Shadowing Practice: Ariana Grande: 'Sweetener' Interview | Apple Music - Learn English Speaking with Video
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This is a major moment.
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This is the coolest thing I've ever heard in my life.
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That's the coolest thing I've ever heard.
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You want me to do it again?
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Yeah.
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I want to know how it feels.
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Ebro!
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Ebro, Ebro, Ebro.
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And Ariana Grande.
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That's sick.
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Can you make me one of those next time I come here?
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What?
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We didn't make an Ariana Grande one?
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How does it feel to hear your name like that?
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That's really cool.
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You told me your fans were ready for this album.
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Yeah.
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And you're very relieved of how it's being received.
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Yeah.
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Why?
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Why?
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Well, I think because they know who I am deep down
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and I think they've heard like my Christmas EP
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that I made a few years ago and like they know what I've been craving to do.
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They know what I've been wanting to make for a very long time.
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I played the game, you know what I mean?
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I've made the pop bangers for a while and like I've done that and I wanted to do something different, something that felt a little bit more like home,
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a little bit more like what's in here, you know, what's in like me as a person and this really feels like that.
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Like, this feels like my DNA.
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So seeing them understand it, it's really nice, yeah.
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It's just in this dreamy or more mature placement with, like, a bunch of harmonies.
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Like, vocal arrangement is my favorite thing in the world and being able to do that and just, like, keep it chill and easy and smooth and bouncy and have them really f* with it,
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I'm so grateful.
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I'm so happy they understand it.
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I saw you last night on Fallon, crushing it with the roots.
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Thank you.
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With your Aretha Franklin tribute.
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Thank you.
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But as a vocalist, how tough is a moment like that when you're going to tribute one of the greatest?
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It's hard.
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Well, it's hard, and it's emotional.
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And when I was rehearsing it with them backstage, I was, like, crying.
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It's very hard.
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But I was like, this is coming from a place of love, and, you know, Quest loves you holding my hand and telling me it's okay.
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He's the greatest, right?
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Quest is the best.
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The best.
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He's so sweet.
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He was like, girl, he was like, you have to do this you know we live in a time right now where everybody's like
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so culturally sensitive cultural appropriation you hear these things right um
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but you're an artist that's always paid uh respect and homage
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so i know
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that was probably nerve -wracking too yeah of course i tried
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to be respectful of course you know i wanted to celebrate her
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and not like have
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that you know what i mean like some negative cloud over
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yeah i wanted to not have it be misinterpreted i just wanted to celebrate her
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and um be able to do something beautiful how much time
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did you have to prepare oh like 15 minutes they were
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like girl room now let's go they were like come on you're doing this i was like oh my god
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and i was crying it was
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and we were all like the background singers those women are
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so sweet i love them
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so much i'm sad i didn't get their numbers they're the nicest we had
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so much fun the album opens up with this uh raindrops yeah on an angel cry no please explain Okay, so that is from a song from,
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like, the 50s or, like, the 60s, and it's just, like, a random part that was, like, in my head when I thought the album was done,
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and I was like, you know what, maybe we could do something with this, like, chop it up and make a beat out of it or something, like, sample, do some dope, like, old school, whatever.
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um so i went in the booth and i sang it acapella
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and i came out and i was with max and ilia
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and savin and um max was like we're not touching
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that he was like that's just exactly how that is
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and then we looked at we looked it up to see who had written it
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because we were like we're obviously gonna have to figure you know figure this out later yeah um
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and uh charlie colello who happened to be one of my grandpa's uh closest friends from florida uh wrote on
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that song with really with bob gaudio yeah it was really it's just really weird
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and i was like very moved by
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that i felt like he was like a straight spiritual connection
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to me yeah i was a mess i cried all day
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for like two days how does it work with you um
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when you sit down with somebody like pharrell
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because pharrell's on what seven records on here i think yeah i counted uh maybe more
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but yeah does it one way that you guys work together?
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I mean, the way Pharrell works, he's such a genius.
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He's so quirky and amazing and brilliant.
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He'll be like, how are you doing?
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Do you mind if we talk a little first?
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When we first started working together, he'd be like, we'd talk about your personal life a little bit, and we would be talking, and we'd be mid -conversation, and he would start playing a chord progression.
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And I'd be like, what the is this man doing?
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And in 40 minutes, we had something going.
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Yo, you're on Beats One.
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The world's tuned in.
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What up, bro?
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We called you to celebrate you and all this amazing music you put on Ariana Grande's album, man.
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I'm super grateful because I keep coming into contact with these really special
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and rare people who inspire me and push me to try to create a canvas for their Mona Lisa.
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Now, P, I think it's an amazing time for not only vocalists, but also R &B.
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Talk about this voice on this young lady, because you've worked with a lot of voices.
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The vocal acrobatics that she's capable of is pretty unprecedented, bro.
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Oh, yeah.
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Naturally, she's a student and is a quick study.
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She knows the most sparkly parts of, like, really integral runs.
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What matters.
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Yeah, she knows.
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So I hope everyone enjoys it.
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We love you, Pharrell.
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We love you.
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Yeah, love.
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You've been through not only personal stuff with the relationship, but what took place in Manchester also was heavy, heavy, heavy stuff for the world.
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You haven't shied away of trying to heal and contribute your spirit
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and soul to helping everybody keep their heads up and stay strong.
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I was saying that you went and had sat and had therapy
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and have really been working through recovering from what took place in Manchester with your fans, with your family, with yourself.
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it's just about like um like just being there for each other and like helping each other through
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scary times and like anxiety and you know some dark out there man we just have to like
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be there for each other as much as we can because you never know you know so
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just wanted to do something to make people feel good mental health is
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so important um And people don't pay enough mind to it because we have things to do.
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You try not to give in to fear because obviously that's the whole point of being here.
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That was the point of finishing my tour.
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It was to set an example for my fans who were fearless enough to show up to the f*ing show.
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It's like, are you kidding?
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You know, you want to set the same example.
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You want to keep going.
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And, you know, you want to just not be afraid because, of course, that's what they want and if you give them
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that then they've won but we did everything to not
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and we still do everything to not but the truth is is
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that it's scary it's scary going anywhere and you look at places differently and traveling
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and you um you know i don't like to have security
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come with me everywhere i don't like those things it makes me feel inhuman it makes me feel weird
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and i don't like it it may i know people just trying to take care of me
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but i want to escape with my friends and run around
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and be free and like blah blah blah
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but like you think about it differently when like
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that happens you don't want to give in you don't want to be afraid
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but you know it's still there you know
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i'm so sorry i think it's amazing it's fearless i think it's strong um
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and i'm appreciative that you're sharing with us today i mean you're here now
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because you're not working in touring yeah and
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when you record here in new york
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or you record well um i usually record in la
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but i'm gonna record in New York like next month just
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like experiment have fun I just get the itch like
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when I drop an album I start a new one immediately
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because like once I've like given birth I'm like all right
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let's like figure it out you know what I mean like
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I'm like okay where can I go from here I like
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to immediately start thinking about like what's next oh you say giving birth
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marriage on the horizon how soon um less than five years
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yeah yeah how many kids do you want um probably like
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three three yeah are you gonna hyphenate your last name is
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are you gonna be like ariana grande davidson yeah will your professional name become ariana grande davidson
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or you'll just keep ariana grande i don't know i feel
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like i'd like to eventually just be ariana yeah people change
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their names made it simpler ariana grande butera like literally that's
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my name like i'm a pizza i'm a f*ing meatball like you know what i mean i'm i'm parmesan is
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that a joke that name That name is a joke.
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Grande Butera.
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What is that?
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I want to say on behalf of, I think, everybody who listened to this, thank you.
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Thank you guys so much for having me.
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I also just wanted to thank my super hardcore pop fans for riding with me for this one
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and expanding and vibing to some new shit.
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I really appreciate it.
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I mean, it's amazing music.
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Thank you.
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I appreciate it.
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I'm so excited.
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No matter what category you love, what genre you love amazing music is amazing music
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and i think people recognize thank you ladies
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and gentlemen y 'all give it up ariana grande the album sweet enough i love you thank you
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so much of course this album sounds fire
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Exploring Ariana Grande's "Sweetener" Interview: A Window into Casual English
The video captures a lively conversation between Ariana Grande and an interviewer, blending excitement, vulnerability, and casual banter. It’s a goldmine for learners: the dialogue shifts from energetic exclamations ("That's sick!") to reflective moments about her music, offering a real-world look at how native speakers communicate in unscripted settings. The mix of informal phrases and emotional expression makes it perfect for practicing natural pronunciation and intonation.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "That's sick": A versatile compliment meaning "impressive" or "cool" (e.g., "Your new phone is sick!").
- "Played the game": To follow expected rules or norms (e.g., "I played the game at work, but now I want to try something new").
- "Crushing it": To perform exceptionally well (e.g., "She was crushing it in her presentation today").
- "F* with it" (casual): To like or support something (e.g., "Do you f* with this new song?").
- "Culturally sensitive": Aware of and respectful toward different cultural norms (e.g., "We need to be more culturally sensitive in our marketing").
Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide for This Video
The shadowing technique is key here—imitate the speaker’s rhythm, tone, and pauses to improve English pronunciation. Start by watching the video once to grasp the context. Then, play short clips (5-10 seconds) and repeat immediately, focusing on Ariana’s soft, conversational delivery. Notice how she stresses words like "DNA" and "home" to emphasize emotion. Use a shadowing app to slow down tricky parts, like her rapid "Ebro, Ebro, Ebro" or the casual "you know what I mean?" For phrases with slang, like "f* with it," practice the natural flow without over-enunciating. Finally, record yourself and compare it to the video—this helps refine your intonation. With tools like shadowspeak, you can break down the dialogue into manageable parts, making the shadowing process smoother. Consistent practice with this video will help you sound more natural in everyday conversations.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been craving · I've been wanting · have really been working |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've ever heard · they've heard · I've made |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being received · be misinterpreted · was done |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.