Everything Ariana Grande does is analysed under the microscope. I'm guilty of doing it (here at work, and in my group chats with pals), and it's become so intense for the star that she announced she will be taking time off when her tour wraps in a few weeks.
It's not lost on me that I'm writing a piece saying we don't need to analyse her every more, while seemingly doing that, but stick with me.
The latest Ari-event sending fans and social media critics into meltdown is the musician's new tattoo, seemingly dedicated to her reported love interest, dancer Ricky Alvarez, who has a matching design.
© InstagramAriana Grande's new tattoo
Ariana displayed her new inking on stage at her Eternal Sunshine tour. Etched onto her collarbone is a delicate inking of the phrase 'I do love you'. Ricky has a matching one, in a gothic-inspired scrawl in the same place.
Fans praised Ariana for "loving loudly", commenting on how she goes 'all in' when she falls in love. Others noted that Ariana and Ricky dated 10 years ago and have recently reconciled, so it's not totally random that they got matching tattoos.
What does Ariana's new tattoo for Ricky Alvarez mean?
As a hopeless romantic (though maybe not as hopeless as Ariana), I like to imagine that "I do love you" was something Ricky or Ari said to one another during their rekindling, hence why it's such a pertinent phrase for them.
This is far from the first time the musician has had tattoos dedicated to her lover. Her body is a tapestry of artwork, from her fingertips to her toes, with many covered with new designs when relationships end.
Take her tattoos dedicated to her ex-fiancé, comedian Pete Davidson. She had 'always' in his handwriting on her ribs, his name on her ring finger, plus his dad's ladder number, in tribute to the firefighter who lost his life during 9/11.
Her myriad of Pete tattoos have all since been covered up with new designs.
She also has a few delicate body art pieces for her ex-husband, Dalton Gomez, including a Roman numeral 'XV' on her right little finger, symbolising their wedding date.
© FilmMagicAll of this to say, tattoos clearly aren't a big deal for Ariana Grande. Easy come, easy go. When you have as many as she does (just like Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles are constantly adding to their collections), it's not hugely remarkable - and this isn't exclusive to celebrities.
The expert take
We spoke sex and relationship therapist Georgina Vass for her take on Ariana's lovestruck tattoos.
"A tattoo is a grand romantic gesture and a public way to declare your love story or your devotion to someone special," she says of the meaning behind dedicated inkings.
"It can feel reassuring to a loved one because it is permanent, painful and visible proof that someone sacrificed comfort and time to announce that they care about you in an enduring way.
"Tattoos are also a signal of devotion given the complicated nature of removing them or covering them up."
As for her take on Ari's tendency to get tattoos for all of her partners? Georgina says it doesn't automatically negate its sincerity.
"It may indicate that getting a tattoo is part of their romantic script, like writing songs for their partner or taking them to their favorite restaurant. Meaning is subjective and will vary according to a person's individual values."
The more the merrier
A friend of mine is heavily tattooed and got several with his ex-girlfriend – but thinks nothing of them. "We didn't get matching tattoos, but we did get several at the same time, on several occasions at tattoo conventions and in studios. If I'm honest, they don't really remind me of her at all, and I had to think about it when you asked.
"I did have her initials tattooed on my leg, but I got that covered up."
Agreeing with my musings that the more tattoos you have, the less likely they are to have memories attached, He adds: "I guess it would bother me more if I only had three or four tattoos and one of them was her initials or a matching tattoo, but I've got so many I don't really think about the ones I've got at the same time as her."
Another friend of mine, Jamie, only has a handful of tattoos (rather than the full-body ink my pal above has), with four of them dedicated to friends – but he never got one with his ex-partner, who he was with for almost five years.
In relation to Ariana's willingness to get body art for anyone she's dating, this is interesting.
"You know when your friendships are going to last, and you know when a relationship probably won't," Jamie, who works as a private phlebotomist and thus has no fear of needles, said of his decision not to dedicate any body art to his ex.
"If you and a friend drift apart, you still have the nice memories linked to the tattoo, whereas if you break up with a partner, most of the time it's not good and you don't really want to remember the relationship."
While Ariana's dedications to her exes clearly mean something to her, when they're among a sea of so many other tattoos, including Harry Potter, Pokemon and Spirited Away-inspired ink, they're less meaningful.
Jamie's most heartfelt tattoo is in memory of his friend Ollie, who took his own life earlier this year. Ollie's dedication comprises the Dermot Kennedy lyrics 'Often, Lately' tattooed in Ollie's handwriting on Jamie's leg.
Because all of Jamie's tattoos mean something special to him, from 'loyalty' tattooed on his foot, matching a friend from school to the Dermot lyrics, he felt even less inclined to get something with his ex-partner, but he agrees, "If I was covered in tattoos, one with my ex wouldn't have been such a big deal. It'd be easy to forget about one if you had hundreds!"
In summary, with her countless tattoos, Ariana's latest addition isn't worth over-analysing, in my opinion. She's lamented feeling like a "specimen in a petri dish" since she was a teenager, so let's leave her be, as she's asked.
