What are the hidden references in Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next”?

If you see the video, you’ll know why it has set the internet (especially Twitter and Youtube) on fire. Here’s the video, and before I tell you to look for some of the references yourself.

That it parodies famous chick flicks Bring It On, 13 Going On 30, Mean Girls, and Legally Blonde, is the most obvious reference, and just enough to call it “a work of art”. (Source: narcity.com)

(Courtesy: billboard.com)

Moving on ahead, this record-breaking video has a lot hidden, some of which have been unveiled by the fans, and some by the criticizers. The video had so many comments overflowing after just a few minutes of the upload, that the commenting was blocked for some time. Magnificent, isn’t it?

Anyhow, coming back to the point, let’s start with the sequence where Grande is Regina George of Mean Girls, and instead of a burn book, has a “thank you” book of her exes. On the page of her ex-boyfriend Pete Davidson, she writes “Sry I dipped”, which could mean that it’s her who broke up with him. After her ex, Max Miller’s passing away, and having dated Pete for some time, it’s speculated that she might have needed some time for herself, and that’s what she is promoting in the video –Self-love.

(Courtesy: tmz.com)

Taking the cue from the self-love, the other reference is the music tape which is labeled, “To Ari, from Ari”. So she sends and receives gifts from no one, but herself.

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Moving ahead, another cue is hidden in her cheerleading uniforms while playing Rancho Carne Toros and the Clovers from Bring It On. The uniforms were imprinted with TUN, which stands for the title of the song. Ever imagined being that savage in your high school days?

(Courtesy: planetradio.co.uk)

The convertible that she drives while transforming form Jenna Rink to Elle Woods, has the nameplate reading “7 rings”, which is going to be the title of her next music video.

Another one is too political to be of Ariana Grande’s, but it’s really good to see how much this pop star cares about the current happenings of the world. While enacting Elle Woods, she reads the book which is entitled 'Immigration and Refuge Law And Policy'. This shows her sensitivity towards the current situation of the immigrants in the States right now, and also that she has a lot to do more than just thinking about her exes and crying over them. As she declares in the song, she’s really become “so amazing”.

Talking about the political issues and Ariana’s sensitivity towards them, there is a lot in the Thank U, Next video which, according to some criticizers, has an insensitive take on various social classes.

One of the critics, Eli Erlick, says that this story of self-love and growth is only for Straight, White women and marginalizes, even makes fun of queer, trans women, and the colored people in her video.

(Courtesy: out.com)

There’s a trans woman shown among the background dancers, whom Erlick takes as a ***** of a joke. Also, Toye Siwan at the beginning of the video says about Ariana, "I heard she's a lesbian now and dating some chick called Aubrey. It's ***** sick.” The pop singer is also shown is varying skin colors to depict her self-growth as she gets fairer.

Also, Kris Jenner at the end, says “Thank U, Next, *****!” which is taken to be for her transgender ex, Caitlyn Jenner.

Too many references in just one video! Phew! Definitely, want to see what Dangerous Woman is up to next.