'thank u, next' music video: Ariana Grande channels Regina George from 'Mean Girls'; Kris Jenner makes cameo
Pop star Ariana Grande just released the music video for her hit new single “thank u, next.”
The video for the song, which discusses her past relationships and what she’s learned from them, references several early 2000s comedies, including "13 Going on 30," "Mean Girls," "Legally Blonde" and "Bring it On."
The 25-year-old singer brought in multiple cast members from these movies, friends and former co-stars for the highly anticipated music video.
Grande channels popular character Regina George from “Mean Girls” in several scenes in the video, with her close friends, Alexa Luria, Courtney Chipolone and Victoria Monet, acting as fellow “Plastics.”
Jonathan Bennett, who played one of the film’s popular characters, Aaron Samuels, appears in the video.
The singer also recreated a scene in the film in which the girls dance to "Jingle Bell Rock" during the school’s annual winter talent show.
Television personality Kris Jenner makes an appearance in the video, playing Regina George’s mother.
Her friends join her again, acting as bridesmaids, while she stands in a wedding dress near the end of the video.
The particular moment references the wedding scene from 2004 romantic comedy “13 Going on 30,” and many fans drew parallels to Grande’s recent broken engagement with comedian Pete Davidson.
Other highlights include Grande recreating the iconic "bend and snap" scene from "Legally Blonde" and several cheerleading scenes from "Bring It On."
The creative video is the latest in a series of projects Grande is dropping for her fans.
She also is giving her fans an even more personal look into her life in a new four-part YouTube docuseries, “Ariana Grande: Dangerous Woman Diaries."
In a recent episode of the series, Grande shared a letter she wrote to her fans after the Manchester bombing, that took place during her concert in May 2017, killing 22 people and injuring hundreds.
"May 22, 2017, will leave me speechless and filled with questions for the rest of my life," she shared. "When something so opposite and so poisonous takes place in your world that is supposed to be everything but that ... it is shocking and heartbreaking in a way that seems impossible to fully recover from."
“The spirit of the people of Manchester, the families affected by this horrendous tragedy and my fans around the world have permanently impacted all of us for the rest of our lives. Their love, strength, and unity showed me, my team, my dancers, band, and entire crew not to be defeated. To continue during the scariest and saddest of times. To not let hate win. But instead, love as loudly as possible and to appreciate every moment.”
“The people of Manchester were able to change an event that portrayed the worst of humanity into one that portrayed the most beautiful of humanity. "Like a handprint on my heart" ... I think of Manchester constantly and will carry this with me every day for the rest of my life."
