How do you solve a problem like Ariana?
The UK’s number one single last week was a modern take on The Sound of Music’s famous ode to happiness. But our Student Economist thinks the original goes far further to generating true joy.
Ariana Grande’s 7 Rings – a parody of The Sound of Music’s beloved ode to happiness – is currently the UK’s number one single. Ever since Julie Andrews cheered up seven frightened children during a thunderstorm, the song My Favourite Things has been an anthem for pure joy and appreciating the simple things in life. By contrast, Grande’s contemporary response is a gloating tribute to lavish celebratory lifestyle and an embarrassing example of modern-day greed: “I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it”. However, I believe it does have one positive influence because, whether she intended…