Grammy nominee popstar, Ariana Grande, marked an end to an era, stealing the show at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards with her breath-taking three-piece performance. Her outstanding show was matched with her many striking fashion statements throughout the stunning night, as she dazzled the red carpet in an elaborate grey tulle ball gown, complemented with matching grey gloves and her signature ponytail. Her costume changes teased us with hints for what lay in store for her show later on, as Grande glimmered in a new dark grey two-piece outfit showing off her bedazzled diamond neckline, before the awards show had even started.
Having just ended her ‘Thank U, Next’ world tour a month ago, Ariana performed her heart out with a raw and emotional rendition of ‘imagine’ enhanced with a string orchestra, stunning the audience with her beautiful ballads in a gorgeous emerald green Givenchy ball gown. The meaningful lyrics painted an intimate and personal performance, recalling her denial of the pain and heartbreak she experienced. Next, she swiftly moved onto ‘7 rings’, while swapping the ball gown for a pale pink lace lingerie set and a matching pink robe, in line with a more uplifting mood. Surrounded by her dancers, Ariana ensured her ‘7 rings’ performance honoured her friends who helped her through her difficult period whilst writing the album, mentioning “my friends and I were trying to help ourselves out of a very trying and horrible time”. In order to heal and improve her mental health, Ariana grabbed the opportunity to celebrate love and acceptance through her ‘Thank U, Next’ tour, radiating female independence, and using her voice to encourage strength and resilience in her audiences. And she truly succeeded in reflecting the warmth and positivity of her world tour in her exceptional Grammy performance, acknowledging her past struggles and proving how it is possible to come out of the other end of a dark tunnel, stronger and more capable than before.
Ariana topped off her performance with a short and sweet solo of ‘thank u, next’, honouring her family, and finally saying goodbye to this special era, symbolically closing the chapter by placing her ring in its box with a grateful smile. Overall, her performance condenses the complete cycle of her stages of grief: denial, acceptance, closure, and moving on to new beginnings. Although Ariana didn’t win a Grammy Award trophy, she did win over the audience with her love and gratitude, sharing an authentic and emotional performance from her heart. So, thank u, next and goodbye for now, as one chapter closes and a new one begins.
