In a post on Wednesday, December 27, Ariana Grande appeared to announce that fans can expect a new album in 2024. The singer has been working on other projects for the last few years, including her role in the film adaptation of the musical Wicked, in which she stars as Glinda, and in the development of her R.E.M. Beauty line.
But she has been back in the studio. In a carousel of pictures and video clips, she shared shots of herself working on new tracks with producer Ilya Salmanzadeh. In the series of photos, Grande goes from crying to celebrating, and ends with a video of herself on the couch in a state of semi-hysteria, clearly run down by all the work that went into producing new music. She laughs and cries as she’s questioned about how she feels now that it’s almost all done.
“I’m so tired,” she responds from under the blanket, her face turned away. “But so happy and grateful. I also feel like I weigh 3,000 tons.”
She captioned the post, “see you next year.”
The collection also included a video of Grande’s mother, Joan, dancing in the studio, and pics of a care package she sent to fans with a photo of her lips and red lipstick from her R.E.M. Beauty line.
Grande’s last album was 2020’s Positions, and she’s been promising new music for quite a while. She recently parted ways with her previous manager, Scooter Braun, signing with Brandon Creed and Good World Management instead, which likely delayed production.
The singer was recently seen in New York City with her new boyfriend, Broadway actor Ethan Slater. Slater is currently starring in the revival of Spamalot, and the pair reportedly enjoyed dinner with family this holiday week.
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.