When ‘Thank U, Next’ came
out on November 3, 2018, Ariana Grande thanked her exes one by one,
by first name. One of them was Ricky Alvarez, the dancer she had
dated a few years earlier. Eight years later to the day, he is back
in her life, and her latest Instagram post makes it hard to
miss.
In short
- Ariana Grande, 33, posted a new carousel of photos with Ricky Alvarez on Monday, November 2, captioned simply with a heart and three exclamation points.
- The two first dated in 2015 and 2016, after he joined her Honeymoon Tour as a backup dancer.
- He is one of the four exes named in ‘Thank U, Next,’ released exactly eight years ago today.
The photos everyone is talking about
The new carousel, first spotted by Complex, is a mix of tender moments and everyday snapshots. According to RealityTea, the first image shows the couple embracing outdoors in a wooded setting. In another, Grande kisses the top of Alvarez’s head during what looks like a cozy dinner, while he smiles with his eyes closed. The post also includes selfies, casual outings, her dogs and a picture with her close friend Rim Taya Shawki.
Her caption was only a heart followed by “!!!”, and she also shared the post to her Instagram Story. It landed shortly after the pair were seen cheering on runners at the New York City Marathon, as RealityTea reports.
From backup dancer to ‘Thank U, Next’
Alvarez, a dancer and photographer, joined Grande’s 2015 Honeymoon Tour as one of her backup dancers. The two dated for about a year before splitting in July 2016, according to Complex.
Two years later, Grande surprised everyone with ‘Thank U, Next.’ The song names four of her exes, Big Sean, Ricky Alvarez, Pete Davidson and Mac Miller, and thanks each of them for what they taught her. As Wikipedia’s entry on the song notes, it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, became her first US chart-topper and spent seven weeks at No. 1 in total. Its video, a playful homage to Mean Girls, Bring It On, Legally Blonde and 13 Going on 30, drew 55.4 million YouTube views in its first 24 hours, a record at the time.
How they found their way back
The two reportedly stayed on good terms. RealityTea writes that they reconnected as friends during her Sweetener Tour. Earlier this year, after her relationship with her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater ended, the friendship turned romantic again. Complex reports they got back together over the summer, after roughly a decade apart, and confirmed it in August with an Instagram carousel that included a blurry mirror picture of the two of them.
Reunions with a long gap in between rarely fail to move fans, whether it is the Matilda cast meeting again 30 years later or a pop star rediscovering an old flame.
The limit
Neither Grande nor Alvarez has spoken publicly about the relationship in an interview. What fans know comes from her own posts and from reports, so the details of how and when they rekindled things remain partly unconfirmed.
What’s next for Ariana
Her Eternal Sunshine Tour wrapped in September, and she has kept a lower profile since, according to RealityTea. She is now set to return to promote Focker-in-Law, which opens in theaters on November 25. Like Dolly Parton or Mick Jagger, she has a way of keeping fans hooked between big projects, and you can follow her updates on her Instagram account.
The bottom line
Eight years after thanking him in one of the biggest songs of her career, Ariana Grande seems happy to have Ricky Alvarez back in the picture. For now, her photos say more than any interview could.
