Ariana Grande Changes Hit Lyrics for Ex Ricky Alvarez Amid Rumors They're Back Together

Ariana Grande gave Ricky Alvarez another lyrical nod during her Eternal Sunshine tour stop in Austin, Texas, on June 26, 2026, prompting fresh chatter about whether the pair are more than just friends again. The singer tweaked the lyrics to 'Thank U, Next' while Alvarez watched from the VIP pit, turning a throwaway moment into the sort of pop-culture fuel that spreads fast online.

The news came after days of fan speculation around Grande's recent appearances and the sighting of her with Alvarez in Austin. Her birthday show at the Moody Centre, plus earlier public chatter about her changing appearance and her reported split from Ethan Slater, had already put her under a brighter-than-usual spotlight, so even a tiny lyric change was always going to get noticed.

Ariana Grande's Lyric Change

During the show, Grande altered the familiar line from 'Thank U, Next' that originally refers to Alvarez. Instead of singing the old lyric, she performed, 'Wrote some songs about Ricky / I know he's still got my back,' based on concert clips that quickly began circulating on TikTok and YouTube.

It was not even the first time she had done it on this run. Reports from the same Austin shows say she had already played with the line earlier in the week, at one point singing, 'Wrote some songs about Ricky / And they still kinda slap.' That is the sort of detail fans seize on immediately, because pop audiences are basically trained to treat one altered word like a telegram.

The original song, released in 2018, famously nods to several of Grande's former relationships, and Alvarez has always occupied a gentler place in that history. He was her backup dancer before they dated in 2015 and 2016, and their split was widely described as amicable. Nothing about the new lyric changes confirms anything romantic now, but it does suggest the pair are comfortable enough with each other to turn a song about an ex into a grin-worthy in-joke.

Ricky Alvarez's Reaction

Alvarez's reaction may be why the moment spread so quickly. Fan footage from the Moody Centre showed him in the VIP pit as Grande sang the updated line, then whipping his head round towards the stage before sharing a friendly handshake with her.

That clip did the rounds because it looked warm rather than awkward, and that matters. If two exes can trade a public joke without visible tension, people immediately start asking whether there is more going on than the official line admits. In this case, though, the public line from people around them has been plain enough, there is no verified confirmation of a reunion, and the current wave of dating rumours appears to be based on sightings and vibes rather than hard evidence.

Grande has not publicly addressed the speculation. Neither has Alvarez. That silence leaves plenty of room for fan theories, which is exactly how this kind of story becomes huge in the first place. A single lyric, a familiar face in the crowd, and suddenly everyone is acting like they have solved the whole thing. Classic internet stuff.

Why the Rumours Took Off

The reason this has travelled so fast is simple enough. Grande is already in the middle of a high-profile tour, there has been intense attention around her personal life, and any public moment that hints at old feelings gets amplified in real time. The Austin sighting with Alvarez earlier in the week added oxygen to the story, even though people close to the pair have insisted they were just hanging out with friends.

That is the frustrating part for fans and gossip-watchers alike. The public sees the lyric, the smile and the handshake, then fills in the rest. But the reported background still points to friendship rather than a confirmed romance, and the more cautious reading is probably the more accurate one.

Still, the performance gave the old 'Thank U, Next' line a new life. Grande knows exactly how to play to a crowd, and she knows which names will land hardest. Whether that nod was affectionate nostalgia, a private joke or something slightly messier, she let the audience have the moment and then moved on, leaving everyone else to argue over what it meant. That part, at least, was very on brand.