If "thank u, next" is how you're feeling about the midterm elections, then you're in luck — the song continues to dominate the cultural conversation. Ariana Grande performed the track for the first time live on The Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday. Today, the full clip of the performance arrived online. In it, Grande trips a little, cries a little, and gives a lot. This is Grande, after all; things may get messy, but they're always going to be fun.
The performance was a tribute to First Wives Club, the 1996 comedy starring Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, and and Bette Midler. Flanked by singers Victoria Monét and Tayla Parx, Grande performed in a white wedding suit in front of a wedding reception set. It's a clear mock-up of the First Wives Club rendition of "You Don't Own Me." It's a fitting parallel; a future reboot of First Wives Club will probably (definitely) feature at least one version of "Thank U, Next."
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"Thank U, Next," a surprise song from Grande, is in part about her breakup from Pete Davidson. The song functions as a big thank you to all of Grande's exes, Davidson included, but it was released just weeks after Grande and Davidson broke up (and 48 hours after Davidson made a joke at Grande's expense in an SNL promo). In the performance, Grande fights back tears during the final verse, her voice faltering. At the very end, though, she dons a long coat à la First Wives Club and swoops off the stage in style. Thank you, next!
Watch the full performance, below.
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