The Soulja Boy influence is a fairly inarguable concept, especially if you want to have a conversation about post-internet branding. But to credit the vibe of Ariana Grande's new "7 Rings" single to a certain Soulja Boy classic? Some listeners would say that's quite a stretch, but others aren't so convinced.
As the (really fucking good) Hannah Lux Davis-directed video for Ariana's latest started making the rounds, listeners with Soulja still on their brain started comparing Ariana's pre-chorus and chorus delivery to Soulja's 2010 hit "Pretty Boy Swag."
While the Soulja-ness of "7 Rings" is up for debate, the track's connection to "My Favorite Things" is not. The TBHits and Social House-produced song does indeed interpolate Julie Andrews' Sound of Music soundtrack cut in the verses, as well as Biggie's "Gimme the Loot."
The new Ariana is the singer's latest single to be released following her decision to start dropping new music at a pace more suited to her creative process. In a December 2018 interview with Billboard, she outlined how her new approach to releases marks the culmination of a long-held goal inspired by rap.
"My dream has always been to be—obviously not a rapper, but, like, to put out music in the way that a rapper does," she said at the time. "I feel like there are certain standards that pop women are held to that men aren't."
With that in mind, please enjoy a carefully curated selection of people comparing Ariana's "7 Rings" with Soulja's "Pretty Boy Swag." At the time of this writing, neither Ariana nor Soulja had publicly commented on any of this, which I'm hoping is a sign (though there's absolutely zero evidence suggesting such) that they have decided to link up for a "7 Rings" remix.