On June 26 in Austin, Texas, Ariana Grande altered the lyric of “Thank U, Next” while performing during her Eternal Sunshine Tour—shifting the line about ex Ricky Alvarez and drawing a visible smile from Alvarez in the VIP audience.
Ariana Grande didn’t just sing “Thank U, Next” during her Eternal Sunshine Tour stop in Austin, Texas—she changed one of the lyrics on the spot.
On Friday, June 26, the 33-year-old performer stepped through the song with the crowd when she swapped the original line. Instead of singing. “Wrote some songs about Ricky. now I listen and laugh. ” Grande belted: “Wrote some songs about Ricky. know he still got my back. ” while performing “Thank U. Next.”.
Ricky Alvarez was in the VIP audience that night. A video captured by a fan showed him smiling as Grande delivered the altered line.
Grande and Alvarez first became romantically linked in 2015 and parted ways the following year. In 2018. Grande released her “Thank U. Next” track. referencing multiple former partners. including Alvarez. Big Sean. Pete Davidson and the late Mac Miller. Miller died in 2018 of an accidental overdose; he was 26.
Grande previously talked about how Alvarez reacted to being included in the song. While discussing her “Thank U. Next” album in 2019. she shared that Alvarez loved the track but still had a complaint about his specific line. “Ricky loved it. He was proud. But Ricky was like. ‘Why did I get the worst line?’ And I was like. ‘What do you mean?’ He was like. ‘Everyone else’s line is so nice and mine is like. Man f*** him. he’s trash.’ I was like I could have said that. ” Grande recalled during her appearance on the Zach Sang Show at the time.
She continued, “I could have said, ‘Wrote some songs about Ricky, never mind he’s trash.’ I was like, ‘I could have said that, but I didn’t.’ I said, ‘Now I listen and laugh.’ Because it didn’t work out.”
The tour-night lyric change landed as Grande’s personal life stays in motion offstage too. She has most recently been linked to Wicked co-star Ethan Slater. After meeting on the set of the Blockbuster hit in 2023. Grande and Slater began dating before news broke earlier this month that the pair called it quits.
A source said their private split followed their press tour for Wicked: For Good. “After their press tour [for Wicked: For Good] died down. they had been spending more time apart than usual. ” the insider said. adding that “They both agreed they wanted different things and […]” The source also said. “It’s amicable. They gave lots of time and careful consideration and decided to go their separate ways. ” and that they are still friends and supportive of one another. with the breakup described as “quietly… for several months.”.
That source added Grande is “doing great” and “focused” on her Eternal Sunshine Tour and “upcoming new album,” Petal. A separate source told Us Weekly that Grande and Slater had been “spending more time apart than usual” after their press tour. and said both agreed to work through “what the future holds together. ” while noting “there is still admiration between the exes.”.
Ariana Grande Ricky Alvarez Thank U Next Eternal Sunshine Tour Austin Wicked co-star Ethan Slater Petal album
So she like roasted him then fixed it? Lol
Wait I thought the lyric was already set in stone, but she literally changed it in Austin?? Ricky smiling in VIP is lowkey hilarious tho.
This is kinda weird like why is she rewriting lines about her ex in front of everyone… but also if he’s happy then whatever. I’m confused tho, she said he “got her back” now? Wasn’t he like the bad guy in that whole thing? People will believe anything on TikTok.
Honestly I don’t even care about Ricky, I care that she’s doing this tour and people in VIP are just sitting there getting singled out in a lyric like that’s normal. Also wasn’t this the song that mentions Big Sean and Pete Davidson too? Like that’s a lot of exes to keep track of. The whole thing feels staged, like they knew a camera would catch the smile.