Everything We Know About Ariana Grande’s Fourth Studio Album
When a singer's fans are murdered in cold blood, how does she cope, move on and properly honor their memories? Ariana Grande's fourth studio album, which is due to drop soon, will give us a solid answer.
Just about a year ago, a terrorist detonated a bomb at the end of Grande's show in Manchester, England, killing 22 concert-goers and injuring dozens more. Grande, who was heartbroken, eventually carried on with her tour — and even instituted a Manchester Memorial Concert to aid the families of those who had been killed and injured. Still, behind closed doors, she was grieving and suffering.
Still, Grande seems to have taken advice from the late Carrie Fisher, who once said "Take your broken heart and make it into art," as Grande's forthcoming LP has so far left producers totally spellbound. But will fans have the stomachs to tap back into the pain that encompassed the tragedy?
From release dates to inspiration, check out everything we know about Ariana Grande's fourth studio album — her first since 2016's Dangerous Woman — below.
A new single is dropping on April 27
Variety confirmed the long-awaited track is due out at the end of the month, and will find Ari working with reliable collaborators Max Martin, Savan Kotecha and Pharrell Williams. The song also might be called "New York Live," if a registry on the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) is any indication.
The bombing awakened a new political side to Grande
We'll have to wait and see if Ari's new political convictions will transcend her tracks, but Variety insists that she is, indeed, more active, and her performance of "Be Alright" at the March for Our Lives is proof that her next era could come coupled with a decidedly more activist tone.
“This is for those brilliant students here today that are leading this march and for everybody participating today. Thank you so much for fighting for change and for love and safety and for our future,” Grande, who is now explicitly in favor of common sense gun-control laws, told the crowd.
It marks the first time Grande's written on every song
TMZ has reported that sources say the work is "deeply personal"...some have even called it a "masterpiece." She played the entire, completed work for record executives at a recent event.
The album might include a collaboration with Dua Lipa (!!!):
A 15-second clip surfaced on April 6 that featured Grande and Lipa sharing a track that's thought to be called "Bad to You," It's dark and seductive — perhaps a perfect follow-up to fan-favorite <em>Dangerous Woman </em>track "Into You."
There are some gorgeous falsetto harmonies to come
But you probably didn't need us to tell you that.
Grande actually started writing the album long before the bombing, and took off some time to reevaluate the work in the tragedy's aftermath
"It's been very challenging for all of us involved," she told Billboard in September 2017. "So it would be nice to really hold my loved ones close for a little while, stay home for a little bit. But knowing me, I'm going to be in the studio because I love it, and I want to create. I started an album already a year ago, over a year ago, but I want to keep creating, and it's not done yet. So I'm going to take my sweet ass time, so I'll be rested and ready to go again as soon as possible."
Only 10 songs will be included
Ari said that she had 25 tracks that she was desperate to share with fans, but less than half will probably be included in the album.
It has impressed pop's heavy-hitters
Manager Scooter Braun told Variety in November: "“It’s time for [Ariana] to sing the songs that define her...Whitney, Mariah, Adele – when they sing, that’s their song. Ariana has big vocal moments; it’s time for her song.”
Meanwhile, Pharrell told The Los Angeles Times: "The things that [Ariana] has to say on this album, it's pretty next-level.”