It’s been over a year since the Manchester Arena bombing that took place during Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman concert on May 22, 2017. Though Grande has been somewhat tight-lipped with how the attack has impacted her life, in the August issue of Elle the international pop star bares her soul to discuss her post-traumatic stress.
After returning home from the attack that left 22 dead and hundreds injured, Grande suspended her tour and didn’t speak for two days, questioning whether she would ever feel okay to perform again.
With the help of her mother, love from her fans, and her feelings for Manchester, Grande thankfully found the strength to return to the stage. Bravely, Grande hopped on a plane back to England to host the One Love Manchester Concert, an event that raised $23 million for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.
“When I got home from tour, I had really wild dizzy spells, this feeling like I couldn’t breathe,” Grande said to Elle. “I would be in a good mood, fine and happy, and they would hit me out of nowhere. I’ve always had anxiety, but it had never been physical before. There were a couple of months straight where I felt so upside down.”
As the world continues to bring news of attacks and tragedies, Grande still struggles with anxiety from time to time when she’s about to step on stage to perform.
“You hear about these things,” said the 25-year-old singer. “You see it on the news, you tweet the hashtag. It’s happened before, and it’ll happen again. It makes you sad, you think about it for a little, and then people move on. But experiencing something like that firsthand, you think of everything differently…it’s the most inspiring thing in the world that these kids pack the venue.”
In her interview with Elle, Grande also highlighted the final song on her upcoming album, called “Get Well Soon.” According to Grande, the song, created with the help of Pharrell Williams, is about Grande’s anxiety struggles, featuring lyrics like “They say my system is overloaded / Girl, what’s wrong with you? Come back down.” In a tweet published in May of this year, Grande explained “Get Well Soon” to a fan:
isss ab my anxiety. i felt like i was floating for like 3 months last year & not in a nice way. like i outside my body? was v scary and i couldn’t breathe well. so it’s ab that. & lots of voices in my head singin. i hope it comforts ppl who hear it pls
Since the attack, Grande cites a whole new perspective on life and the privilege of her status. She now takes it upon herself to speak up on matters such as gun violence and Black Lives Matter. In turn, as an artist, the Manchester incident’s influence has also seeped into Grande’s music.
“Not everyone is going to agree with [me], but that doesn’t mean I’m just going to shut up and sing my songs. I’m also going to be a human being who cares about other human beings; to be an ally and use my privilege to help educate people.”
Sweetener, Ariana Grande’s highly-anticipated album, is scheduled to drop on August 17, 2018.
