Ariana Grande has seemingly signaled her intentions to marry boyfriend Ricky Álvarez, altering the lyrics of her hit song "thank u, next" during the final stop of her "Eternal Sunshine" tour in London. The singer, 33, changed the line "Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh" to "Wrote some songs about Ricky / I’m tryna make him my last." The crowd reacted with cheers to the updated lyric.
This is not the first time Grande has modified the song's lyrics to reference Álvarez. During a concert in Brooklyn, New York, on July 13, she sang, "Wrote some songs about Ricky / We always find our way back." This change also prompted excitement from fans.
Grande and Álvarez first dated over a decade ago and maintained a friendship. They rekindled their romance in July, following Grande's separation from "Wicked" co-star Ethan Slater.
Sources indicated at the time of their reunion that Grande was not rushing the relationship, citing her busy tour schedule. The couple's relationship gained public attention after they were seen together on multiple occasions, initially sparking dating rumors when they were spotted with friends at a restaurant in Austin, Texas, for Grande's birthday.
Grande made her relationship with Álvarez Instagram official last month, sharing a series of photos of the two, though they were only shown from the neck down. She tagged Álvarez in the posts.
Further hints of their commitment emerged when Grande debuted a new tattoo on her clavicle reading "I do love you" during a London concert. Álvarez has a matching tattoo with the same words inked on his left collarbone, though in a different font.
Grande's recent relationship developments coincide with her announcement to take a break from public-facing work after completing her "Eternal Sunshine" tour. Her representative stated that she is looking forward to finishing the tour on a high note before taking a "much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances which has led to endless ongoing public scrutiny." She also withdrew from a planned role in the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park with George."