Ariana Grande is turning over a new leaf.
That’s not only an extremely cheesy platitude — it’s also my extremely cheesy pun referencing her new tattoo. Grande posted a new photo on Instagram on Sunday showing off some delicate new ink: a branch of leaves splayed across the left side of her ribcage.
Under the photo, Grande wrote, “post run thrus, 3 am with @girlknewyork :) not a cover up just evolvin. also, our show opens tomorrow. i love u and i’m so grateful. see u soon.”
The caption isn’t just a shoutout to her upcoming world tour (which kicks off on Monday). It’s also a breezy acknowledgement of the strategic placement of her tattoo, which covers up some older art she got last summer during her whirlwind romance with Saturday Night Live comedian Pete Davidson.
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The original tattoo was just one word — “Always” — in what fans presumed to be Davidson’s handwriting.
It was one of many tattoos Grande got during her relationship with Davidson, which ended with a broken engagement in October. It’s also not the first tattoo she has modified or covered up — both Grande and Davidson have taken time post-breakup to change their ink, and Grande most recently had that unfortunate mishap where she inadvertently tattooed “Japanese barbecue grill” on her hand in kanji characters (hey, at least she was a good sport about it).
Grande’s modification to her “Always” tattoo, however, doesn’t seem to be an effort to hide or gloss over the past — rather, she seems to be focused on personal growth, appropriately symbolized by the new flora she has inked on her torso. That’s a message we can all get behind.