Ariana Grande releases an extraordinary music video that could well be the best of 2018. Here are the video’s 6 hidden messages decoded.
Earlier in July Ariana Grande released the third single “God Is a Woman” from her upcoming fourth album “Sweetener”; and it is probably her best work to date. Here is why; not only does the American singer star in a gorgeous video that is a work of art, but it is chock-full of messages and references that surprise and, at times, slightly shock the viewer.
Consequently, the world’s conspiracy theorists have already jumped on the attack train accusing her of being part of Illuminati and this video being no more than a showcase of their rituals. However, I am not here to do that. Instead, I would like to highlight the top 6 hidden messages that Grande encoded into this video as, in my opinion, they are fascinating.
1. The modern “thinker’ or, as I’d call it, “La Penseuse.”
The pop star mimics the statue of Auguste Rodin’s “Le Penseur” (The Thinker) – a bronze figure of a nude man in a pose that is often used to represent philosophy. In the video, Ariana is attacked by little men who throw derogatory words at her, but she’s well above them and isn’t bothered at all as they just bounce off her. She is wisdom and silly names don’t phase her.
2. Fluffy or Cerberus.
Grande appears with a three-headed dog behind her, which some would interpret as the reference to Cerberus – the mythical Greek creature that guards the gates of hell. Others could say that this is a reference to Harry Potter character Fluffy. Ariana has said in the past to be a fan of the series.
3. Kabbalah.
Here is a reference that is especially obvious to some, and completely invisible to others. It is a well-known fact that Ariana studies Kabbalah – the ancient Jewish wisdom that is studied by many and has been endorsed by Madonna back in the late 90s. The Light is what represents God in Kabbalah and Ariana is enveloped in it. A rather direct reference, if you ask me.
4. The founding mother of Rome.
It seems that even in the XXI century, all roads still lead to Rome. In this scene Capitoline Wolf comes to mind, which is an ancient bronze sculpture of a mother-wolf who is believed to have raised Romulus and Remus – the founders of the Eternal City.
5. Madonna.
Next is the scene with a voice-over; and it is none other than the Queen of Pop herself. Madonna’s voice can be heard reciting the Bible verse Ezekiel 25:17, which was edited a little to fit the context. Perhaps it’s the Kabbalah connections that got them to work together, or Madonna was offered a part she could not pass on. In the end, it is only Madonna who could do this voiceover.
6. The Creation of… Eve?
Most noteworthy is the last frame which features a complete remake of Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam”, replacing men with women. This is a daring and polarising statement, and it completes this visual euphoria of a video perfectly.
So far, Ariana has delivered three drastically-different videos for her singles to promote her upcoming record. In my opinion, she has proven her growth as an artist and a musician. She has definitely grown and it shows.
Photos courtesy www.youtube.com/arianagrande