The scene where many women stand with their faces turned around depict many women who face the atrocities of gender inequality. They are unnamed and unknown to the world but present everywhere, facing challenges. The fact that only ariana is facing the camera shows that now she, on behalf of other unknown millions of women, is telling the their tale. ( as far as I can interpret it)😁😁
It can also refer to Greek mythology where lady artemis leads a group of immortal maidens called the hunt. The hunts name is associated with power and respect. So that scene may represent how powerful women can be with Ariana grande as the leader of the hunt i.e., lady Artemis
Well analyzing it all, there's a lot of references of different goddess, feminism, nature. I really love that video is so well done. And about the desert part, look at the ground, when people focused on the screeching, there are flowers growing up, flowers were always associated to women...also isn't kinda interesting that the scene is right there in the middle of the video. Absolutely amazing, pure art.
the first scene with the pedestal and the men in the foam is supposed to symbolize the ovary where the men represent the sperm who died to get to the egg, showing her appeal and power. The pedestal being above the men is also supposed to convey a message of power as well.
Usman Moazzam Thank you! I explained that to a friend who is a woman. The white velvet curtain flowing in the wind symbolize the "soft velvet" feeling.... this video is very beautiful and powerful. Its tastfully sexual. Just beautiful!
I agree with the tastefully sexual part! I also like how she didn't show any naked men explicitly, I was expecting any second while watching the video for some to pop up but she was truly portraying the sexuality within a woman and that there has to be no shame in to showing femininity and taking control of your own expression of that. Very refreshing.
I think that scene when all the girls are facing with their backs towards us while Ariana faces us may actually be a reference to this philosophical idea known as "The Cave." Basically, from what I can remember years ago from my Philosophy intro course and a quick wikipedia search, The Cave, known as the Allegory of the Cave, was this concept of a group of prisoners being enslaved to this cave. All the bound prisoners could see were shadows cast on a wall in front of them coming from the light of the sun from the entrance of the cave. I recall there being different variations in this aspect of the concept as the shadows are sometimes referred to as puppets being controlled by some puppeteer unknown to the prisoners at the entrance of the cave, essentially creating and controlling their perceived reality. One day, a prisoner breaks free from their chains and makes it to the entrance to learn of the true reality, aka enlightenment, and comes back to the other prisoners to try to help them break free from their chains. This concept can apply really well to the inequality women face in our world today, as white, cis, straight men are so often the ones in control of creating/influencing women's (and many other minorities/marginalized groups) perceived reality. It is referenced in philosophy that prisoners of the cave don't even initially want to leave their prison, as they have no concept of what could even be a better life. Sadly, this is too often the case with women as they're forced into marginalized positions with a lack of options. So Ariana sings her empowering song and by the end of the video, it can be concluded that all the women who once had their backs to the camera are now vibrant and have joined Ariana in singing, aka they broke free from their chains and perceived reality. Now I'm not sure if this is what she's truly referencing, but it seems a good fit, especially as she does for sure reference "The Thinker" sculpture that is symbolic of philosophy in the scene where the tiny men are throwing insults at her.
The screaming prairie dogs represent angry men interrupting this video The soapy men and Ariana represent what is in the womb, thus the background. The men were sperm cells (which is why they’re all soapy and sticky LOL) and Ariana is the egg, which all the sperm cells tryna get at Also, the scene with Ariana in the puddle of paint is supposed to look like the genitalia of women when you see the full picture HOPE THESE ANSWERED ANY OF UR QUESTIONS
A theory for the white scene when the men are in the foam is that the white tunnel represents a vagina, she’s an egg or something and the men are sperm. This music video/song is kind of about lady wood. She’s not saying God is a woman, she’s saying that the man that she’s with with believe that God is a woman. It’s pretty cool that she’s delving into much more mature subjects as her past projects have been quite PG, whereas this was quite controversial and fresh. Sorry I rambled, love you guys!
wow love the physical portrayal or masculine and feminine reactions to this video. The moment the 2 women begin discussing the empowerment they felt through the video and the bonding strength they felt watching it the man immediately withdraws Literally hiding from the beauty of the connection. I love that he shared his point of view but those actions really resonated with me as personal experiences I've had speaking about how i feel toward women who challenge strong held stereotypes. I really enjoy all the artistic imagery in the video, one of my favorite by far.
00:01 - we see Ariana with the universe around her body like the representation of a hula hoop (it's like the universe revolves around her, she controls everything). 00:14 - Right at the beginning we see the scene where she appears in the middle of a painting reminiscent of the female genital organ. (And is) 00:30 - In my opinion, this scene reminds me of something related to the womb, uterus ... Anyway 00:42 - When she appears giant in a book in black and white, with men "tiny" throwing offenses against her, is a reference to the sculpture "The Thinker". The scene shows how the woman is attacked and offended by the macho and patriarchal society, but puts her in a position of superiority. 00:57 - All these women turned their backs, they represent several women who do not have a voice, there is no space to be heard, and for that reason, Ariana is the only one who is faced with the fact that she has voice, space and stage representing all those who are underprivileged of it. 01:00 - Surrounded by three wolves (that's right, they're females) Ariana pays tribute to Madonna with the cone bra worn by the singer in 1990, an iconic piece for pop culture. 01:14 - There are several biblical references, and in this scene we see another one with allusion to the creation of the world in the old testament. Ariana incorporates God's title woman and appears manipulating clouds (making another allusion to female masturbation, ... Breaking my friends' taboos) 01:36 - Well, in that scene Ariana dedicated to these beavers (beavers) who are solitary creatures and the males can fight fiercely when they meet. In the breeding season, to look for females, they give these shrill shouts and make tunnels in unfamiliar areas (one of the views). 01:45 - We have the illustration of the Garden of Eden, plus a Biblical reference. Ariana appears walking through the Garden of Eden, the place where God sent his two human creations, Adam and Eve. The scene also exalts the gift of gestation, exclusive to women. 02:05 - In the scene where Ariana is giant and three men "suck" on their tits, the reference is to the medieval sculpture "Lupa Capitolina", in which the brothers Romulus and Remus, mythological figures suck on a she-wolf. (According to legend, they were thrown into the Tiber River when babies and saved by this wolf, who nursed them and took care of them) 02:13 - In this segment of the clip, you can draw more attention to the gesture that Ariana makes with her hands (the symbol of a vagina). It appears in the middle of a triangle, with the sun and the moon orbiting around it. The triangle refers to the Holy Trinity. In this scene she places herself as God in the center of the universe. 02:22 - When Ariana interrupts the song for a monologue, the voice heard is from the Queen of Pop Madonna. The speech was taken from Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994), which is actually a quotation from the Bible. Madonna in this case, gives voice to God. She exchanges the masculine gender for the feminine in her speech. 02:45 - Next, Ariana throws a hammer at the glass ceiling, breaking it, bringing the light, alluding to the light of feminine power, which further stresses the speech made (in her gloves it is possible to see "POWER" something like "Woman Power"?) 02:52 - In this scene we see two legs open and in the middle of course but censored, a vagina bringing the light (give birth, an act of giving life, generating life, giving light). 03:17 - In this scene we see Ariana balancing on a rope and in one of her hands she carries what seem to be balloons, but in fact they are planets, indicated once again that she is the center of the universe. 03:20 - In this scene we have the visualization of a cult destined only the women, it is an exclusive cult for them. 03:26 - Ariana is on top of a lighthouse, indicated that the woman in herself, is the light that enlightens everything, that everything clears. 03:40 - At the end of the clip, Ariana traces a re-reading of the fresco "The Creation of Adam" by the painter Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. In her version, the creation is of Eve: it replaces all the masculine figures by feminine. Sorry if has some mistakes, I've just translated from a comment in Portuguese.
Her videos have been blowing my mind the amount of production put into these are incredible love the song though the beat bumps and when she belts the chorus in the end gave me chills
The scene where she’s facing the camera and all the women and facing the other direction I think it represents women of all cultures and countries and she’s the one facing the world out in the public eye, likes she’s “ preaching “ this message to the world, that’s why she’s wearing a preacher looking garment with diamond cuz we’ll she’s a queen with moneyyyyy honeyyy.
I've been watching a few reactions to her phenomenal music video I'm glad I saw yours!! New subscriber! I felt that you guys understood and saw a bunch of messages throughout the music video. ❤ Really great song, music video, and reaction 🤗
The part with the 3 headed dog, Cerberus. I feel she's referencing Persephone. Goddess of spring, queen of the underworld and wife of Hades. She's a prominent figure in Hellenistic Polytheism and Mythology. Persephone is a baws 😎💋
Anyone else think that the groundhogs in the video mean that when they come up out of the ground and see no shadow is meaning that it’s spring. Which in this context means that it’s time for women to flourish and bloom and be a mans equal. WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
I think the prairie dog thing is like all the comments that she gets when ppl are like "omg I'm SCREAMING" so she out screaming in the video cuz she knew it would get ppl talking lol
Let's see... first she's the universe itself, then she's literally in a painting of a vagina (Georgia O'Keefe reference?) the water she seems to be floating in is one reference to the four elements, which are all over this video, and water is the sign of emotion, then the bed is in another tunnel/vagina... I think this motif is about sexual freedom and liberation, the dictionary with the dudes is the most easy reference to get, and she's Rodin's "The Thinker", honestly, I'm not to sure what the women facing away while she's facing us is referencing... the three dog heads behind her I'm assuming is Cerberus, who guards the underworld, her in the flame is the second element reference with fire, then she is sitting on the world controlling the weather and the air patterns (third element) and in this she's Mother Nature, I have no idea what's up with the gophers... funny though.... inn the illustration she's walking and bringing life on earth with the plants growing around her (earth... the fourth element)... and of course the pregnancy reference is obvious in women bringing life into the world, then she is on all fours with men under her... I believe this is supposed to be Romulus and Remus being raised by the she-wolf and founding Rome, some Illuminati imagery that I'm not too familiar with... what does the pyramid represent? Then Madonna (yes, Vogue Madonna) is reciting a Bible quote while Ariana (wearing a pussy helmet) breaks the glass ceiling, more pussy references... (don't grab her by the...) I'm not sure what the tightrope walking with the balloons means? Again she's over the earth, maybe earth in the balance and under threat? Ariana in the centre with a bunch of people (are they all men?) dancing around her... is that an egg and sperm reference? The lighthouse is definitely phallic, the water crashing around her is a male orgasm? perhaps? or maybe a female orgasm for that matter. And of course the 'Creation of Man' by Michelangelo but switched up with a female god creating a black Eve. Awesome.
That image with the women is showing that she is protecting them and that she has their back. Kind of like her being Mother Nature and being the strong female.
The part where she was above the guys who were in foam she is the egg and the guys are sperm and her being above them is a symbolism of that she doesn't want to be fertilized. There is so much more to write but its all such a beautiful concept behind it and I suggest reading into the meaning behind it all
I think the bit with the gophers represents that whilst women and fighting for equality someone has to come along and interrupt their fight to throw off track
The three dog's heads refer to the Greek mythical three-headed dog Kerberos guarding the underworld. The painted water she lies in has the shape of a vulva. The scene with the men lying in soap represents her as the egg in the whomb ready to receive the semen. When the men are throwing curses at her she has the pose of the statue "The Thinker" by the sculptor Rodin. When she throws the hammer she represents the Nordic god Thor throwing his hammer Mjölnir.
That bed scene that you guys talk on 8:59 it's the representation of the fecundation (at least that's is what i think of). The scenario and the bed represent the uterus, the guys in the foam are the spermatozoids and the sperm trying to reach her as she is the representation of the ovule.
If you think about the broad spectrum of things in this video it’s just a depiction of women taking place in man made godlike archetypes. Basically stating that women can do anything if not more than men can and we can that be or live without them. Which is an honest fact even with the sensual nuances and placements still an extremely strong message. The artistic side of it is her being placed in every type of architectural figure to show power.
The image of the women turning back and ari forward its the Graces these goddess of retribution and vengeance who's job was to punish men who committed heinous crimes
I believe that the scene with the guys in the soap has this interpretation: She is the egg 😋 and they are the sperms if you notice the background it could resemble an egg
