Ariana Grande has fueled speculation that she and her former boyfriend Ricky Alvarez are rekindling their romance. During a performance at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Grande modified the lyrics of her 2018 hit song "Thank U, Next."
Originally, the song includes the line, "Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh." However, during her "Eternal Sunshine" tour stop, Grande sang, "Wrote some songs about Ricky / We always find our way back." A fan-shared clip of the moment showed the audience reacting with excitement to the altered lyric.
Grande's representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The lyric change follows several public outings between Grande and Alvarez, who dated from 2015 to 2016. The pair were photographed together over the Fourth of July weekend, leaving a Whole Foods in Boca Raton, Florida, with grocery bags. Previously, they were also seen dining together in Texas.
While a source told TMZ that there was "nothing romantic between Ariana and Ricky this time around" regarding the Texas outing, Grande made another lyrical change during her Austin concert around the same time. She sang a variation of the line to express that Alvarez "still got [her] back." Alvarez's reaction to this was captured on camera, showing him shaking a friend's hand.
Grande's rumored reconciliation with Alvarez comes after news broke in June of her split from boyfriend Ethan Slater, her co-star in the upcoming "Wicked" film. Sources indicated that Grande and Slater had actually parted ways several months before the news became public.
Grande and Alvarez have maintained a friendly relationship over the years, having been seen together in January 2019. Following her relationship with Alvarez, Grande dated Mac Miller, Pete Davidson, Dalton Gomez (to whom she was married from 2021 to 2024), and most recently, Slater. She and Gomez finalized their divorce in March 2024.