Princess of the Whistle Note Ariana Grande is never far from our hearts, which makes it especially shocking that she actually hasn't performed her music live since 2019's Sweetener tour. That's four years! We're a totally different nation now than we were in 2019!
Fortunately, that's about to change because August 30, 2023, marks the tenth anniversary of the release of Grande's debut album Yours Truly, which took her from hilarious former Disney star to powerhouse pop star. And she has some big celebrations planned to mark the occasion!
Ari took to Instagram to announce the festivities:
Things kick off on August 25, when Grande is set to release a deluxe digital edition of Yours Truly, which will include newly recorded live versions of the tracks "Honeymoon Avenue" and "Daydreamin'."
Then, on August 26, she'll drop a "merch capsule" of new swag, as well as the first part of what should be a pretty revealing Q&A. The 27th will see a live performance of "Baby I." On August 28th, we'll get Part II of the Q&A plus the chance to pre-order a vinyl version of the album. The next day, two more live performances will follow, of "Tattooed Heart" and "Right There." Finally, on August 30—the actual anniversary—Grande will share a live performance of "The Way" and what she calls "behind-the-scenes stuff" that she and her team have uncovered. Mysterious!
While Grande spent several years maintaining a low profile and her return to music is eagerly anticipated, she's been back in the public eye in a major way recently—though probably not for reasons she particularly wants. The singer, who is set to star in the film adaptation of the beloved musical Wicked, recently separated from her husband of nearly two years, Dalton Gomez. At the same time, it came to light that the breakup may have had something to do with her closeness to her Wicked costar, Broadway actor Ethan Slater. News outlets first reported that she and Slater may have been dating in July, which coincided with the news that Slater had also separated from his wife, though it's unclear what Grande and Slater's current relationship status actually is.
Despite the drama, however, it's a great sign that Ariana is making a return to music. She's already shown that, no matter what scandal or rumor may be swirling around her, her songs have a way of putting everything into perspective. (Remember her breakup with Pete Davidson followed by the release of "Thank U, Next.")
In any case, seems like we may get some good music out of this.
