Selena Gomez Says Ariana Grande’s Music Makes Her Feel ‘Empowered’: ‘She Is Incredible’

“Here’s another song I love, Ariana Grande,” said Gomez on the show, just before queuing up the Wicked star’s 2019 smash “7 Rings.” “I cannot do anything fun without listening to Ariana.”  

Two days after Gomez’s on-air shoutout, Grande released her comeback single “Yes, And?” alongside a choreography-filled music video. The “Calm Down” singer was one of countless fans to show her excitement when the Victorious alum first teased her upcoming seventh album on Instagram in December, officially kicking off her return to music after a yearslong hiatus. (Grande’s last album, Positions, came out in 2020.) 

“FINALLY,” Gomez commented in all caps under an Instagram post from Grande of pictures and videos from the studio. 

Meanwhile, Gomez is also gearing up to release her next album, which she’s been teasing for more than a year. Like Grande, the Emmy nominee hasn’t dropped an LP since 2020, with Rare debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in January that year. 

In September, Gomez released what’s expected to serve as her upcoming album’s lead single, “Single Soon.” The track was produced by the star’s now boyfriend, Benny Blanco, and reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.  

Whenever it arrives, however, Gomez’s next record might be her last. “The older I get, the more I’m kind of like, I would like to find something [besides music] to just settle on,” she said in a recent interview. “I do feel like I have one more album in me, but I would probably choose acting.” 

“I wanted to be an actress, I never really intended on being a singer full-time, but apparently, that hobby turned into something else,” she added at the time.