Your Guide to Ariana Grande's Friend Group in '7 Rings'
In the seven days since Ariana Grande shared the first teaser for her new song “7 Rings,” Grande has posted numerous teasers to her social media featuring her closest friends, who are set to appear in the video. Five of the six friends were recipients of the titular seven rings: Tayla Parx, Victoria Monet, Njomza, Alexa Luria, and Courtney Chipolone. Grande also tagged dancer Rim Taya Shawki in her promo image; the sixth ring recipient, Kaydence, didn't appear in Ariana's promo images for the video.
The inspiration for the song's title stems from her breakup with her ex-boyfriend, Pete Davidson. Following the split, Ari and her clique got their matching rings, which she bought them during a shopping trip at Tiffany & Co.
"You know how when you’re waiting at Tiffany’s they give you lots of champagne?" Ariana told Billboard in her interview for Woman of the Year. "They got us very tipsy, so we bought seven engagement rings, and when I got back to the studio I gave everybody a friendship ring."
But who are the girls that got the rings? Here, a guide to girls, many of whom you'll see when the video drops.
Tayla Parx
Tayla, who goes by Tayla Parx as her stage name, is a singer/songwriter and actress. Her songwriting talent has earned her credit for three Billboard Hot 100 hits with "Love Lies" by Khalid and Normani, "High Hopes" by Panic! at the Disco, and most notably, Ari's first #1 single, "thank u, next." If she looks familiar, it's not your eyes playing tricks on you-her major role on-screen was as Little Inez in Hairspray in addition to her appearances in Everybody Hates Chris, Gilmore Girls, True Jackson VP, and more. Most recently, she appeared alongside Grande in her "thank u, next" performance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Courtney Chipolone
Courtney is one of Ariana's closest friends dating back to when she lived in Boca Raton, Florida. In fact, Ariana is so close to Courtney that she has Courtney's name tattooed on her knee.
You might also recognize Courtney from her appearances alongside Ariana in the music video for "thank u, next."
Njozma
Njozma is actually the one we have to thank for Ariana deciding to make "7 Rings." After the now famous trip to Tiffany's, she was the one who suggested the pair make a song about the champagne-filled shopping trip.
Like Parx, Njozma is also a singer-songwriter. The Chicago native worked with Ariana's ex, Mac Miller, before his passing and released her debut single through his label.
Alexa Luria
Alexa and Ariana go way back-all the way back to elementary school. The two had a chance encounter in gym class and have remained friends ever since.
Alexa also played a part in the "thank u, next" music video.
Victoria Monet
Victoria is a singer-songwriter, and is one of the people responsible for making "thank u, next" the hit that it is. In addition to Grande, she's penned songs for Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Nas, T.I., and others. Victoria also performed as the opening act for Fifth Harmony's 7/27 tour and joined Ariana on the road while she toured for her third album, Dangerous Woman. Victoria also performed alongside Ariana and Tayla for their Ellen performance.
Kaydence
Kaydence and Ariana's friendship is newer; they started working together for Sweetener. Kaydence was introduced to Ariana while she was making beats in a studio. Ariana wanted the beats she was making, the two hit it off, and their friendship was born.
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