Administrative duties in Corbetta, Italy, may have slowed to a crawl recently, and the reason is purely pop-cultural. Mayor Marco Ballarini has found himself thoroughly preoccupied with the brewing rumors that Ariana Grande is hinting at her eighth studio album—and honestly, his distraction is entirely justified.
In a charismatic TikTok shared to his official profile, the Italian politician is seen checking his smartphone before jumping up in visible astonishment, ostensibly reacting to reports of the pop icon’s cryptic return to music. The video captures him frantically reaching for his office phone to broadcast the news, followed by a moment where he pulls a cherished photograph of Grande from his wallet—taken at the 2018 Billboard Women in Music Awards—to offer it a celebratory tap.
“ARIANA?!? AG8?!” the bold text overlay screams across the screen. In the caption, Ballarini wonders in Italian whether a new record is imminent, before adding a desperate plea in English: “arianators we’re alive?!?” accompanied by a sobbing emoji.
Ballarini is far from the only fan spiraling into a state of high alert. With the Eternal Sunshine tour set to launch in just a few months, the Wicked star recently updated the outgoing message of her “Brighter Days” hotline (934-33-ERASE). The new recording features Grande thanking her “loyal customers” for a year she’ll never forget, but it’s her parting words that have the internet in a frenzy.
“We’re counting down the 8s—oops! I mean, the days,” Grande’s voice playfully teases in the playback. “We’ll see you this summer, and remember, there are always brighter days ahead.”
If these clues do point to a new project, it marks a significant shift from Grande’s previous stance. For much of the past year, the Grammy-winning vocalist has maintained that her schedule was far too saturated for a new album cycle. During a conversation with Variety in January, she humorously questioned whether fans believed there was “another version” of her with the capacity to write a full record while filming a major motion picture, noting she would need “an extra brain and four more arms” to juggle both.
While Grande has emphasized her desire to prioritize her cinematic career, the breadcrumbs suggest that the music world might be getting an unexpected surprise. As fans prepare for the Eternal Sunshine trek, which runs from June 6 through September 1, the anticipation for “AG8” has reached a fever pitch.
Watch the viral reaction from Corbetta’s mayor below.
@marcoballarinisindaco @Gianmarco Zagato STA PER RILASCIARE L’OTTAVO ALBUM? arianators we’re alive?!? 😭 #ariana #arianagrande #ag8 #arianator #arianators
