Ariana Grande fans spot Mac Miller tribute in the 'Breathin' video

8 November 2018, 18:18 | Updated: 8 November 2018, 18:21

Ariana also teases the 'thank u, next' tracklist in the visual...

Another day, another slay. It's safe to say that Ariana Grande has dominated 2018. From her critically acclaimed, UK and US Number 1 album Sweetener to her chart-topping hits 'God Is A Woman' and 'No Tears Left to Cry', the 'Dangerous Woman' popstar hasn't put a foot wrong this year. In fact, she's done so much that Billboard have named her their 2018 Woman of the Year.

That's not all though. On Saturday, Ariana surprise released a brand new single 'thank u, next' and it has already broken the record for most streams on Spotify by a female artist in one day. Not only that, but AG5 is due this year. The Sweetener era isn't quite over yet though. The tour is coming in 2019 and yesterday Ariana released the video for its last single 'Breathin'.

The video is stunning. Fans of Ariana will already know that 'Breathin' is a song that is inspired by Ariana's own experiences with anxiety and how she copes with it. The visual is directed by Ariana's longterm collaborator Hannah Lux Davis ('Side to Side', 'Into You') and it's not only beautifully filmed but it's also filled with hidden meanings and personal easter eggs.

Watch Ariana Grande's 'Breathin' video below.

Sensational, right? Unsurprisingly, fans have been analysing the video for secret meanings ever since Ariana dropped it. With that in mind, we've sleuthed and picked out some of the things in the music video that you may have missed or didn't notice at first.

1) The sped up people around her are symbolic of what it's like to experience anxiety.

Throughout the music video, there are shots of Ariana moving at normal pace as the world zooms around her. It's a beautiful metaphor for her overcoming her own anxiety. Instead of being stressed out by her environment, Ariana is taking the time to pause, breathe and cater to herself. It's an important message to her fans who experience anxiety too.

2) The AG5 tracklist is right there.

Ariana is known for teasing song titles in her videos (she hid the Sweetener tracklist in the 'No Tears Left to Cry' visual) and 'Breathin' is no different. In it you can see numerous track names on the departures board in the train station scene. She's already shared a snippet of 'Needy' on Twitter but now we have confirmation that 'Remember' and 'Imagine' are on their way too.

3) The video also contains a tribute to Mac Miller.

Fans have noticed that the time next to 'Remember' on the departures board in the video is '11:11' which is believed to be a "sign that angelic beings are close". Considering that Ariana referred to Mac as an 'angel' in 'thank u, next' and Mac put out a song called 'Remember', it seems likely that 'Remember' will be a tribute to him.

4) Ariana turns the "head in the clouds" metaphor on its head.

The phrase 'head in the clouds' is often used negatively as a term for being out of touch. It's dismissive of people who thrive in fantasy and imagination. Ariana flips it on its head. Detaching yourself from reality can be a way some people deal with their anxiety and in the 'Breathin' video "her head is literally in the clouds".

5) Ariana takes the cloud metaphor one step further by swinging in them.

The final still of the video sees Ariana swinging joyfully in the clouds. It's in stark contrast to the opening shot of her looking anxious at a bar. In breathing and escaping to the clouds, Ariana has found her peace. Our hearts.

What other messages did you notice in the 'Breathin' video?