Ariana Grande’s “Better Days” teams her with another young songwriter, Victoria Monet, as they express their views and feelings in a musical statement about the recent incidents of violence in the United States. The song resonates beyond just what is going on in the United States and can be seen as a universal and timeless wish for lasting peace. It was inspired by the recent shootings by police of unarmed men in Minnesota and Louisiana, and then the retaliation shootings of police at a Black Lives Matter-sponsored protest in Texas.
Protests that continue across the country have yet to come to a resolution. In the midst of the tension and questions that still remain unanswered, celebrities from all walks are voicing their opinions in various ways, many through social media, many through music. Ariana and Victoria first announced they were releasing “Better Days” a day ago. It was released via Monet’s SoundCloud account and has already received 151,000 plays and almost 7,000 likes, along with 162 comments.
On “Better Days,” Ariana Grande is the featured artist, and she trades verses with Monet on a flawlessly-produced track by Flip. Hopefully, Flip will reveal more about his work in the days to come. Many fans of the two singers may not yet even know about this song since it wasn’t released widely. Hopefully, a record company will work with the two artists to make the song an official release and begin production on a music video to accompany the track.
This song is bound to grow in popularity. What song wouldn’t with the involvement of Ariana Grande? “Better Days” will also let more people know about Victoria Monet. Ariana and Victoria are both 23-years-old, but Monet has yet to even release a full length album. For a short time, she was signed to Motown Records with a girl group. Her career is still extremely young, having only released two solo EPs, Nightmares & Lullabies: Act 1 and Nightmares & Lullabies: Act 2 . She is currently signed to Atlantic Records but has yet to see one of her solo single releases chart. Most of her success has come through her songwriting and production for other artists, including past songs for Grande and other artists like T.I., Nas, Diddy, and Chris Brown.
The current song is the extension of an ongoing friendship between Victoria and Ariana Grande. “Better Days” is a continuation of a relationship that has been building for years. The two singers have known each other and worked together for a long time.
Victoria told YouKnowIGotSoul.com about how she and her producer met Ariana and first began working together in the early days.
“We met Ariana years ago when she was still on Nickelodeon and I think it was two years before her first album. We were one of the first people to work with her and I think she has a particular trust in us because we aren’t coming after she blew up. We just e-mail her directly with whatever song we feel she would love. We’re developing that closer friendship. We go to her house for game night and her mom is really sweet. In the booth, I’m able to be honest with her and she’s honest with me. I like the creative process with her, she’s an incredible girl.”
Ariana’s last album, Dangerous Woman , was released in May. As Entertainment Weekly reports, Ariana is returning to her acting roots and joining Hairspray Live! on NBC . The Broadway musical will broadcast on December 7, but since TV events like this are rare, it is sure to require a lot of preparation in the months ahead. Ariana is no stranger to the Broadway stage and has been performing there since the age of 15. She has been gushing about getting the dream role of Penny in Hairspray Live! over social media.
Ariana Grande’s “Better Days” musical statement shows she not only has talent, but she also has awareness and hope for peace.
[Photo by David Becker/Getty Images]
