With bops after bops, Ariana Grande always seems to come out on top and with her timeline of ups and downs, it’s astounding. Starting out on Broadway and then Nickelodeon on Victorious, Grande was quick to gather fans. She released her first album in 2013, “Yours Truly” and she was met with even more fans eager begging for more music and Grande continued to deliver. When her second album, “My Everything” dropped, you couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing, “Problem” featuring Iggy Azalea. Most recently, the past two years of Grande’s career has been something she’s been very open about in her two most recent albums, “sweetener” and “thank you, next.” With her name in the headlines right now for the MANY records she is breaking and setting with her album “thank you, next”, it is hard to remember what Grande had been through the past two years.
On May 22, 2017, in the city of Manchester, Grande was performing her “Dangerous Woman” tour. As Grande’s fans were leaving after the final song, a tragedy struck- an unprecedented act of terror against young fans leaving a concert. This tragic bombing took 22 lives and affected Grande very deeply, as such events would do to anyone. Ariana Grande is one to never back down and keeps pushing through the darkness to see the light. In response to this act of terror, Grande was able to put together a benefit concert, One Love Manchester, in which she performed alongside other artists such as Miley Cyrus and Coldplay. One Love Manchester raised over three million dollars for the victims and their families. After experiencing such a horrendous tragedy Grande went on to finish the dangerous woman tour. “Like a handprint on my heart” … I think of Manchester constantly and will carry this with me every day for the rest of my life,” Grande said in an open letter she wrote to her fans. Though this attack affected Grande in ways that her fans will never know we can see how brave she actually is.
“The light is coming to give back everything the darkness stole,” Grande sings on the album “sweetener”, is showing us how life can get sweeter. In her music video for “no tears left to cry” Grande played a special tribute to the victims of the Manchester bombing with the Manchester bee at the end, a symbol of the city since the industrial revolution. The first album Grande released after the Manchester attack was “sweetener” was. A month after sweetener’s release Grande experienced another loss, her ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller. And not even two months after Miller passed Grande and her fiancé, Pete Davidson, broke off their engagement. In spite of all these Grande powered on writing and releasing her latest album “thank you, next” within six months of those events. “thank you, next”, provides us with a large spoonful of female empowerment and has everyone yelling thank you, next any chance we get. “thank you, next” has also broken records… like BIG records. “Ariana Grande Breaks Record for Most Simultaneous Top 40 Billboard Hot 100 Hit by a Female Artist.” “Ariana Grande Claims Nos. 1, 2 & 3 on Billboard Hot 100, Is First Act to Achieve the Feat Since The Beatles in 1964.” “Ariana Grande’s new album sets multiple Apple Music streaming records.” Grande is an artist––a female artist––that can’t be stopped.
Ariana Grande is the definition of a brave and empowering woman. In the face of tragedy, she faced it with courage and the will to not let hate win. Her songs radiate happy and carefree attitude but can immediately turn into a reflection of her life such as in the song “ghostin” reflecting on her relationships with Pete Davidson and Mac Miller. With everything she has been through Ariana Grande continues to put on a smile (and a show! The “sweetener”/”thank you, next” tour started this week) for her fans and we are truly grateful. Now thank you, next album please, we love new music!