a brand-new song!

Nbc / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Ahead of the release of her upcoming seventh studio album, Ariana dropped the lead single this Friday, which is titled: “yes, and?”

And it’s safe to say that Ari’s new track features a bunch of apparent references to several intimate subjects — from her late ex Mac Miller, to all the buzz around her new romance with Ethan Slater, to the relentless criticism she’s received over her appearance. So, here’s a breakdown of the lyrics.

Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for iHeartMedia

After a funky 48-second intro, the song opens with Ariana singing the line, “In case you haven’t noticed / Well, everybody’s tired / And healin’ from somebody / Or somethin’ we don’t see just right.”

The chorus of the song repeats the line, “Say that shit with your chest” — which appears to be a subtle reference to Mac Miller, whom she’s referenced throughout her projects time and again since his death in September 2018.

Kevin Mazur / WireImage

The pair dated for a couple of years before splitting in May 2018, but they shared a strong friendship for years after meeting and collaborating in 2013 on their song, “The Way.”

Mac’s 2018 track “Jet Fuel” features the lyric: “Say that shit with your chest.” Several people have since guessed that Ariana’s recent inclusion of that line on “yes, and?” is a subtle nod towards Mac.

What’s more, Ariana has dropped a few hints suggesting that her forthcoming album will be titled Eternal Sunshine — which appears to pay homage to the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Steve Granitz / WireImage

The romance/sci-fi movie — which features a woman who erases her memories of a relationship after a split — was famously one of Mac’s favorite films, with the late artist having referenced it numerous times in songs and interviews.

Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic

Later on in her new song, Ariana appears to address the public fixation on her dating life, following recent criticism of her romance with Ethan Slater.

Dominik Bindl / WireImage

As I’m sure you’re aware by now, Ariana and her Wicked costar Ethan apparently began dating shortly after they both split from their respective former partners, with Ethan filing for divorce from his longtime partner, Lilly Jay, weeks after he was first linked to Ari in July 2023.

The somewhat unclear timeline of Ariana and Ethan’s romance — as well as Lilly’s public admission that she believes Ariana is “not a girl’s girl” — led to heaps of raised eyebrows from fans, although it’s worth noting that sources close to both Ariana and Ethan have claimed they only started dating once they were both “single.” You can read a more detailed breakdown of the entire thing right here.

Karwai Tang / WireImage

On her new song, Ariana sings, “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.”

“Your business is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care so much whose dick I ride?” she later adds, which has since sparked a divisive reaction online.

Elsewhere on the track, Ariana addressed the cruel body-shaming comments she’s received throughout her career.

Nbc / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Last April, Ariana publicly responded to a heap of fresh comments scrutinizing her appearance. She said in a video, “I don’t do this often, I don’t like it, I’m not good at it. I just wanted to address your concerns about my body and talk a little bit about what it means to be a person with a body and to be seen and to be paid such close attention to.”

Noting that she’s been body-shamed for the past “decade or longer,” Ariana said, “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.”

And once again reminding people not to comment on her appearance in her latest song, Ariana says, “Don’t comment on my body, do not reply.”

You can listen to Ariana’s new song for yourself here.