Grande and Ricky Álvarez’s love story began in 2015 after he joined the popstar on her Honeymoon Tour as a background dancer. 

“We’re happy,” Grande told Billboard of her romance with Álvarez in a May 2016 interview. “I’m a very happy girl. I have a healthy life right now, and I think that’s all anyone cares to know. The end.”

Their romance proved to be short and sweet, with the musician and the professional dancer calling it quits just months later in July 2016.

But there were brighter days ahead for the couple, who were seen together during a June 2026 group lunch at De Nada Cantina in Austin.

One day later, Grande switched up the lyrics to her 2018 hit “thank u, next.” Though she usually followed the lyric, “Wrote some song about Ricky,” with, “now I listen and laugh,” at her Austin show she said, “They still really slap.” 

Weeks later, she was back at it again, this time singing at her July 13 concert, “We always find our way back.”

Soon after, he found his way onto her grid, with Grande appearing to soft launch their romance on Instagram July 27 ahead of the release of her eighth album Petal. 

As she captioned the post which included a clip of herself clinking olives with Álvarez, “petal season continued …….. !”