Every async function returns a Promise object. While await doesn't technically take priority over .then(), it does influence the order of execution within an async function. The await ensures that the code inside the async function resumes only after the promise resolves, while .then() callbacks are executed during the event loop's microtask phase, prior to the function continuing its execution.

I really enjoy the explanation in Philip Roberts' video, What the Heck is the Event Loop Anyway? — check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aGhZQkoFbQ.