Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” Just Led To A MAJOR Career Moment For The Singer

Billboard’s 2018 Woman of the Year has welcomed another impressive accomplishment to the party that is her ever-growing list of achievements. On Monday, Nov. 12, Billboard announced Ariana Grande's "Thank U, Next" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Now, if you assume reaching No. 1 must be old hat (er in this case, maybe it's old cat ear headband?) for the Nickelodeon star-turned-pop music icon, that is a totally fair and reasonable assumption. After all, Ari G. has released a bunch of major singles over the last five years. She has to have at least a few No. 1s already, right?

Nope. Somehow, one of the greatest recording artists of our time does not already have a pile of Hot 100 No. 1s to her name. "Thank U, Next” is Grande's first song to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100. Ever.

She has come close before: "Problem" went to No. 2, "Bang Bang" and "No Tears Left to Cry" peaked at No. 3, and "Break Free" and "Side to Side" topped out at No. 4. Grande's ode to her ex-boyfriends is her only single (so far) to take a seat on the throne atop the Hot 100. Billboard also noted that "Thank U, Next" is the first song by a female artist to debut at No. 1 since Adele's "Hello" crushed the charts back in 2015.

After Billboard revealed the breezy and beautiful single has zoomed on up to the top of the Hot 100, Grande tweeted, "for once i don't really have words. i love u so much and thank u." And about an hour later, she posted, “yeeeeeee baby's first number one.”

Naturally, Ari stans far and wide are delighted "Thank U, Next" debuted at No. 1, and her mother, Joan Grande, is right there with us. (Would you expect anything else from Ari's first fan?) Joan tweeted on Monday,

"Ariana!!!! @billboardcharts HOT 100 #1! Amazing achievement ... as for me, every song you have ever recorded is #1, including all the ones I have on my old computers, teehee, but I’m so happy you got this billboard credit to your name! I love you @ArianaGrande ... #VeryProudMama"

You said it, Joan. The Billboard charts try to tell us otherwise, but every song Ari has ever recorded is No. 1 in our hearts.

Though "Thank U, Next" is her first No. 1 single, Grande is no stranger to the top spot on another Billboard chart. Her records Yours Truly, My Everything, and Sweetener all went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

"Thank U, Next" is the title track for Grande's forthcoming fifth album, and though the record doesn't have an official release date, the pop powerhouse has hinted that it could drop, like, any second now. And when Thank U, Next hits the physical and digital shelves? That record could be another No. 1 album for, as Mark Hamill called her, "one of the most popular artists in the history of showbiz." May the ponytail be with you.