Ariana Grande is fresh off her relationship with Ethan Slater and is making headlines with a familiar face. The singer has been reconnecting with her ex-boyfriend, Ricky Alvarez, and doesn’t really seem to care who knows. After changing the lyrics to “thank u, next,” they spent the Holiday weekend together.
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupHe used to be her backup dancer
The exes were photographed on a Fourth of July grocery run in Boca Raton, Florida. Fresh off three sold-out Eternal Sunshine Tour shows in nearby Sunrise, Grande stopped at Whole Foods before heading to celebrate the holiday at her parents’ home.
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupHe helped her load the groceries into a waiting vehicle
Alvarez was right there beside her, helping carry groceries before the two drove off together. The singer had to know she would be photographed, and someone else could have gotten the groceries for them, so the internet is convinced they are back together.
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupShe looked comfortable and happy
It’s the second time they’ve been spotted together in less than a month. They had dinner in Texas, then during her Austin show, Grande swapped one of the most recognizable lines in “thank u, next.” Instead of singing, “Wrote some songs about Ricky, now I listen and laugh,” she sang, “Wrote some songs about Ricky, and he’s still got my back.”
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupAriana Grande kept it casual and even carried her own grocery bags
Alvarez was there in the audience, and cameras caught him smiling after the lyric before proudly shaking hands with a friend.
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© FilmMagicAriana Grande and Ricky Alvarez dancing together in 2015
It’s a full-circle moment. When “thank u, next” was released in 2018, Alvarez famously got what Grande jokingly called “the worst line” in the song.
She later apologized to him on Instagram, assuring him it was written: “very lovingly.”
© Getty2016
The pair dated briefly in 2015 and 2016, when Alvarez danced on Grande’s tours, but they’ve managed to stay friends. There have been the occasional sightings over the years, but lately they’ve been spending noticeably more time together.
© The Grosby GroupAriana’s split with Ethan was reported in June
Of course, the timing is hard to ignore. Grande’s latest outings with Alvarez come just weeks after news broke that she and Slater had quietly ended their relationship. Reports said the split actually happened months ago and that the two remain on good terms, but that hasn’t stopped fans from wondering whether Alvarez’s return to the picture means something more.
For now, all anyone really knows is that Grande has been seen with Alvarez twice in recent weeks, she changed one of the most iconic lyrics she’s ever written about him, and the internet is now trying to figure out if we are about to see a second chapter for them.