"Yes, And?" is a nu-disco house track by Ariana Grande released on January 12, 2024 as the lead single from her seventh album, Eternal Sunshine. The song is about healing from pain and trauma with resilience and self-confidence.
In case you haven't noticed
Well, everybody's tired
And healin' from somebody
Or somethin' we don't see just right
Grande encourages her listeners to be empathetic and brave, and to find happiness in their authentic lives. She reminds them that they are not alone in their struggles, and that they can overcome any dark situation by turning on their light. Grande also sings about following her own path, defying gender norms, and ignoring gossip and body shaming.
The "Yes, And?" title is inspired by a technique from improvisational theater, where actors accept and build on each other's ideas in a scene. Grande uses this expression to show how she deals with traumatic events and criticism in her life. She is ready to face the challenges, adapt to the changes, and move on with something new. It's likely Grande named the song in response to criticism of her relationship with her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater.
Grande wrote "Yes, And?" with Swedish pop mastermind Max Martin and his co-writing and production partner Ilya Salmanzadeh in New York City. The Swedish pair are frequent Grande collaborators, including on "
No Tears Left to Cry" "
God Is A Woman," and "
Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored." However, they didn't contribute to Grande's previous album, 2020's
Positions.
The dance-pop and house song pays homage to Madonna's 1990 hit "
Vogue" and the ballroom culture it celebrated. Grande has been a longtime admirer of the Queen of Pop, whom she joined on-stage during her Rebel Heart tour. She also performed "Vogue" during her own Honeymoon tour in 2015. Grande has praised Madonna for reshaping pop music and setting the bar high with her passion and hunger.
Christian Breslauer (Lizzo, The Weeknd) directed the music video, which is inspired by Paula Abdul's 1988 visual for "
Cold Hearted." The two videos find the artists dressed in similar attire with wide-brimmed hats reminiscent of Bob Fosse's signature style. Both women perform a heavily choreographed dance sequence involving a scaffolding-like structure.
Three days after delivering "Yes, And?" Ariana Grande dished up
an extended remix of the song to amplify the dancefloor inferno. The new version boasts a drawn-out intro for epic buildup, plus bonus instrumental breaks mirroring the intro before each chorus. Clocking in at 5:08 compared to the original's 3:35, it's the same euphoric melody packed with extra room to groove.
"Yes, And?" debuted at the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Grande's eighth #1 single in the US. It was Max Martin's 24th Hot 100 chart-topper as a producer, surpassing the late George Martin for the most #1s among producers in the history of the chart.
"Yes, And?" was Grande's idea - she had the vision for the complete song. "I remember we were going through chords and she was like, 'It needs to be more confident. It has to be more sassy,'"
Ilya recalled to Billboard. "When Ari's describing an emotion she wants to have, I instantly go, 'What sounds can make that emotion come to life?' And to me, the 909 drums are what that vibe is."
Released on February 16, 2024,
the "Yes, And?" remix finds Ariana Grande joining forces with Mariah Carey. The dream diva coupling allows both powerhouse vocalists to showcase their impressive ranges and signature whistles. Their only previous collaboration was on the 2020 updated version of Carey's holiday number "
Oh Santa!," which also features Jennifer Hudson.
Ariana Grande spent months retraining her voice for Wicked, working daily with master vocal coach Eric Vetro to build a more classical, operatic sound for Glinda. She focused heavily on breath control, resonance, and expanding her upper register, a very different discipline from her usual pop approach. Grande said the process left her voice "stronger and fuller," and that slipping into Glinda required a more supported, character-driven tone than anything she'd done on her records.
The training didn't stay on set, either. After finishing Wicked, Grande said she carried her "Glinda glow-up" straight into the studio. "Yes, And?" and other tracks across Eternal Sunshine showcase noticeably improved stamina and breath support, subtle vocal upgrades she credits directly to her months of Wicked conditioning.
