NEED TO KNOW
A source exclusively tells PEOPLE that Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez are “taking things very slowly” amid their romance reunion
On Tuesday, July 7, a Grande source told PEOPLE that the pop star spent the Fourth of July weekend with Alvarez and her family in Florida
Grande and Alvarez dated from 2015 to 2016
Ariana Grande and ex-boyfriend Ricky Alvarez aren’t rushing things.
A source exclusively tells PEOPLE that the pop star, 33, and her former backup dancer, 35, are “taking things very slowly” amid their romance reunion.
“Ariana has always considered Ricky a friend,” says the source. “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.”
The source also says that Grande loves how “funny” Alvarez is and that “they have a similar, smart, dry sense of humor.”
However, the pair are enjoying a slower pace when it comes to rekindling things.
“They’re not jumping into anything serious right away, but Ari is happy to have him back in her life,” the source says.
Ariana Grande in January 2026 in L.A.; Ricky Alvarez in February 2025 in New York CityCredit: Emma McIntyre/WireImage; Sansho Scott/BFA.com/Shutterstock
On July 7, a Grande source told PEOPLE that Alvarez spent the Fourth of July weekend in Florida with the “Hate That I Made You Love Me” artist and her family.
“She’s having a great time on tour. She loves having close friends join her for parts of the tour,” the source said at the time of Grande, who is currently in the midst of her Eternal Sunshine tour.
The Grande source added that “Ricky has always been a friend and confidant and Grande “really trusts him.”
“He has such great, positive energy, makes her laugh, and she enjoys spending time with him,” the Grande source said.
Grande and Alvarez dated from 2015 to 2016, and the three-time Grammy winner famously name-checked him in her 2018 hit “Thank U, Next” alongside a handful of other exes, including Big Sean, Pete Davidson and Mac Miller. (“Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh,” she sings on the track.)
Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez in Jun 2025 in MilanCredit: Robino Salvatore/FilmMagic
Recently, Grande made a sweet lyric change to the line at one of her shows: “Wrote some songs about Ricky / I know he’s still got my back.” Earlier in the week, she sang, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / And they still kinda slap.”
During Grande’s Monday, July 13 concert at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., which was also notably Alvarez’s birthday, she gave him a special shout-out with another lyric change: “Wrote some songs about Ricky/ We always find our way back.”
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At the time, a rep for Grande did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment regarding the lyric change.
Grande is nearly halfway through her 41-date tour, and her eighth album, Petal, is set for release later this month.
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