The Apex Times
Above the Noise
Culture Wire
CultureSandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman Attend ‘Practical Magic’ Screening at Cinespia, Ahead of ‘Practical Magic 2’The Apex TimesCultureThe Sopranos Cast Remembers Vincent Pastore as Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Michael Imperioli Lead TributesThe Apex TimesCultureCBS News: Hollywood’s Summer Blockbuster Season Shows Signs of a Theatrical ComebackThe Apex TimesCultureScott Hylands, Actor Known for ‘Night Heat’ and ‘Fargo,’ Dies at 83The Apex TimesCultureIVE returns to U.S. touring as K-pop girl group marks nearly five years since debutThe Apex TimesCulture‘A Life Illuminated’ follows a director’s submersible descent to film bioluminescent ocean scienceThe Apex TimesCultureVin Diesel Says ‘Fast Forever’ Has the “Best Script” He’s Read in Decades, as Franchise Prepares March 2028 PremiereThe Apex TimesCultureLil Uzi Vert’s Lollapalooza set canceled for weather reasons; Major Lazer added to Chicago weekend lineupThe Apex TimesCultureVincent Pastore, Known for ‘The Sopranos’ Mobster Role, Dies at 80The Apex TimesCultureHarry Styles begins Mexico City stadium residency at GNP Seguros with “¡Viva México!” themed nightThe Apex TimesCultureModest Mouse will have Les Savy Fav’s Seth Jabour fill in for guitarist Simon O’Connor during upcoming tour dates, Billboard reportsThe Apex TimesCultureHollywood Reporter previews Netflix’s August 2026 lineup of movies and TV titlesThe Apex TimesCultureSandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman Attend ‘Practical Magic’ Screening at Cinespia, Ahead of ‘Practical Magic 2’The Apex TimesCultureThe Sopranos Cast Remembers Vincent Pastore as Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Michael Imperioli Lead TributesThe Apex TimesCultureCBS News: Hollywood’s Summer Blockbuster Season Shows Signs of a Theatrical ComebackThe Apex TimesCultureScott Hylands, Actor Known for ‘Night Heat’ and ‘Fargo,’ Dies at 83The Apex TimesCultureIVE returns to U.S. touring as K-pop girl group marks nearly five years since debutThe Apex TimesCulture‘A Life Illuminated’ follows a director’s submersible descent to film bioluminescent ocean scienceThe Apex TimesCultureVin Diesel Says ‘Fast Forever’ Has the “Best Script” He’s Read in Decades, as Franchise Prepares March 2028 PremiereThe Apex TimesCultureLil Uzi Vert’s Lollapalooza set canceled for weather reasons; Major Lazer added to Chicago weekend lineupThe Apex TimesCultureVincent Pastore, Known for ‘The Sopranos’ Mobster Role, Dies at 80The Apex TimesCultureHarry Styles begins Mexico City stadium residency at GNP Seguros with “¡Viva México!” themed nightThe Apex TimesCultureModest Mouse will have Les Savy Fav’s Seth Jabour fill in for guitarist Simon O’Connor during upcoming tour dates, Billboard reportsThe Apex TimesCultureHollywood Reporter previews Netflix’s August 2026 lineup of movies and TV titlesThe Apex TimesCultureSandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman Attend ‘Practical Magic’ Screening at Cinespia, Ahead of ‘Practical Magic 2’The Apex TimesCultureThe Sopranos Cast Remembers Vincent Pastore as Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Michael Imperioli Lead TributesThe Apex TimesCultureCBS News: Hollywood’s Summer Blockbuster Season Shows Signs of a Theatrical ComebackThe Apex TimesCultureScott Hylands, Actor Known for ‘Night Heat’ and ‘Fargo,’ Dies at 83The Apex TimesCultureIVE returns to U.S. touring as K-pop girl group marks nearly five years since debutThe Apex TimesCulture‘A Life Illuminated’ follows a director’s submersible descent to film bioluminescent ocean scienceThe Apex TimesCultureVin Diesel Says ‘Fast Forever’ Has the “Best Script” He’s Read in Decades, as Franchise Prepares March 2028 PremiereThe Apex TimesCultureLil Uzi Vert’s Lollapalooza set canceled for weather reasons; Major Lazer added to Chicago weekend lineupThe Apex TimesCultureVincent Pastore, Known for ‘The Sopranos’ Mobster Role, Dies at 80The Apex TimesCultureHarry Styles begins Mexico City stadium residency at GNP Seguros with “¡Viva México!” themed nightThe Apex TimesCultureModest Mouse will have Les Savy Fav’s Seth Jabour fill in for guitarist Simon O’Connor during upcoming tour dates, Billboard reportsThe Apex TimesCultureHollywood Reporter previews Netflix’s August 2026 lineup of movies and TV titlesThe Apex TimesCultureSandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman Attend ‘Practical Magic’ Screening at Cinespia, Ahead of ‘Practical Magic 2’The Apex TimesCultureThe Sopranos Cast Remembers Vincent Pastore as Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Michael Imperioli Lead TributesThe Apex TimesCultureCBS News: Hollywood’s Summer Blockbuster Season Shows Signs of a Theatrical ComebackThe Apex TimesCultureScott Hylands, Actor Known for ‘Night Heat’ and ‘Fargo,’ Dies at 83The Apex TimesCultureIVE returns to U.S. touring as K-pop girl group marks nearly five years since debutThe Apex TimesCulture‘A Life Illuminated’ follows a director’s submersible descent to film bioluminescent ocean scienceThe Apex TimesCultureVin Diesel Says ‘Fast Forever’ Has the “Best Script” He’s Read in Decades, as Franchise Prepares March 2028 PremiereThe Apex TimesCultureLil Uzi Vert’s Lollapalooza set canceled for weather reasons; Major Lazer added to Chicago weekend lineupThe Apex TimesCultureVincent Pastore, Known for ‘The Sopranos’ Mobster Role, Dies at 80The Apex TimesCultureHarry Styles begins Mexico City stadium residency at GNP Seguros with “¡Viva México!” themed nightThe Apex TimesCultureModest Mouse will have Les Savy Fav’s Seth Jabour fill in for guitarist Simon O’Connor during upcoming tour dates, Billboard reportsThe Apex TimesCultureHollywood Reporter previews Netflix’s August 2026 lineup of movies and TV titlesThe Apex Times
Back to front
Fans link Ariana Grande’s “Petal” track “Bad Thing (Bunny Hop)” to reunion with former backup dancer Ricky Alvarez, Page Six reports
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Culture/The Apex Times/Jul 31, 1:28 PM EDT

Fans link Ariana Grande’s “Petal” track “Bad Thing (Bunny Hop)” to reunion with former backup dancer Ricky Alvarez, Page Six reports

Ariana Grande’s new music has sparked online speculation that lyrics point to her reunion with Ricky Alvarez, a former backup dancer she dated in 2015–2016, Page Six said.

2 min readEditor-approved Apex article

Ariana Grande’s latest releases are drawing fresh attention from fans who say they hear references to her personal life in a new song, Page Six reported on July 31. The entertainment outlet focused on “Petal,” and specifically on the track “Bad Thing (Bunny Hop),” where fans have circulated interpretations suggesting the lyrics relate to a reunion involving Ricky Alvarez.

Alvarez is identified by Page Six as Grande’s ex-backup dancer. The outlet said Grande and Alvarez initially dated between 2015 and 2016. That earlier relationship has become part of the fan conversation as listeners connect the romantic themes in the newer track to Grande’s past and current dating history.

Page Six also said it had confirmed earlier this month that Grande and Alvarez are back together. In its July 31 coverage, the outlet framed the new wave of online commentary as fans becoming convinced that Grande “spills” about the reunion through the “steamy” tone of the “Bad Thing (Bunny Hop)” song.

The specific claims circulating online, Page Six indicated, are based on lyrical readings rather than any direct statement from either artist acknowledging a particular song as a commentary on the relationship. The outlet’s reporting did not present a new, firsthand quote from Grande or Alvarez tying the lyrics to the reunion, but instead described the fan-driven interpretation that has spread alongside the music.

Grande’s and Alvarez’s public history has also contributed to the scrutiny. As a former backup dancer, Alvarez is familiar to Grande’s long-time audiences, and Page Six noted their earlier dating timeline in connection with the renewed public interest around their relationship.

The “Petal” release and the accompanying attention illustrate how quickly major pop releases can become a focal point for personal-life speculation. In this case, fans have linked a music narrative to an asserted relationship update, using song themes and titles as prompts for discussion.

As of the July 31 report, neither Grande nor Alvarez had been cited by Page Six making an on-record statement confirming that the “Bad Thing (Bunny Hop)” lyrics are intended as a direct reference to their reunion. What follows next, based on how such controversies typically unfold, is likely to depend on whether the artists address the interpretations publicly and whether additional material from the same project provides context that narrows the speculation.

Why It Matters

  • Fandom interpretation can quickly turn new pop releases into a public conversation about artists’ private relationships, affecting how audiences engage with lyrics and promotion.
  • Page Six’s earlier confirmation that the couple is back together adds context for why listeners are focused on relationship-coded readings of the new track.
  • The episode highlights the limits of what is knowable from music alone, since lyrical speculation can spread without an explicit confirmation from the artists.
  • Media scrutiny of high-profile relationships can increase attention to the release cycle and amplify discussion across platforms, which can affect engagement metrics for the song and related content.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Page Six reported on July 31 that fans are convinced Ariana Grande’s music references her reunion with Ricky Alvarez.
  • The outlet said the song discussed is “Bad Thing (Bunny Hop),” from the “Petal” release.
  • Page Six described Ricky Alvarez as Grande’s former backup dancer and said they dated between 2015 and 2016.
  • Page Six said it had confirmed earlier in July that Grande and Alvarez are back together.
  • The July 31 report described fan interpretations of lyrics rather than a direct, newly quoted statement from Grande or Alvarez tying the track to the reunion.