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[-Jay-]

In case anybody wants a summary of the interview, here's one courtesy of Sanctuary on PopJustice! -

Recording a new album after 4 years:
- She wasn't going to make music until after Wicked II came out; later says to Zach that she thought their next interview about an album would have taken place in 2027.
- Says the strike gave her some free time to let some things out and she did most of the recording by herself at Jungle City Studios for a few weeks.
- Says her relationship to music has healed and changed by taking space from it. That getting to play a character gave her clarity from having to be a caricature of who she is in order to be a pop star. "I used to feel like I had to be pop star Ari 90% of the time and human Ari 10% of the time but I feel like human Ari now 99% of the time"

Wicked and acting:
- Hints she wants to continue giving a bit more space between releases to keep that balance.
- Said Wicked was basically a two-year long process of auditions and what she was doing in secret during The Voice.
- Felt that Galinda taught her how to take up space and not be so apologetic for her wants and needs.
- A tour for Eternal Sunshine is 'TBD' since "the next year is planned". If it was something, it'd be a shorter tour, but nothing is ready to start planning. Says the Sweetener World tour was really hard emotionally for her but not because of touring and more-so where she felt personally at the time. That, like with recording, the time away has helped her miss "doing shows" and get back into the mindset of being happy at the idea of them.

Hints about the album:
- There's a song with lyrics where she references herself as "babygirl". Zach said he got the impression it was her talking to her younger self.
- Returning to Saturn in terms of astrology is a main theme of the album
- The lyrics "say everything and nothing at the same time", "vague but very specific all at once". You can tell Zach is trying to navigate how to ask how to frame her addressing the Ethan stuff.
- Said she cried a lot during the album, even when "writing the bops". Says "there's a lot of bops" despite the "emotional context being 'like woah'".
- She felt very reactive during the writing process and so she did a second pass of the songs to make sure she felt she was writing from a place of love. Referenced "Track 2" ("Bye") and how the subject matter might be assumed as a "f*** you" but she approaches it in terms of "love and transparency". "Giving credit for trying, for the goodness that there was".
- Measurably uncomfortable with some of the songs being misinterpreted since she plays into ideas people have about her as part of the concept. It's "hellish to see people you love and yourself be misunderstood".
- Says she knows some fans will be upset the album is short but she feels it's a "really concise record" and that's why she didn't put out any single beforehand besides "yes, and?" cause she wants it heard in full.
- Zach said it was "nostalgic yet present at the same time" in terms of sound.

Leaks and Fantasize:
- Re-confirms Fantasize was never for her project. It was for a TV project and she seemed frustrated still it leaked.
- Jokes that the people who stole her music should have tried to sell them back to her to not leak, says she hopes she sees them in jail.
- (Jokingly) calls "you all' hypocrites for how much love Fantasize got.
- Said there's a song on the album that "took the note" of re: Fantasize and it's like "Ariana's version" of Fantasize. "Some of those seedlings from [those sessions] made it onto the album."
- Zach mentions AI covers and asks if she's heard any of them. Says she finds the whole concept terrifying.