In news that should surprise absolutely no one, Ariana Grande's new song, "7 Rings," is already in the running for 2019's best bop. Not only that, but the music video that goes along with it is packed with pink-tinted visuals and plenty of subtle nods to the 25-year-old singer's personal life and ever-evolving career.
Although the "7 Rings" music video doesn't attempt to re-create any beloved girl-power movies (yes, we're still very much obsessed with "Thank U, Next"), there's still a lot to appreciate. Bejeweled cat ears? Check. Towering Champagne fountains? Check. Pastel sushi? Duh.
If you want to take a closer look at Grande's latest video and all the sneaky hints she slipped into it, keep reading.
Remember 5SOS's 2015 hit "She's Kinda Hot"? The Australian pop-rock band filmed their music video for the single at a large white and green home, with footage of band members hanging out on the roof and sitting on the porch. Coincidentally, it appears to be the same home Grande uses in "7 Rings," only with far more pink lighting.
Grande's beloved real-life dog Toulouse gets not one but two moments to shine in the video. The first is a personalized doghouse that features a woman writhing around on top of its fur-lined roof.
Toulouse's second moment in the video is when he shows up himself! According to a tweet from Grande, he wasn't supposed to make a cameo the way he does in the "Thank U, Next" video. But her adorable dog couldn't stay away, and Grande included him in the final group shot.
There are words graffitied all over the cars sitting in the front yard of the video, like "Ariana," "7 Rings," and "Thank U, Next." But there are also two words that seem to be hints about new songs on her untitled fifth studio album: "Nomad" and "NASA." You can see "Nomad" above, on the left side of the windshield.
Although it's distorted, the graffiti reads "NASA."
Grande has remained mum on the exact date of when we can expect her next album, but fans have been buzzing about the numbers featured on one of the car license plates. Although the letters are hard to make out, it clearly has the numbers "25" and "1985." Could we get her album as early as Friday, Jan. 25?!
Grande's iconic bunny ears make a return in the background of the shot of her and her 900-foot ponytail relaxing on the stairs. As you can see above, all of her dancers are wearing light purple latex suits with the trademark ears sticking out of the top of their heads. Is it her way of saying she's about to embark on a new era? Or that she's putting the past behind her (literally)?
It's been known for a while that Grande is skilled at speaking Japanese and has a deep love for Japanese culture. That's why no Arianator was likely surprised by all of the Japanese imagery in the video, from small figurines to sushi.
"Thank U, Next" includes multiple scenes of Grande interacting with the dollhouse featured in 13 Going on 30, only with the rooms inside decorated like the bedrooms in Mean Girls and Legally Blonde. The tiny home in "7 Rings" seems to be more Alice in Wonderland than anything, which is interesting considering Grande has noted before how it's one of her favorite movies.
When Grande is lying down on the stairs in one of the music video scenes, the camera zooms in close so we can see the crescent moon tattoo on her neck. Funnily enough, there are multiple pink neon crescent moon decorations on the walls in the house in the video, which we have to believe isn't a coincidence.
Not only is that massive Champagne tower a way for Grande to not-so-subtly flex on us, but it's also a nod to the day that inspired her song. According to Grande, the song is based on a fun day spent with friends in NYC. "'Twas a pretty rough day in NYC," she tweeted. "My friends took me to Tiffany's. We had too much Champagne. I bought us all rings. It was very insane and funny."
Not only is the Champagne part of her inspiration for "7 Rings" — she bought her and her friends matching rings at Tiffany's, and they decided to turn their day out into a song — but six of the women she features on screen are also her real-life best friends: Victoria Monet, Courtney Chipolone, Alexa Luria, Taylor Parks, Njomza, and Kaydence.
She also bought two rings for her mom and grandmother! Cute, right?
There's a number 7 on the mailbox, referencing the song's title.
Grande is practically synonymous with the word "ponytail" at this point, which is why many of the hair-centric moments in the video don't necessarily come as a surprise. Early on in the song, she twirls her pony in the kitchen, singing, "You like my hair? Gee, thanks, just bought it." Later, she lies at the top of a flight of stairs while her incredibly long hair flows down, à la Rapunzel.
Seen again in the dollhouse, all on her own, Grande sings lyrics that seem to reference the apartment she bought in 2018 with ex-fiancé Pete Davidson but now lives in by herself: "I bought a crib just for the closet / Both his and hers, I want it / I got it, yeah."
Watch the video to see if you can spot any more Easter eggs!