Ariana Grande Changes Ricky Alvarez Line Again in ‘Thank U, Next’ During Tour Finale

Ariana Grande has officially turned “Thank U, Next” into a song with updates.

As her Eternal Sunshine tour reaches its final performances, Grande has once again changed the lyrics to her 2018 hit, and this time, her message to Ricky Alvarez was especially hard to miss. During her final show at London’s O2 Arena, the singer switched up the verse about her former boyfriend, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

The original lyrics are pretty clear: “Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh.”

But Grande had something very different to say this time.

During the latest performance, Grande sang, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / I’m tryna make him my last.”

The crowd immediately reacted, and even Grande’s backup dancers joined in on the cheers. If there was any question about who the lyric was about, the name Ricky made that pretty obvious.

And this was not Grande’s first Ricky remix during the tour.

Grande has been having a little fun with the famous line throughout her recent performances, especially as she and Alvarez have rekindled their relationship.

During a July 13 performance at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Grande changed the lyric to, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / We always find our way back.”

That version already sounded like a pretty major update from the original song. But she was not finished.

At her June 26 show at Austin’s Moody Center, Grande sang, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / I know he’s still got my back.” Alvarez was there supporting her on her birthday, watching the performance from the arena’s VIP pit.

When he heard the lyric change, Alvarez could be seen turning his head toward a friend before the two shared a handshake.

Two days earlier, Grande had switched up the line again, singing, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / And they still kinda slap.”

At this point, “Thank U, Next” has become less of a fixed song and more of a live relationship bulletin.

Grande and Alvarez, a former backup dancer, first dated from 2015 to July 2016. Their relationship was mostly kept away from the spotlight, but Alvarez eventually became part of Grande’s story in one of her biggest songs.

When “Thank U, Next” was released in 2018, Grande famously sang about several of her past relationships. Alvarez got one of the most memorable mentions: “Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh.”

Alvarez seemed to take the shout-out in good spirits.

“Nothing but gratitude,” he wrote on his Instagram Stories at the time. “Thank you, next… (Those songs are fire tho… you’re welcome).”

Grande reshared his comments on her own Instagram Stories, writing, “Oh for sure … ty next.”

“HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH IM SORRY U GOT THE WORST LINE,” she added. “It was meant v lovingly.”

That exchange showed that, even after their relationship ended, there did not seem to be much bad blood between the two.

Now, years later, Grande's latest lyric changes make that old verse sound very different.

The star recently made her rekindled romance with Alvarez Instagram official.

On Aug. 12, the pop star shared a photo dump that included several low-key pictures with Alvarez. In one photo, Grande took a mirror selfie showing their coordinating outfits, while Alvarez could be seen with his arm over her shoulder and holding her hand, according to previous reporting.

Another blurry mirror photo showed Alvarez holding the camera while Grande turned toward him.

For fans who remember the original “Thank U, Next,” the new lyrics add an interesting twist to a song that was once about moving forward from past relationships.

Back in 2018, Grande was singing about writing songs about Ricky and laughing about them later. Now, she is singing about trying to make him her last.

That is quite the lyrical plot twist.

Grande's changing lyrics also give her fans a playful way to follow along with what is happening in her personal life. Each new performance has brought a slightly different version of the Ricky line, turning a familiar part of the song into something of a running joke and romantic update.

And with the Eternal Sunshine tour coming to an end, Grande's London performance may have delivered the biggest update yet.

After all, there is “Thank U, Next,” and then there is apparently “Thank U, Ricky, Maybe This Time.”