Ariana Grande seems to confirm she’s back with ex with ‘Thank U, Next’ lyric change
Ricky Alvarez and Ariana Grande (Image: Getty Images)
Ariana Grande has sparked reunion rumours with ex Ricky Alvarez after changing a key line in “Thank U, Next” during her Eternal Sunshine tour stop in Brooklyn on Monday evening.
The lyric change, as heard in videos on X, was: “Wrote some songs about Ricky, we always find our way back”. The original line in the 2018 track is: “Wrote some songs about Ricky, now I listen and laugh.”
Fans have taken the on-stage switch as a pointed nod to Alvarez, 35, who is one of the exes name-checked in the song, as well as Pete Davidson and the late Mac Miller. Grande, 33, and Alvarez have also been spotted together in recent weeks, adding to the speculation.
The lyric change follows reports that Grande split from actor Ethan Slater earlier this year after three years together. Slater and Grande both appear in the two Wicked films.
Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez’s history
Grande and Alvarez are believed to have began dating in April 2015 after meeting when he worked as a backup dancer on her Honeymoon Tour. They are said to have split just over a year later, parting ways in mid-2016.
Alvarez has kept a lower public profile than some of Grande’s other high-profile relationships, but his name remains part of the pop-cultural “lore” around “Thank U, Next”, a song built around looking back at past relationships.
Ariana Grande on public relationships
Grande has previously spoken about the impact of public narratives around her relationships. When rumours emerged that Grande was dating Slater, questions were raised about the timing, as Slater split from his wife shortly before their romance was revealed.
In a 2024 Vanity Fair interview, she said of Slater: “No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about.” She added: “The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it.”
Grande has cultivated a strong queer fan following thanks to her lengthy music career and camp television appearances, such as in Scream Queens. She recently launched the Brighter Days Ahead Foundation to support the LGBTQ+ community, and has also criticised ICE for using her music in deportation messaging.
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