Our very own, Zach Sang from KiSS, spoke with the beautiful and talented Ariana Grande about her new album ‘Thank U, Next.’

“I made it with my best friends over the course of a really small period of time, and it kind of saved my life,” Ari explained to Zach about the making of the album. “It turned everything around in my life. It sounds really corny, but it was the most beautiful,” she said before admitting, “I don’t think life has ever been as bad as it was when [we started].”

 

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“I was obsessed with the chords and everyone said, this is something so let’s sit here until we get it and ‘Thank U, Next’ was something I said for like years.  I would always be like, ‘Thank U, Next’ to anything and then I heard Victoria in the corner, ‘Thank U, Next.  We had three different versions of the song – 5There was a version where I was getting married, there was a version of me not getting married and then there’s a version with nothing, we’re not talking about anything, but we all knew the first version was going to be the version we ultimately went with.”

 

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When Zach asked Ariana if there was ever a defining moment that she remembers where she was like, ‘Okay, this happened and now it’s time to start creating a project,’ Ariana says, “I don’t remember that moment – it was such a blur.  I think because emotions and also champagne, I don’t remember how it started or how we got there.  I know that things started getting tough and all my friends flew in.  My friends turned it all around – I wish I could credit therapy but that didn’t do anything really, it was really mostly my friends and this music.”

 

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What did Ariana learn from making this album? “I think one of the most important lessons learned, just based on how people reacted to the music and how it’s felt to make the music, it’s just to listen to my instincts a little more when it comes to these things.  I think I have a pretty good idea of what I want to sound like and say to people and sometimes I can be persuaded to be pick different singles or let other voices get in my head but it’s been a catalyst moment for me where I’m like, I should be giving these chances to myself.”

And the tattoo – what did she learn about getting “tiny charcoal grill” on her hand, Ariana says, “Don’t!” 

Filed under: ariana-grande, Zach Sang