Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez Are Taking Things Very Slowly Amid Romance Reunion

Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez are back in the same orbit.

That part already had fans talking. But the key detail from PEOPLE is simpler, and maybe a little more interesting: they’re not rushing.

A source exclusively told PEOPLE that the pair are “taking things very slowly” amid their romance reunion. The phrasing matters. It suggests warmth, not drama. Familiarity, not a sprint.

And honestly, that feels pretty on-brand for two people with history.

What PEOPLE’s source actually said

The source described Alvarez as someone Grande has long trusted.

“Ariana has always considered Ricky a friend,” the source said. “She’s not held ill will against him [since their split]. Ricky is dependable, trustworthy and very supportive. Ariana feels she can be herself around Ricky.”

That’s a lot of emotional shorthand in one quote. It paints a picture of comfort first, romance second. Or maybe romance is the byproduct of comfort here. I could be wrong, but that’s the vibe.

The same source also said Grande loves how “funny” Alvarez is, adding that they share “a similar, smart, dry sense of humor.”

Which, if you’ve ever spent time around a couple that clicks on jokes alone, you’ll know: that can matter more than people think.

The July 4 weekend detail people kept circling back to

On Tuesday, July 7, a Grande source told PEOPLE that Alvarez spent the Fourth of July weekend in Florida with Grande and her family.

That detail did a lot of work.

Not because family time guarantees anything. It doesn’t. But it does suggest a level of access that goes beyond a casual catch-up over coffee. At least in celebrity terms, that’s not nothing. Not even close.

The source added that Grande was “having a great time on tour” and liked having close friends join her for parts of it. That line gives the reunion context. This isn’t framed as a sudden public restart. It’s more like someone slipping back into the room and being welcomed.

A tiny digression here: tour schedules can make everything look more dramatic than it is. One night you’re in Brooklyn. Three days later, you’re in Florida. Fans connect dots fast. Sometimes too fast. Still, when the dots keep appearing, people notice.

A quick timeline helps here

Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez dated from 2015 to 2016. That relationship later became part of Grande’s pop-culture canon when she name-checked him in “Thank U, Next.”

She sang: “Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh.”

That lyric aged into one of those celebrity references that fans keep revisiting years later. Which brings up something I probably should have mentioned earlier—the song didn’t just reference an ex. It turned private history into public memory.

Here’s a simple snapshot for folks who want the facts fast:

One limitation with relationship tables like this? They compress a messy human story into neat boxes. Useful, yes. Complete? Never quite.

The lyric changes are doing a lot of talking

Grande has been altering “Thank U, Next” during recent shows, and fans definitely noticed.

At one performance, she sang, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / I know he’s still got my back.”

Earlier in the week, she changed it to, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / And they still kinda slap.”

Then, during her Monday, July 13 concert at Barclays Center in Brooklyn—Alvarez’s birthday—she went with: “Wrote some songs about Ricky/ We always find our way back.”

That last one landed hardest.

Not because it confirms a relationship label. It doesn’t. But it does read like a public wink. A soft one. The kind people use when they want the room to notice without making a speech.

A rep for Grande did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment regarding the lyric change.

That silence matters too. It leaves room for interpretation. And pop fans, well, they’ll interpret.

Why this reunion feels different from gossip for gossip’s sake

Here’s the real reason this story sticks: the reporting is not built on one blurry sighting.

It has a few parts that line up.

• Family time in Florida
• A trusted-friend description
• Direct comments about slow pacing
• Lyric changes tied to Ricky by name
• A birthday shout-out on stage

That’s enough to suggest something real is happening. Not necessarily a dramatic relaunch. Not yet. More like a cautious re-entry.

And that caution fits what the source says. “They’re not jumping into anything serious right away,” PEOPLE reported. That line is the spine of the whole story.

It also makes emotional sense. People with old chemistry don’t always need fireworks. Sometimes they need time. Space. A chance to see whether the friendship still holds before anyone slaps a label on it.

Where Ariana stands right now

Grande is nearly halfway through her 41-date Eternal Sunshine tour. Her eighth album, Petal, is set for release later this month.

That’s a busy life, folks. Really busy.

So if she’s choosing to keep Ricky close while staying focused on work, that says something about priorities. She seems to want a steady presence, not a circus.

Then again, celebrity relationships almost always look simpler from far away than they are up close.

Ms. Lan, a Brooklyn concertgoer quoted by PEOPLE in the broader fan discussion, put it bluntly: “When she changed the lyric, the whole section lit up. Everybody knew exactly who she meant.”

That reaction tells you plenty. Fans aren’t hearing random improvisation. They’re hearing intent.

What to watch next

If you’re following this story, the next signs will probably be small.

A public appearance. Another lyric tweak. Maybe nothing at all for a while.

And that would still fit the current picture.

Because right now, the headline isn’t “Ariana and Ricky are all-in.” It’s quieter than that. They seem comfortable. They seem familiar. They seem to be testing the temperature before anyone jumps in.

Slowly, then. Very slowly.