It can be argued that no single person in entertainment has had a more tumultuous couple of years than Ariana Grande.
Now, to be clear, “tumultuous” doesn’t mean “bad”, but in fact, is defined as “excited, confused, or disorderly”, which a pretty apt description of Ariana Grande’s life in recent years.
Since the beginning of 2016, Grande has seen both the peaks and the valleys of what it means to be an international pop star, as she’s experienced both unmatched success and unfathomable devastation over the course of these last few years.
There was her relationship with, and the subsequent passing of beloved rapper Mac Miller. There was the horrific terrorist attack at her Manchester concert. There was her high-profile engagement to and break-up with SNL star Pete Davidson. Oh, and she also just so happened to release three critically acclaimed albums — Dangerous Woman, Sweetener, and Thank U, Next — during this time.
However, despite all the triumph and tragedy that she’s experienced during the past two or three years, Grande has remained as productive and successful as ever, as she is currently embarking on her fourth headlining tour, the Sweetener World Tour.
And according to early concert-goers, the tour — which kicked off at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York, on Monday, March 18 — gets emotional before the show even begins, as Grande has been reportedly playing Mac Miller music in the arena prior to showtime.
According to a report from US Magazine, Miller’s 2016 single “Dang!” with Anderson .Paak was “the last song to play over the arena’s speakers as part of the pre-show soundtrack, which artists typically hand-select.” Following the conclusion of “Dang!”, the source said that the lights went out and Grande began her performance.
Miller, who Grande dated for about two years from 2016 to 2018, passed away in September 7, 2018, due to an overdose at the age of 26-years-old. One of the most well-liked rappers in the industry, Miller’s passing still weighs heavy on the rap community today.
