Ariana Grande changes Ricky Alvarez lyric again in ‘Thank U, Next’ during tour finale
The singer made the change during the final date of her Eternal Sunshine Tour at London’s O2 Arena last night (1 September)
By Callum Wells
Ariana Grande has changed the lyrics of ‘Thank U, Next’ again, this time singing that she is trying to make Ricky Alvarez her “last” partner.
The singer made the change during the final date of her Eternal Sunshine Tour at London’s O2 Arena last night (1 September).
Grande has previously used the Ricky Alvarez line in ‘Thank U, Next’ to acknowledge their relationship, which began in 2015. The original version of the song, released in 2018, includes the lyric: “Wrote some songs about Ricky, now I listen and laugh.”
How has Ariana Grande changed the ‘Thank U, Next’ lyrics?
At the London show, Grande instead sang: “Wrote some songs about Ricky, I’m tryna make him my last.”
The change is the latest alteration Grande has made to the same section of the song during her current tour.
At a performance in Austin, Texas, in June, she changed the lyric to, “And they still kinda slap.” At another Austin show later that month, the line became “I know he’s still got my back.” During a July performance in Brooklyn, she sang: “We always find our way back.”
Grande and Alvarez first dated between 2015 and 2016. Alvarez worked as one of Grande’s backup dancers, including during her Honeymoon Tour, and was subsequently referenced alongside several of Grande’s other exes.
Their relationship became the subject of renewed reports earlier this year after Alvarez was seen attending Grande’s birthday concert in Austin in June. They were subsequently photographed together in New York.
When did Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez reconnect?
Grande made the relationship public on Instagram last month, when she shared a series of photos of herself with Alvarez.
The pair have also been linked through matching tattoos. During Grande’s London shows, she was photographed with the words, “I do love you,” tattooed across her collarbone. Alvarez has the same phrase tattooed in a similar position, although his design uses a different typeface.
Before reconnecting with Alvarez, Grande was in a relationship with her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater. She was previously married to estate agent Dalton Gomez; the pair separated in 2023 after two years of marriage.
Grande’s relationship with Slater lasted three years, while her marriage to Gomez followed her engagement to Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson.
Read next: Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Tour review: Cynthia Erivo joined her on stage and The O2 went Wicked.