Ariana Grande samples ‘My Favorite Things’ on new track
Everything Ariana Grande touches turns to gold at the moment. After a highly successful campaign for her Sweetener album last year, she returned within a few months with the career defining hit ‘Thank U, Next’. At the very end of the year she dazzled us with some dangerously high notes in the soulful R&B ballad ‘Imagine’. She does not show any sign of slowing down in the new year. The Thank U, Next album is expected within the next few months and she just dropped the brand new single ‘7 Rings’. Did she really just sample ‘My Favorite Things’ from The Sound of Music!?
Yeah, she did. She did THAT! On paper, covering ‘My Favorite Things’ in a hiphop tune sounds like a terrible decision, but in reality it is actually nothing short of brilliant! The verses have the same melody line as the classic from the movie, in which Ariana sings: “Lashes and diamonds, ATM machines, buy myself all of my favorite things.” While most of the lyrics are about her wealthy lifestyle, she initially wrote the track after she bought six of her friends and herself a ring to symbolize their friendship (what the title references). ‘7 Rings’ was written with the help of Kimberly Krysiuk, Njomza Vitia, Tayla Parx, Victoria Monet and producers Tommy Brown, Charles Anderson and Michael Foster, while composer and songwriter Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II are credited for the sample.
She also talks about the tough periods she had to endure in recent years (the terrorist attack after her concert and the passing of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller for which she got blamed online), saying: “Been through some bad shit, I should be a sad bitch. Who woulda thought it’d turn me to a savage?” Last but not least she shuts down the people that have been endlessly criticizing her high ponytail: “You like my hair? Gee, thanks, just bought it!” Get ’em Ariana!
‘7 Rings’ is easily one of her most hiphop sounding solo tracks with thick beats, a laidback delivery full of attitude around the chorus and some proper rapping during the middle-eight. The result is incredibly catchy and highly addictive. Ariana is onto another massive hit!