I have been a fan of Ariana Grande ever since she got her start on "Victorious." When she sang "Give it Up" with co-star Liz Gillies, I was astounded by her talent and wondered why she didn't showcase her voice more. This particular episode aired in 2010. Back then, Ariana was a rising star on Nickelodeon and was really only known for her time on Broadway.
Fast forward almost ten years: Ariana Grande is practically the biggest star on the planet and is currently touring worldwide. I was lucky enough to see her in Pittsburgh on June 12, 2019, at PPG Paints Arena.
My seats were high up. Despite this, I had a clear view of the entire stage and the acoustics in the arena were incredible. Social House opened for Ariana, and although I am not familiar with this group, they were catchy and knew how to work the crowd. Eventually, the long wait was over and Ariana emerged onstage. The entire arena erupted with screams of excitement.
That same energy was held throughout the remainder of the performance. Ariana performed hits like "God is a woman" and "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored," in the first act. These two are some of my personal favorites, and I sang along and danced with my friends during both. Something that I found amazing was how Ariana not only sounded unreal singing live but was also able to keep up with the intense choreography. Live performances are tough to begin with, but singing and dancing at the same time (and doing it incredibly well) is not a small feat.
Ariana continued multitasking in the second act with more hits including, "Be Alright," "Side to Side," and "7 rings." I wish I would have recorded more videos during the show, but I was so captivated that I neglected to have my phone out the whole time. I did manage to capture two brief clips from "Be Alright," as the performers moved along with the iconic dance.
"Love Me Harder" opened the third act, followed by my absolute favorite Ariana song, "breathin." I was astounded by her ability to not only hit the high notes written in the song but how she improvised with even higher notes. I almost didn't want to sing along because I didn't want to ruin how great it sounded. "Right There" and "Break Your Heart Right Back" were very catchy and fun to dance to, changing the somber mood from "breathin" to a more upbeat one. "NASA" was beautifully staged, as the arena seemed to turn into a planetarium. The stage actually looked like a galaxy. It was a terrific experience paired with Ariana's vocals.
PPG Paints Arena during "NASA."Alexa Reider
By the fourth act, Ariana was barely breaking a sweat. She kept the audience on their feet with "The Light is Coming" and "Into You." I remember thinking, "Isn't she tired?" I knew if I had been up on that stage for that long, I would have been out of breath for sure. But Ariana was doing just fine. While I know she is a professional, I still found it impressive.
Perhaps the most impressive act, the final one, was a perfect finisher. She left us with, "Dangerous Woman," "no tears left to cry," and "Break Free." I remember checking my phone to see if my Snapchat stories of the concert had uploaded when I heard the intro to "Break Free." I nearly dropped my phone and screamed, "NO WAY!" I had forgotten that the song was listed. I did not expect to hear one of my favorite songs. I danced around and sang to the high paced song with a huge smile on my face. Finally, Ariana left the stage and thanked her audience. The arena went dark briefly, and everyone started screaming for an encore. If I hadn't already been aware of the setlist, I would have been shocked to hear the beginning of "thank u, next."
The true final song began as Ariana reflected on her past relationships. "Wish I could say 'Thank you' to Malcolm, cause he was an angel," she choked out. She was having trouble singing about Mac Miller, who tragically passed away in September of 2018. She did her best to keep it together, but was clearly emotional.
This concert was the first time Ariana had been to Pittsburgh since Mac's tragic death. She handled herself incredibly. She truly "loved and lost," and I can't imagine returning to his hometown was easy for her. The tabloids and websites also blew up, some positively referring to her emotional tribute to Mac while others bashed her for not saying more.
The bottom line is: Ariana is insanely talented and put on a perfect show despite the fact that she was hurting. She loved Mac and still does love him. Pittsburgh was blown away by her show, and I am so happy that I was able to witness her phenomenal talent in person.
