After much anticipation, Ariana Grande and her best friend (and rising star) Victoria Monet, released yet another a flashy, girl power and friendship-filled song on April 1st called “Monopoly.” The song both thematically and lyrically feels like the sequel we never knew we needed to smash hit “7 Rings”. The vocal style itself is quite similar to the rap-like tone of “7 Rings,” with much less of Ariana’s classic diva vocals. However, in a carefree way, the song itself has a lot to say about the world around us and encourages the fact that women can show off their accomplishments too.
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If that doesn’t already appeal, the music video is even better. It is shot by handheld video cameras and edited in a 90s VHS style. It is less about quality and flash, unlike “7 Rings,” and so much more about goofing off and having fun. In fact, it’s nice to see celebrities being themselves, having a good time just like anyone else (even if they’re dressed to the nines).
Grande and Monet are nearly matching in “insta-baddie” thigh-high boots, sports bras and cropped puffer jackets, dancing on Grande’s rooftop in New York City. As they dance and sing along, they swat away negativity in their lives (a reference to the dancing “thank u, next” boy?).
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This time, however, Grande and Monet are swatting away more than just negativity and bad skin. If you watch closely, you can catch a glimpse of the word “Trump.” Additionally the video is littered with emoji-narration and photos of Ariana’s discography, her close friends and collaborators Brian and Scott Nicholson as well as a photo of Maria from the Sound of Music (turns out 90% of the royalties from ‘”7 Rings” go to Rodgers and Hammerstein, the writers of the song “My Favourite Things”). Ariana also sings a line about liking men and women, continuing to spur bisexuality rumours.
The song is also chock-full of references to the monopoly game: “Bad vibes, get off of me/ Outta here with the f*ckery / Treat my goals like property / Collect them like Monopoly / I probably won’t come if there’s not a fee,” as cited by Teen Vogue.
There’s no doubt that this song has the potential to be yet another major hit for Grande. It seems to be that she has found her niche market in writing songs that choose to empower young women and encourage them to value and strengthen their bonds with one another. She is not shying away from creating music that makes girls feel good, and what’s a better way to do that than with her best friend? The Spice Girls would be proud.
Featured Image via Rap Up
