As expected, last week, the song Yes, And? by Ariana Grande has easily topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, far ahead of old hits, as well as new songs from 21 Savage’s album American Dream .

In total, this is Ariana Grande’s 8th No.1 on the Hot 100 – the most prestigious and “difficult” chart in the world.

The response was successful

After three years of relative silence, Ariana Grande has just released the lead single from her upcoming 7th studio album Eternal Sunshine , Yes, And? , January 12, 2024. Written and produced by Ariana Grande, Max Martin and ILYA, the song features house, pop and dance influences.

Lyrically, it focuses on self-confidence and self-preservation, encouraging people to overcome negativity. Specifically, it was a harsh response to a series of rumors about her.

From 2020 to 2023, Ariana Grande’s personal life and physical health were hot topics of discussion, especially her short-lived marriage to Dalton Gomez, weight loss, separation from manager Scooter Braun, and accusations forced to be the third person.

According to Luminate, in the week ending January 18 in the US, Yes, And? attracted 27.2 million on-demand streams; 23.8 million viewers listened to the radio and sold 53,000 copies, including 41,000 digital downloads. It easily topped both the Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales charts.

Right in the week of release, the song released up to 14 versions: original version, edited version, mixed version, a cappella version, fast and slow mix version, version with sensitive words removed and version kept intact, as well as many different ensembles.

Before Yes, And? , Ariana Grande’s No.1s are Die for You (with The Weeknd, 2023), Save Your Tears (with The Weeknd, 2021) Positions (2020), Rain on Me (with Lady Gaga, 2020), Stuck With U (with Justin Bieber, 2020), 7 Rings (2019), Thank U Next (2018).

She is currently ranked 8th on the list of female solo artists with the most No.1s, after Mariah Carey (19 No.1s), Rihanna (14), Madonna (12), Whitney Houston, Taylor Swift (11), Janet Jackson (10) and Katy Perry (9).

Outside the US, Yes, And? also ranked first in Canada, Greece, Lithuania, Singapore and Switzerland; reached the top 10 in Australia, Norway, Germany, France, Portugal, Philippines, Sweden, UK and Malaysia.

This victory also helped Max Martin make history. Max Martin has now surpassed George Martin to become the manufacturer with the most No.1s (24 No.1s). Max Martin also ranks second with John Lennon on the list of musicians with the most No.1s – with 26 songs – just behind Paul McCartney with 32 songs.

Come back stronger

After releasing her sixth studio album, Positions (2020), Ariana Grande focused on managing her cosmetics brand and preparing for the role of Glinda in the film adaptation of the Broadway play Wicked . She will also coach The Voice at the end of 2021.

In mid-2022, she revealed that she would not release the album until she finished filming Wicked (2024 – 2025). However, in October 2023, Ariana Grande revealed that she was about to release a new album. Recently, she confirmed that the release date will be December 27, 2023. Opening this album is Yes, And? .

The song was warmly welcomed by critics. With a melodious melody but strong lyrics, the song represents Ariana Grande at its truest level: a flawed but honest person, seeking to control the narrative about herself and move on.

Seductive and sweet, the song evokes Madonna’s hit Vogue , as well as Beyonce’s Renaissance album and Lady Gaga’s Babylon .

A few weeks ago, Billboard commentators discussed the song that has the potential to dominate the first months of the new year. At that time, Ariana Grande’s new product was highly anticipated. However, even if Yes, And? currently ranked No.1 Hot 100, critics say it won’t last long.

The reason is that the standout hits in Ariana Grande’s albums are rarely lead singles. Yes, And? It seems like this was just a brief announcement of her return. There are rumors of another single coming next month and commentators hope it’s a less controversial track that shows true growth for the artist.

With Yes, And? , Ariana Grande officially got her first No.1 on the Dance/Electronic Songs chart. Is this a sign of an album full of dance music on parent album Eternal Sunshine ? According to commentators, dance is not entirely a new genre for Grande. Still, the whole dance album is clearly new to Grande and her fans, picking up on the (quite rampant) nostalgia trend in music lately.

However, according to experience from previous albums, the lead single does not predict the tone of the entire album. Meanwhile, the lyrics Yes, And? suggests that Ariana Grande will look back to her old sounds and eras, but with a more mature take. It’s not that Ariana Grande can’t make a dance album, but her sweetest taste has always been mid-tempo soul-pop ballads.

So what do commentators hope to get from the rest of the Eternal Sunshine album? Everyone wants to know more about what Ariana Grande has been thinking since Positions , like filming or how to cope with both internal and external pressure. Or new guests like Billie Eilish, Laufer and even Jim Carrey – actor of the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – that Ariana Grande was inspired to make an album.

It’s been 3 years since the release of her last album, Positions , is this time Ariana Grande returning in a stronger, weaker, or the same position? Commentators agree that she is in a stronger position. Despite the scandal in her personal life as well as the constant changes in the pop music industry, Ariana Grande is returning as the female lead. Last year, she just celebrated 10 years of singing. She has a blockbuster movie coming out soon. And this decade alone, she has had 5 No.1s.

The public is in high demand for pop superstars. In the past few years, there have been many superstars who have released successful projects and taken them to new heights, but no one has the artistic vision and vocal ability of Ariana Grande. If she can navigate the public as gracefully as Thank U Next , there’s really nothing that can stop Ariana Grande in her next album.

Ariana Grande released a new album in March