After releasing a string of images teasing an upcoming music video, Ariana Grande dropped the official trailer for Thank U, Next on Monday morning.
The short pays homage to cult-teenage comedy film, Mean Girls (2004). It takes place on the grounds of a high school. Although she doesn’t appear in the teaser, Grande is assumed to play the role of the high school queen, Regina George.
Among other guest stars, Mean Girls alum Jonathan Bennett reprises his role as the main love interest, Samuel Adams. He praises Grande’s character as if she were some sort of deity in a less-than-subtle callback to the iconic film.
READ MORE: Ariana Grande releases new song, ‘Thank U, Next,’ a sendoff to exes
Thank U, Next is Grande’s first single from her upcoming album of the same name.
The song is a thank you letter to her past lovers, but ultimately a polite sendoff to her past, marking a new era for both her music and her supporters.
The hit topped the U.S. charts upon debut and was the 32nd in history to ever do so. It recently became the fastest song ever to reach 100 million streams on Spotify.
Because of Grande’s suggestive Instagram posts, many Arianators are speculating the video will be a blast from the past, taking us back to the early 2000s.
The 25-year-old spent the past week on social media hinting at a variety of homages to empowering female-led films, such as: Bring it On (2000), Legally Blonde (2001) and 13 Going on 30 (2004).
Here are some of the images
Grande is set to portray Legally Blonde‘s main character, Elle Woods, with Jennifer Coolidge reprising her role as the unforgettable Paulette Bonafonté.
As a tribute to Bring it On, YouTube star Colleen Ballinger plays the role of a high school cheerleader.
She’s also featured in a hilarious scene which appears in the brand new teaser.
There’s also a “burn book” reference for the diehard Mean Girls fans. What more can Grande do to please her supporters?
Oh wait, she topped that and brought along Australian pop sensation, Troye Sivan.
READ MORE: Ariana Grande performs ‘God Is a Woman’ with all-female orchestra
Between the Thank U, Next video and her new album, Arianators have a lot to look forward to and they’ve not been afraid to show their gratitude.
“I just wanna be like, ‘You’re making the world a better place,'” they added, “You keep doing you.”
Grande returned the love and replied to a massive influx of tweets following the hype.
She took the time to reply to many of her followers.
As of this writing, there is no scheduled release date for the Thank U, Next video, however, Grande is known for her trouble keeping secrets on Twitter.
READ MORE: Ariana Grande named Billboard’s 2018 Woman of the Year
She will return to the stage in 2019 to celebrate Sweetener and her forthcoming album, Thank U, Next. The world tour will commence with a 42-date leg across North America, spanning from March to June of 2019.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased through the official Ariana Grande website.
Canadian Sweetener 2019 tour dates
April 1 — Montreal, Que. — Bell Centre
April 3 — Toronto, Ont. — Scotiabank Arena
April 25 — Edmonton, Alt. — Rogers Place
April 27 — Vancouver, B.C. — Rogers Arena
adam.wallis@globalnews.ca