How Thank U, Next Became Ariana’s Imperial Era 

Happy 5 years to Thank U, Next! What songs did you like the most off the record?!

Sweetener and TUN feel like the same era to me. I don’t think TUN would’ve had the same success if sweetener didn’t pave the way for it. They bled into each other and they’re definitely two sides of the same coin. Borderline toxic positivity on sweetener gets a reality check with TUN

life was so good during the thank u next era 😭

I think thank u, next was one of those you just had to be there moments. the whole sweetener era was so fun and arguably her best, and for her to turn around about a month or two after breathin was a moment I'll always remember. I'm so excited for eternal sunshine but I hope she does more promo for it and releases a second single before the album

People will never understand the emotional turmoil and whiplash and HEALING both Sweetener and TUN gave not only Ari but a lot of her fans. I can never listen to one without the other. They really are two sides of the same coin.

In My Head still has a chokehold onto me til this day like the song is just way too good 🔥

thank you next really is her magnum opus

Ariana should have definitely dropped her singles month's apart instead of a month or two apart so she could have really stretched the era out and reached maximum success like katy perry did with teenage dream or how taylor did with 1989 with both those album cycles being close to two year's were juggernaut era's artists now just abandon the album after 6 month's

Thank U Next legit turned me into an Arianator. I've never been so inspired by an album before

gosh i remember ariana ruled 2019 from this album alone she was everything which is ironic bc usually pop star who reach that imperial album era period before her are at every award show performing their biggest hits and have at least multiple singles released but ariana released 3 singles and one televised award show performance that year (it was gonna be the grammys but they were on their BS that year) i think that shift began with beyonce with self titled and then was picked up by ariana with thank u next, where your A-list supertar cultural icon status name carries you through

the sweetener / thank u, next era was unlike any other 🥹🤍

AND THE FACT THAT SHE ONLY RELEASED 3 SINGLES! There’s not ONE massive smash album that I know of that has THAT little singles… It’s insane. It would EASILY exceed 1989 and Teenage Dream if it had more singles like other peak albums.

I remember the day the TUN single dropped, those opening notes are so iconic

life was so good when sweetner dropped in august and we had thank u next MV by december

The fact that you not talking about ghostin too much made me realize that I never heard it enough, and now I’m just sobbing on my way to work… I think I just needed an excuse to cry haha

Great video! “Bad idea” is my everything, and NASA. The guitars on her songs throughout her career are Prince level good.

Another great video! I preferred Sweetener to Thank U Next but they are both quality releases from a queen!

I love love love love love love love ghostin❤❤❤ Its sad but its the melody and harmony are everything I need at times.

Who is excited about Eternal Sunshine?!

also cant forget tayla parx! she was also a big part of thank u next

Thank U, Next might be my favorite AG album and is definitely one of my favorites of all time. Thank U, Next was an imperial era like no other and in sense that this imperial era wasn´t milked completely. I think there should´ve been more singles, Bloodline and Bad Idea were hit material songs, in remix with popular rapper at the time they could´ve achieve really big numbers, personally i would go for Drake and Travis Scott collaborations cause they were huge in 2019, get them on these songs would quite guarantee success. If I was the one planning the rollout it would go like this: Lead Single: Thank U, Next (November 3, 2018) Promotional Single: Imagine (December 14, 2018) 2nd Single: 7 Rings (January 18, 2019) 3rd Single: Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I´m Bored (February 8, 2019) Album Release: February 8, 2019 Non-Album Single: Monopoly (with Victoria Monét) (April 1, 2019) 4th Single: Bloodline (Remix, featuring Drake) (May 3, 2019) Non-Album Single: Boyfriend (with Social House) (August 2, 2019) 5th (Last) Single: Bad Idea (Remix, featuring Travis Scott) (4th October, 2019) K Bye For Now (SWT Live Album): December 23, 2019 Thank U, Next (Complete Edition) - February 8, 2020 - in honor of 1 year anniversary - it would include 12 standard edition tracks, Monopoly, Boyfriend, Bloodline (Remix with Drake), Bad Idea (Remix with Travis Scott), 7 Rings (Remix with 2 Chainz) and maybe 3 bonus tracks) - it would be a perfect end to the era.

Katy getting 6 #1 hits from 1 album (& 8 top 3) is way more impressive then holding the entire top 3 for just 1 week

we want blackiana back

i wanted this video to be longer, like going into the rollout and stuff. the way you format this video was so good omg. the other vids going over it aren’t this good 😭😭

Idk if anyone's told you this but you should definitely have a podcast

omg this was her black era

Who's here before eternal sunshine?

LEAVING OUT MONOPOLY W VICTORIA IS CRIMINALLLLL.. that song madeeeee my 2019

this analysis was soo so so good. opened my eyes

Make up is one of my favorite songs by her i dont understand the hate lol

This album is absolutely her best album atm imo and considering its been a while since she dropped an album it makes me so excited for eternal sunshine and tbh thinking about 2019 in terms of releases it felt like lots of people dropped that year and i feel like interestingly like 2024 is gonna be like that cause it feels like everybody and their mom is dropping this year lol😂

TUN is my favorite album by her, just the perfect combination of crying and shaking ur ass.

NASA is one of her all time goat songs seriously the best song for detached girlies like me

Teenage Dream is the ultimate imperial era

i already loved tun but this video made me realize how brilliant and amazing the storyline really is...great analysis!!

Love how you broke this down, I wonder how Eternal Sunshine is gonna do

TY for this video. :)

THIS TAKE IS AMAZING, IMPECCABLE.

I think the reason of the songs order has to do with the upside down concept - cover and tracks the tracks at the beginning would have been normally the last ones in a “standard” album and the 3 singles at the beginning

Sweetener had great singles Thank U, Next had great Deep Cuts

Need more content like this in my life! Just subscribed 💗 love this

"THANKS U NEXT" IT'S ON OF THE BEST POP GIRLIES ERAS EVER !😊❤

I wish she would mix Bad Idea, In My Head and the Dangerous Woman Era into an album and add the strings and guitars 🎉❤

Thank u next should be one of those albums that never exit the billboard 200

One of the last iconic pop divas. She’ll always have a place in my heart

The Pete Davidson Tostitos ad before this video feels like a crime on yt part

Sweetener has some sadness to it, but overall I loved the fun vibe and the healing aspect of it when it was first released. Thank u next was amazing in the sense that it didn't sugarcoat or run away from the sadness, like in Imagine and Ghostin. I love both albums, but realized it's "easier" to listen to Sweetener. I need to be in a certain down mood to listen to Thank u next.

I just got into a bus and they're playing breathin as I'm watching this

Are you planning on analyzing Sweetener?

Okay but positions has six thirty, west side, nasty, safety net, positions, obvious and POV. Which those songs will ALWAYS be too tier songs in my mind and way better than a lot of music that’s out there. Then obviously the classics of positions and 34+35, that album slaps. Certified bangers on thank u, next would be imagine, needy, fake smile, bad idea, make up, ghostin, in my head, 7 rings and thank u next. Really I like bloodline and NASA but they’re a little cliche to me even though they’re original. Break up with your girlfriend is a banger but for some reason in my mind it’s like a single and not in the era idk why

Ghostin is my favorite song of the album I’m so happy she released it it so good

For me, My Everything era will never be topped 💝

oof aaaaand eternal sunshine walks in the room and knocks everyone out

And then EVERY Ariana TOP 1 singles (Except The Weekend remix) Are ALL TOP 1 DEBUT

What I find so strange is that, despite being two eras on now, I kind of feel like thank u next just wasn’t that long ago. It’s been 5 years, and I can’t shake the feeling that we’re only just out of it. That probably speaks just to the cultural dominance it had, plus the fact that it was pretty timeless, but I feel like thank u next just hasn’t been out for half a decade. How have I been listening to these songs religiously for so long without realising? Maybe I’m just refusing to let it go.

Dangerous woman is hands down top 3

“break up with your boyfriend” 😭😭😭

ETERNAL SUNSHINE ALBUM OF ARIANA GRANDE ON MARCH 8!!!

I love Ariana's music and her as an artist and TUN (and SWT) really felt like her coming into her sound and leaving the manufactured pop behind. Ariana seems to not like being perceived by the public? You hardly see her out, we dont see a lot of PR from her, she seems like a homebody etc. Idk if she cares to really chart or dominate a genre ike Taylor Swift for example. A great example is Yes and? it doesnt feel like a big single but she said its her favorite song she wrote and one of her favorites ever and she decided to let that be the lead for this new era. I feel like In My head (which is def about Pete lol) could have been a big song maybe as the 4th single it's a cult favorite on the album anyway.

I do and have always felt though that while yours truly and my everything were very popular, that dangerous woman is what really catapulted ari into the start of super stardom. Dangerous woman was when i really started seeing her everywhere.

I will never feel as good as I did in this era! Even though it was the worst time in my life. Them two albums absolutely saved me and I don’t know who I would be as a person now without them. Anyways Eternal Sunshine comes out on my birthday so I can’t top that!

don’t know if u used the word imperial right but great video

Into you 😍

Do planet her by doja cat next ❤❤

why did u credit interscope when she’s signed to republic?

thank u, next was a cultural reset for society

I would never understand wtf ariana didn't promote the pov. Wtf that song would have been on charts for so long. No mv. Wtf ariana??

4:05 “break up with your boyfriend”😭

You talked to soon about eternal sunshine it's better than tun although my number 1 album was tun eternal sunshine replaced it😂

Do meghan trainor please all of her albums ❤❤

It was nominated for a Grammy just never won cause they’re stupid! Billie was amazing but she deserved at least one for this record!

not you getting rear ended to needy 😭 me and my friend got rear ended to nasty lmfao

In my opinion Thank u next it's arianna's best album followed by Dangerous woman

Positions could have also got tun success if got enough promotion. Her team sucks 😭

As much as I dont like Scooter I'm glad he pushed for Ghostin to be on this album because I think it really elevates it artistically... and the song has been helpful to me as well so sharing something so personal might be difficult but it can pay off massively Moral of the story a broken clock is still right twice a day

i still will never forgive for thank u next and nfr not winning. makes me so mad. ariana shouldve won all those grammies (scammies)

Naw! Sweetener was her “confessions” or imperial era

Technically The Sweetener Era and Thank U Next Era took place at the same time but who cares

sorry but DW is the one for me

no mention of positions, her actual best album so far imo :(

A proper Video essay should be 40min at least

Just here to say you've done it again. Great job! :) Also liked your chaotic Grammy's video. I'd be into you doing a short form podcast. Something for me to listen to on the train that I don't need reception for or to watch along with. :) Hope you're having a great February

Why is almost everything so overrated today.

I would never understand wtf ariana didn't promote the pov. Wtf that song would have been on charts for so long. No mv. Wtf ariana??