Young, Beautiful, and So Successful!: Sweetener Tour Stops in Philly
By Lauren Lau ’19
No matter where you go, the phrase “thank u, next” is bound to follow you there. Established by pop superstar Ariana Grande, there is no denying her talent or popularity. The singer brought her critically acclaimed Sweetener World Tour to the Wells Fargo Center on March 26.
The tour debuted in Albany, New York on March 18. Grande herself dubbed the tour as the “Sweetener/ thank u, next tour,” showcasing her two latest works into one master show. Grande sang a whopping 29 songs during the show including her number one singles, “7 Rings” and “thank u, next.”
The stage was lit by stunning new visuals as her backdrop and a sphere projected with the moon rested over the pit of the audience. Grande’s backgrounds were scene-stealers with imagery accompanying the themes of each of her songs. During her performance of her hit song “no tears left to cry,” images of floating umbrellas appeared, which became one of the song’s signatures after being featured in the music video.
Footage from Grande’s childhood also was displayed, giving audience members an exclusive look at the singer’s personal life.
The show was opened by production duo Social House, a frequent collaborator of Grande’s, and former Fifth Harmony singer, Normani. Both performances brought the entirety of the crowd to their feet and got the energy to a peak before Grande performed.
The transition from act to act moved quickly, which kept the audience in high spirits. Images of the sun appeared on the screens before Grande, along with her backup dancers, rose onto the stage, seated around a table similar to her performance at the 2018 MTV Music Video Awards.
Then, the tune of her incredibly popular song, “God is a woman,” was met with applause and cheers that filled the whole venue. Her stellar vocals did not waver whatsoever even though Grande was making her way all over the stage. Her effortless talent and dreamlike voice took the crowd on an unmatched musical journey through Grande’s career.
Despite having a full repertoire of newer songs from her recent albums, Grande did not shy away from performing some of her older songs from her early albums. Crowd pleasers such as “Break Your Heart Right Back” and “You’ll Never Know” made appearances on the Sweetener tour stage.
Finally, Grande returns to the stage with an encore performance of “thank u, next.” Although the song has an upbeat and uplifting message, you can hear the struggle in her voice in the very first verse, in which Grande thanks rapper Mac Miller. Grande was formerly in a highly publicized relationship with Miller for two years before breaking up. Miller had died from an accidental drug overdose in 2018. Grande has honored Miller in multiple ways such as penning the song “ghostin’” about coping with his death, which is purposely not performed because Grande admits that the song is much too difficult to experience on stage.
Her dedication to performance shined with each number and her enthusiasm was consistent. She was nothing short of breathtaking. Grande was so unafraid to show the rawness of her personal story with more heartfelt songs like “breathin” and “One Last Time.”
Ariana Grande is one of the best selling artist of right now, and it is easy to understand why. Her depth is unmistakable. She dominates every inch of the stage, and her vocal range puts chills in your body. She exemplifies an artist who was truly born to perform.
Grande’s personality came through in all aspects of the concert. She has been open about her political views and encouraged concert-goers to participate in the next election by having voter registration tables at every show. Her “Arianators” were dressed to mimic their idol’s signature style with sky-high ponytails, oversized crew neck sweaters, and thigh high boots; showing the scale of the pop star’s impact.
On stage, Grande was unapologetically herself, swearing when she accidentally missed an outfit change queue or admitting that she was stalling for time due to a technical issue by jokingly asking how the audience was doing over and over. Her genuinity and sense of humor kept fans engaged in the show even when there was an unplanned lull.
Some of the other popular songs Grande hand selected for her setlist include “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored,” “Side to Side,” “Love Me Harder,” and “Dangerous Woman”
Due to the popularity of the tour stop in Philadelphia, Grande added another show and will be returning to Wells Fargo Center on June 24.
