Now 31-years old, Ariana Grande has spoken candidly about battling her depression and anxiety.
In 2017, the chart-topping pop star was devastated after an Islamic extremist targeted her UK concert at the Manchester Arena in a terrorist attack that killed 22 and injured over 1,000 onlookers.
In September of 2018, Grande was heartbroken when her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller died of an accidental overdose, after which she broke up with then fiancé Pete Davidson in October.
What ultimately led to an outpouring of creativity, Grande now explained that her 2019 song ‘Thank U, Next,’ that she wrote two weeks after her 2018 album, Sweetener, dropped, helped her process her grief.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Ariana spoke about writing her hit single, stating:
“I think I needed it.” “I was doing so much therapy, and I was dealing with PTSD and all different kinds of grief and depression and anxiety.” “I was, of course, treating it very seriously, but having music be a part of that remedy was absolutely contributing to saving my life. They were dark times, and the music brought so much levity.” “(Thank U, Next) poured out with urgency, and it was made with urgency. It was a means of survival.” “The label understood that, but they were also very hesitant to stop Sweetener dead in its tracks and move onto an album so quickly … I just said, ‘I don’t really care about the formula. I don’t want to play by the rules at this moment, because this is what I need for my soul.’ It felt really healing and freeing.”
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: Margaret Gardiner