Ariana Grande candidly opened up about her struggles with mental health during a deeply honest conversation on The Hollywood Reporter‘s Podcast Awards Chatter. Reflecting on the aftermath of the 2017 Manchester bombing, which took the lives of 22 people, the singer shared how the tragedy profoundly impacted her. She revealed that her 2018 album Sweetener became the first major project she released since the attack, and that it was a therapeutic outlet for her during a period of overwhelming grief.
Adding to the weight of the tragedy, Ariana’s ex-partner, rapper Mac Miller, passed away less than a month after Sweetener‘s release. This loss compounded her emotional turmoil, and in 2019, she released Thank You, Next, which she described as a necessary act of personal healing during that time.
During the podcast, Ariana discussed her journey through therapy and her battles with PTSD, depression, and anxiety. She expressed how music played a critical role in her recovery, describing it as a “remedy” that helped save her life. “It was made with urgency, and it was a means of survival,” she said, speaking to the intense emotions that poured out during the creative process.
Ariana also shared that while her label understood her desire to create more music, they were hesitant to release new material so quickly, as it was not typical outside of hip-hop or rap. However, she was determined to follow her own path, saying she didn’t care about the “formula” and needed to create from a place of personal urgency. She described the experience of making the music as healing and liberating, culminating in a “beautiful moment of connection” that helped her process her emotions and move forward.