Yes, And?
"Yes, And?" is a song by American singer-songwriter Ariana Grande. It was released through Republic Records on January 12, 2024, as the lead single from her seventh studio album Eternal Sunshine (2024). Written and produced by Grande, Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh, the song is a house and pop track with ballroom elements. Lyrically, the song focuses on self-confidence and preservation, overcoming negativity, while also addressing a range of negative press Grande received between 2020 and 2023.
For other uses, see Yes And (disambiguation)."Yes, And?"
January 12, 2024
2023
Jungle City (New York City)
3:34
- Ariana Grande
- Max Martin
- Ilya Salmanzadeh
- Ariana Grande
- Max Martin
- Ilya
Music critics complimented the production of "Yes, And?". They noted inspiration from Madonna's 1990 single "Vogue", while the accompanying music video drew inspiration from that of Paula Abdul's "Cold Hearted" (1989). Commercially, the single debuted atop the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Grande's sixth number-one debut and eighth overall number-one single, as well as her 21st top-ten on the chart. It additionally earned Grande her third number-one single on the Billboard Global 200 chart. Elsewhere, it peaked at number one in 10 more countries; and reached the top-ten in another 28 countries. A remix of the song with American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey was released on February 16, 2024.
Background and promotion[edit]
On January 4, 2024, Grande was photographed in public wearing a custom sweatshirt that read "yes, and?" to tease the lead single's title, which she had previously done for her Sweetener lead single "No Tears Left to Cry" (2018).[1][2] Grande later officially announced the song via her social media.[3] Jem Aswad of Variety opined that the phrase "yes, and?" was a successor to "thank u, next", the title of her fifth studio album (2019) and its lead single (2018).[4] Grande revealed that she chose to release "Yes, And?" as the lead single of her seventh studio album Eternal Sunshine because she saw it as "an all-encompassing, like, 'What the f---?'", and "it [gave] us a lot of a place to go". She said: "it's kind of like the 'Thank U, Next' formula [...] 'cause it's like, 'Thank U, Next' came first because it had to".[5]
Links to pre-save "Yes, And?" on streaming platforms and pre-order the 7-inch vinyl and CD single were first shared on the Sweetener Instagram page.[6] Additionally, the track was issued via cassette.[7] 14 iterations of the song were made available for digital download and on streaming services: its original version, an edit, an extended mix, an a cappella version and slowed and sped up mixes, each in clean and explicit options, as well instrumental and extended mix instrumental versions.[8] On February 16, 2024, a remix with American singer Mariah Carey was released.[9] Three more remixes of the song by The Blessed Madonna's Godsquad, Jonas Blue, and Felix Jaehn, respectively, followed on February 20, 2024.[10][11]
Cover artwork[edit]
The cover artwork for "Yes, And?" was first teased in December 2023 with a defocused close-up of Grande's red lips in R.E.M. Beauty packages sent to fans alongside a note: "See you next year."[12][13] Grande revealed the full artwork via her social media on January 7, 2024. Photographed by Katia Temkin, it is a blurry shot of the left side of her face.[14] In it, Grande is seen wearing a plain gold earring, black eyeliner, and her brand R.E.M. Beauty's "On Your Collar" lipstick in the red shade "Attention".[15][16] Refuting speculation that the album was titled Yes, And?, Grande clarified that the image released to promote the single was actually one of several album cover variants.[17] The digital maxi single version of "Yes, And?" features an alternative cover artwork of Grande with her hand on the side of her face.[18]
Critical reception[edit]
"Yes, And?" received praise from music critics upon its release. In a review for NME, Sophie Williams described the song as "a melodic discourse that responds to a rumour mill in overdrive" and stated that it "presents Grande in her truest form: a flawed but honest human being, seeking to own her narrative and move forward".[30] Writing for Pitchfork, Anna Gaca described the song as a "lightweight dance shuffle with a few barbed words for the critics", and suggested that the track's "theater catchphrase" title is a response to criticism of Grande's ongoing relationship with her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater.[31]
Amrit Virdi of Clash stated that, "On 'yes, and?', her controlled harmonies and whistle tones lace through the dance breaks while layered production helps to add strong ad-libs towards the end of the track […] And the song's chorus is incredibly catchy – it's definitely something I can see being played and appreciated in the club."[32] Helen Brown of The Independent wrote that the singer's voice "takes a sweet, light shimmery tone" and is "soft and glancing"; she also noted the "'Vogue' formula in the track's structure", with "a spoken word, bell tolling and handclap-backed section".[33]
Some music critics likened the song to the ballroom atmosphere of Renaissance, particularly the lead single "Break My Soul" (2022).[23][25][34][35] In a review for Vulture, Quinn Moreland wrote that "the track embraces a disco-lite groove punctuated by the occasional sparkly, cascading synth line that will likely dominate pop music post-Renaissance."[36] Laura Snapes of The Guardian praised the "irresistibly effervescent and lithe" production, with a "conscious echo of Madonna's 'Vogue' as delicious as an illicit donut", and "a sign, post-Renaissance, that mainstream pop is embracing house in its purest form".[24]
Commercial performance[edit]
Worldwide[edit]
Following its release, "Yes, And?" debuted at number one on both the Billboard Global 200 and the Global Excl. US for the chart issue dated January 27, 2024. On the Global 200, it became Grande's third number-one single following "Positions" (2020) and the remix of "Save Your Tears" (2021), and achieved 94.4 million streams and 67,000 sold worldwide. On the Global Excl. US, the song became Grande's second number-one single after "Positions", earning 68 million streams and 26,000 sold outside the United States.[37] It spent two consecutive weeks atop both the Global 200 and the Global Excl. US charts. In its second week, it earned 62.1 million streams with 6,000 sold worldwide, and 6.3 million streams and 3,000 sold outside the United States.[38] "Yes, And?" remained in the top ten of both global charts in its third week, dropping to number five on the Global 200 and number two on the Global Excl. US.[39] Following the release of the Mariah Carey remix and three additional DJ mixes, "Yes, And?" re-entered the top ten on both charts in its sixth week, surging six and five spots up from number 14 and number 12 to numbers 8 and 7 on the Global 200 and Global Excl. US, respectively.[40][41] In the chart issue dated March 23, 2024, the track again re-entered the top ten region for a week on both charts, at number 7 on each tally; after the release of Eternal Sunshine.[42]
Recording
Personnel
"Yes, And?" (remix)
February 16, 2024
- Jungle City (New York City)
- MXM Studios (Stockholm)
- Decoy Studios (Suffolk)
3:34
- Ariana Grande
- Max Martin
- Ilya Salmanzadeh
- Mariah Carey
- Ariana Grande
- Max Martin
- Ilya