The anticipation for Ariana Grande's fourth album, or what the Internet has simply deemed #AG4, has been too much to handle – even for the "No Tears Left to Cry" songstress herself. Since the release of her comeback single on April 20th, the pint-sized powerhouse has been spewing clues about her upcoming LP.
The body of work is set to be Grande's first full-length LP since her 2016 hit "Dangerous Woman", and is also her first release since the tragic bombing that took place at one of her concerts in Manchester last year. It's evident that the singer can't contain her excitement to share new material and begin a new era in which she's stronger than ever. From its title to its track list, Grande can't and won't stop spilling the tea on #AG4.
So far, a great deal of information has been confirmed by Grande herself, including the title and release date of the album. On her May 2nd appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Grande revealed that the official title of #AG4 is "Sweetener" and that she worked with writers and producers such as Pharrell Williams, Max Martin, ILYA, and Savan Kotecha. However, the title was revealed long ago through an Instagram post from November 4, 2016, where she discreetly captioned the photo with "sweetener." Let's just say Grande knew damn well what she was doing.
In the interview, the singer also revealed that leading up to the summer release of "Sweetener" she would be "doing something special on every 20th [of the month]," including her performance of "No Tears Left to Cry" at the Billboard Music Awards on May 20th.
During that same interview with Fallon, Grande could not contain herself as she continuously spilled details about her fourth album. She stated that there were only "three more 20ths until the big thing," which is presumed to be the entire release of "Sweetener" in August. The pop princess gushed to Fallon that she has "been away too long" and that she "want[s] to say everything."
She doesn't fall short when it comes to teasing small and intricate details about her highly anticipated record, including a song titled "R.E.M" in which she "tweet-vomited" some of the lyrics. The speculation around an Easter egg in the "No Tears Left to Cry" music video that reveals the tracklist was also addressed. Although the songs may not be in order, we still have some insight as to what could be found on "Sweetener."
"Sweetener" track list in the "No Tears Left to Cry" music video.Republic Records
Some songs include an intro track titled "Raindrops," a future feminist anthem titled "God is a Woman," and possibly a Nicki Minaj assisted track titled "The Light is Coming." The singer teased a snippet of what would be her fourth collaboration with Minaj via her Twitter account on May 27, 2018.
Although we have been bestowed with this piping hot tea, with a little bit of sweetener, there is still some mystery surrounding Grande's upcoming album. We don't know what to expect later this summer when it comes to the actual sound and production with each song, let alone a new era where she is stronger than ever. And boy, we like it.