Ariana Grande drops scathing clapback to critics in Charli XCX Brat remix

Los Angeles, California - Ariana Grande fired back at her critics as she joined Charli XCX for a remix of Sympathy is a knife on the Brit's revamped Brat album.

Ariana Grande (r.) fired back at her critics as she joined Charli XCX for a remix of Sympathy is a knife on the Brit's revamped Brat album.
Ariana Grande (r.) fired back at her critics as she joined Charli XCX for a remix of Sympathy is a knife on the Brit's revamped Brat album.  © Collage: Amy Sussman / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & IMAGO / UPI Photo

Charli has revisited her ultra-viral era with the aptly titled Brat and it's completely different but also still brat – a collection of remixes featuring a ton of today's biggest artists.

At the top of the class is undoubtedly Ariana, who evidently took aim at her critics with her lyrics on a remix of Sympathy is a knife.

"It's a knife when you know they're counting on your mistakes," Ari sings. "It's a knife when you're so pretty, they think you must be fake."

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Along with this allusion to plastic surgery rumors, the 31-year-old pop star also references the body-shaming she's faced in recent years as she sings, "It's a knife when they dissect your body on the front page."

Ariana then expresses her distaste for fandom feuds, adding, "It's a knife when the mean fans hate the nice fans."

Both Charli and Ari sing their own versions of a line that includes, "It's a knife when somebody says they like the old me and not the new me."

The yes, and? singer has been under heavy scrutiny for her style evolution in the past few years, along with a notably different speaking style that appears to have come from her role as Glinda the Good Witch in the upcoming Wicked film.

Ariana Grande addresses media scrutiny head-on

Ariana Grande has been vocal in defending herself against the intense media scrutiny she faces.
Ariana Grande has been vocal in defending herself against the intense media scrutiny she faces.  © IMAGO / ABACAPRESS

The Brat remix isn't Ariana's first time firing back at the scrutiny, as she weighed in on the voice discourse in an interview back in June.

During the chat, she confirmed she had altered her voice as part of her training for Wicked, explaining, "The voice is in the body, it's an instrument, and muscle memory is a real thing.

"That's a normal thing for people who, it's their job to transform."

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Just last month, Ariana denied allegations of getting significant plastic surgeries, revealing that she has only had Botox and filler but has since stopped doing so.

And in April 2023, she addressed fans directly in a powerful TikTok condemning the body-shaming she'd been receiving, saying, "I think we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people's bodies."

Ari's lyrics on Sympathy is a knife have already earned heavy praise, including from her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo who wrote via Instagram, "WELL S**T!!!! I guess some folks needed lessons today!!"

Cover photo: Collage: Amy Sussman / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & IMAGO / UPI Photo

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