Ariana Grande releases highly anticipated music video for Thank U, Next

Ariana Grande has released the star-studded music video for her latest hit single, Thank U, Next.

The highly anticipated video paid homage to teen movies such as Mean Girls, Bring It on, 13 Going on 30 and Legally Blonde.

Many of the films’ stars – including Jennifer Coolidge and Jonathan Bennett – made appearances, as did Grande’s own celebrity friends.

Coolidge reprised her role from Legally Blonde opposite Grande’s reimagining of Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods.

Grande performed a version of the Bend and Snap move from the film, changing it slightly to avoid legal issues. Witherspoon tweeted to say she “nailed it”.

She wrote: “Can we please talk about @ArianaGrande’s Bend and Snap?! 10/10 nailed it!”

Grande replied: “omg we tried to put our own twist on it so legal wouldn’t come for us but THANK U. this is the biggest honor. love u more than words.”

For the Mean Girls segment, surprise inclusion Kris Jenner played Regina George’s mother, standing in the audience and video taping Grande’s dance routine on stage.

Australian singer Troye Sivan, a close friend of Grande, also made an appearance.

Referencing Mean Girls, he says: “I heard she’s a lesbian now and dating some girl named Aubrey.”

Elsewhere, Grande’s former Victorious co-star Elizabeth Gillies stood in for Lindsay Lohan’s Mean Girls character while Stefanie Drummond reprised her role from the same film.

The music video for Thank U, Next had been viewed more than 20 million times within six hours of being posted on YouTube.

The song is currently enjoying its fourth week at number one in the UK singles charts.