On May 22nd 2017, singer and actress Ariana Grande was on her Dangerous Woman World Tour, performing in the city of Manchester. With 14,200 fans in attendance, a terrorist bombing took place, leading to 22 deaths and over 1000 individuals injured. At just 23 years old, Grande was faced with an unfathomable tragedy which significantly took a toll on her physical and mental well-being. 

In the following year, on her 4th studio album titled Sweetener, Grande released Get Well Soon, as the final track of the album.  Suffering from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder following the attack, Grande attempts to encapsulate her anxiety sonically through heartfelt lyricism and heavy vocal layering, as a “musical hug” to her fans for comfort.

“They say my system is overloaded

(Girl, what’s wrong with you? Come back down)

I’m too much in my head, did you notice?

(Girl, what’s wrong with you? Come back down)

My body’s here on Earth, but I’m floatin’

(Girl, what’s wrong with you? Come back down)

Disconnected, so sometimes, I feel frozen and alone”

These lyrics beautifully capture the depersonalization one may experience following a traumatic event, as Grande noted to feel her body floating, in not a good way, for several months following the attack, feeling as if she was outside of her body. 

While exploring her own inner turmoil in this piece, Grande additionally focuses her attention directly toward her listeners, who may additionally be experiencing mental health challenges of their own. 

“This is for everybody

Babe, you gotta take care of your body

Ain’t no time to deny, that is why we talking about it

Yeah, we talking about it

To deal with it, don’t try to get by it

Ain’t no time to deny it

So we had to sit down and just write it

Want you to get better”

As an avid advocate of therapy and meditation, Grande urges listeners to listen to their body—this means staying in tune with what is going on inside of one’s body when experiencing troubles, rather than drowning out the noise through outside distractions. By taking care of one’s body, one is able to acknowledge any mental blockages which may be present and address them readily. 

Ultimately, this song was thoughtfully written and produced to offer support to her fans and herself, and will eternally remain as an inspiring reminder that one can combat evil with goodness and strength. 

Listen to Get Well Soon on Youtube

Image Credit:

Feature Image: Photo by Tom The Photographer on Unsplash