Ariana Grande dropped her new song “7 Rings” on Jan 17. This song is the third released song from Grande’s upcoming album “thank u, next” titled after the hit song released in December. The release of this song has come with many differing opinions about it.

The pop star’s latest track has exploded on the charts, currently sitting at No. 2 on Itunes. However, the latest chart-topper has had some controversy regarding it. Grande is accused of both plagiarism and cultural appropriation from Princess Nokia.

Grande’s new song showcases a new musical style for her, unlike her past pop style. The song begins with an homage to classic The Sound of Music melody of “My Favorite Things” leaving the beat stuck in your head. Another song sampled in her new smash hit is Biggie’s “Gimme the Loot”. The song’s producers credited these two songs for the samples used in it but controversy has already been sparked for songs not credited.

Some listeners notice a similarity between “7 Rings” and a Soulja Boy song from 2010 entitled “Pretty Boy Swag”. Fans of Soulja Boy have called out Grande saying that credit should be given to the rapper because it has the same beat.

Another rapper has come out saying the Grande’s song rips off that of her own. Princess Nokia posted an Instagram video with her reaction to the song in which she claims the hit song sounds eerily similar to her song Mine. Princess Nokia posted a video of her single, “Mine”, and Grande’s lyrics “I want it, I got it, I want it, I got it / I want it, I got it, I want it, I got it / You like my hair? Gee, thanks, just bought it” with the caption “Does that sound familiar to you? ‘Cause that sounds really familiar to me. Ain’t that the little song I made about brown women and their hair? Hmm… sounds about white.”Grande was tagged in the video and swiftly issued an apology for any harm done.

The cultural appropriation stems from her lyrics about her “weave”, which did not sit well with the fans. The claims from Princess Nokia along with fans are, Grande was talking about her extensions in a way black women would be talking about their weave or natural hair- that everyone wants to touch it.

Overall, Grande’s newest song has issues with boasting of her lavish lifestyle, appropriating black culture by talking about her “weave”, and accusations of plagiarism from several artists. While it seems to be accumulating all of these problems, it maintains its spot on the top of the charts. Fans still remain loyal to Grande despite her mistake, and the fan-base, as well as the haters, are anxious to see her next hit.