Ariana Grande has just released her first single of 2018, posting it on Twitter after a long hiatus from social media. The track and video called No Tears Left To Cry were both released today and contain references to the Manchester attack at the pop star’s concert last May. As the BBC pointed out, the music video contains a nod to Manchester’s solidarity post tragedy, symbolized by a small bee.
In this new song Ariana appears to be alluding to her struggle to move on post Manchester bombing and finally being in a place to carry on.
Grande, who had been performing at Manchester Arena when a suicide bomber killed 22 people and injured 500 hundred more almost a year ago, was understandably very emotional in the wake of the incident. Even so, she organized the One Love Manchester concert in Manchester to benefit the victims and their families just two weeks after the tragedy, raising over $4 million dollars for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.
One of those victims was Olivia Campbell-Hardy, a 15-year-old Grande fan who died that night. At the One Love Manchester concert Ariana spoke of meeting Campbell-Hardy’s mother and crying. She said Olivia’s mom told her:
I should stop crying because Olivia wouldn’t have wanted me to cry—and then, she told me that ‘Olivia would have wanted to hear the hits.’
The video just released today, shows the symbol of Manchester—the worker bee—taking flight at the end of the video. A hope for all those touched by the bombing to be able to move forward and carry on with their lives.
Even though the track itself is upbeat, with only a subtle focus on the tragedy and more of a message of picking yourself up and moving on to continue to live and thrive, it still brought many fans to tears:
This is a tear for #ArianaGrande(@ArianaGrande 's) New Song no more tears left to cry
— Owen (@WhovianLife) April 20, 2018
Wow no more tears left to cry by the queen @ArianaGrande is so good i seriously started crying at 0:01
— daisy_ CNCO ❤️ (@_daisymendoza) April 20, 2018
I expected NTLTC to be a more emotional song and I thought it meant that she had cried so much she rain out of tears. after hearing the song lyrics I think she’s meaning she has no more tears bc she’s moved on from being sad and thts why the song is upbeat/positive @ArianaGrande
— ♡ N ♡ (@NayaValentine_) April 20, 2018
Can't wait for work to be done to stream @arianagrande's song and have dance parties wow it's just literally so perfect and empowering! Like no more tears guys no more letting life get me peace out negativity! Inspiring
— chels (@StayStrongChels) April 20, 2018
Fans also couldn’t help but get all up in the full-circle nostalgia that Ariana seems to be serving with the umbrella scene reminding everyone of her first post-Victorious vibe, Put Your Hearts Up:
#NoTearsLeftToCry @ArianaGrande I knew the umbrellas remind me of something. And it was your fetus MV! Iloveyousomuch Ari! #NoTearsLeftToCry is a bop! ✔ pic.twitter.com/6cuPvLvj3W
— ncko.dlsy (@cassioxnuts) April 20, 2018
IM NOT CRYING pic.twitter.com/JyjRS9Ekgb
— Mandy ♡ (@privilegedboca) April 20, 2018
Even YouTube royalty (and Grande friends) Todrick Hall (former American Idol hopeful, Broadway baby, and visual album wunderkind) and Miranda Sings/Haters Back Off creator, Colleen Ballinger weighed in:
I choked on my cornbread and then grew a new vagina listening to this. #NoTearsLeftToCry https://t.co/1FCbB0NQUP
— Colleen Ballinger (@ColleenB123) April 20, 2018
Ummmm OMG OMG OMG @ArianaGrande just came through with some Michael Jackson level imagery. https://t.co/VbXMaR3uvc OBSESSED
— Todrick Hall (@todrick) April 20, 2018
We think Angie and Indigo sum up fan reactions best:
— angie♡// #DefendDACA (@angies_diary) April 20, 2018
woah
— indigo (@roroandblues) April 20, 2018
H/T: Twitter