Weeks before its release Ariana Grande’s future No. 1 seller and chart record breaker, 7 Rings (already eight weeks on top of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and still counting), was already being talked about a lot.
One reason is that the singing star had just broken up with her fiancé, comedian Pete Davidson, after a really short five-month engagement, and was said to be talking about it in her new songs in her album. An example is the title track, Thank You Next.
Then it was mentioned in the news that 7 Rings was inspired by a real-life shopping spree in New York City during which Ariana bought identical friendship rings for herself and six very special girlfriends. Most probably at the famous jewelry store, Tiffany’s, which is mentioned in the song. The friends were Victoria Monet, Courtney Chipolone, Alexa Luria, Tayla Parx, Njonza and Kaydence Krysiuk.
Then it turned out that there was more to the song than that. The melody of 7 Rings was derived from a very special song, My Favorite Things. This is from the soundtrack of one of the greatest musicals of all time, The Sound of Music, with words and music written by the legendary tandem of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. They were also behind The King And I, South Pacific, Oklahoma, Carousel, Flower Drum Song and other famous musicals.
My Favorite Things is sung in the Abbey by the postulant Maria and the other nuns in the original Broadway musical. For the movie version, director Robert Wise moved the song to the Von Trapp home where Maria sings it to the seven children to calm them during a thunderstorm.
I say to better effect as The Sound of Music movie adaptation was not only a box-office success, it also won several Academy Awards including Best Picture and has remained as beautiful and heartwarming as it was in 1965. My Favorite Things has since then been recorded by many artists and has become a big favorite during the Christmas Holidays.
Now, have a look at how the verses go in My Favorite Things and 7 Rings.
“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens/ bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens/ brown paper packages tied up with string/ these are a few of my favorite things.
“Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels/ door bells and sleigh bells and snitzel with noodles/ wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings/ these are a few of my favorite things.”
Then exactly 60 years after The Sound of Music opened on Broadway starring Mary Martin and Enzio Pinza and 54 years after Julie Andrews further immortalized My Favorite Things in the movie version, Ariana hip-hopped to the same melody about her own favorite things in 7 Rings.
“Yeah, breakfast at Tiffany’s and bottles of bubbles/ Girls with tattoos who like getting in trouble/ Lashes and diamonds, ATM machines/ Buy myself all of my favorite things.
“Yeah, been through some bad shit, I should be a sad bitch/ Who woulda thought it’d turn me to a savage/ Rather be tied up with cuffs and not strings/ Write my own checks like I write what I sing.”
No Ariana did not plagiarize My Favorite Things. Still, I do not think that ever in their wildest dreams did Rodgers and Hammerstein imagine that their song would one day host language like that of 7 Rings. Could they now be rolling in their graves?
I do not think they have reason to complain though. They get songwriter credit along with Ariana and her girlfriends. Their publisher, or whoever is in charge of managing their catalogue, is reportedly getting 90 percent of all royalties earned by the song from recordings, sales, streams, live performances, etc. etc.
That can add up to a very hefty sum given the way that 7 Rings is selling these days. As for Ariana getting only 10 percent, that is also no problem. She is also getting performer royalties, which is a lot, and she has the hit. 7 Rings has already been streamed over a billion times around the world.
What I like best about 7 Rings though is that it is incredible proof of how powerful an old song can be. Old, passé, out of touch, etc., those are adjectives that do not exist inside a superbly creative mind. And there are so many music treasures around us that can be revived or reimagined, or mashed up, etc., etc.