Before diving headfirst into her acting career withWicked,Ariana Grandesupported her music career with three arena tours - and I’ve been to all of them. As an avid fan of Grande’s music for over ten years now, I’ll never forget the experiences I’ve had witnessing her talents live. She’s renowned for her incredible vocals, though her stage presence ought to be commended as well, much of which lends itself to her experience growing up in theater.
Grande has completed three major tours, all of which have taken place in arenas across the world. Her first was The Honeymoon Tour, which she embarked on in 2015 in support of her sophomore album,My Everything. In 2017,Grande completed theDangerous WomanTour, promoting her album of the same name. Her most recent tour was 2019’sSweetenerWorld Tour, which supported both her 2018Sweeteneralbum and her 2019thank u, nextalbum.
These tours have all been vastly different from one another, as Grande’s sets have grown in scale over time - as has her discography. Just asGrande’s albumsreflect how much she’s changed and grown as a person over the years, her tours have shown the very same. As someone who’s attended all three,I definitely have one experience that reigns supreme above the others, although any chance to see Grande live is one that I don’t take for granted.
Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman Tour Was On Another Level
She Was At The Peak Of Her Pop Persona
I attended theDangerous WomanTour in February 2017, andthere aren’t many other concert experiences I’ve had in my entire life that match up to what I felt that night. My seat wasn’t even that close to the stage, but that hardly mattered. From the setlist to the stage design and Grande’s costuming, everything about theDangerous WomanTour was absolutely unforgettable for me.
I knew my particular show was going to be memorable when Grande ditched her iconic ponytail and instead let her hair flow freely, with only two small space buns sitting atop her head. It was a hairstyle she would only replicate a few other times on this tour, and never again in North America.Grande carried herself with a confidence that I hadn’t seen on her prior tour, and she embraced the energy of the tour’s titular dangerous woman the entire time.
Everything about the Dangerous Woman Tour was absolutely unforgettable for me.
Perhaps it was the close bond I had forged with theDangerous Womanalbum itself, but there was just something about this tour that was on a whole other level. Her energy matched the crowd’s, and every single look, choreographed routine, and more ended up being perfect representations of the songs she was performing. I often find myself wishing I could go back to that night in a way I haven’t with any other concert I’ve been to.
The Sweetener World Tour Was Incredible, But Grande Wasn’t The Same
This Was A Hard Show For Her To Get Through
There’s no doubt that theSweetenerWorld Tour absolutely eclipsed theDangerous WomanTour in terms of hype, production, scale, and more, but for me, it simply wasn’t the same. Now, this was definitely because of my particular show; I attended the concert in Pittsburgh, the hometown of Grande’s longtime ex-partner, Mac Miller. This took place less than a year after his sudden passing, and Grande visibly struggled with it throughout the show.
There Are 2 Songs Ariana Grande Will Never Play Live (& I Totally Understand Why)
Ariana Grande has had difficulty recording some songs, but she did so because they’re important. However, that doesn’t mean she’ll perform them.
That’s absolutely not something I hold against Grande, and I wouldn’t trade my experience at this show for the world. Still, however, there was certainly a difference from the Grande I had seen on theDangerous WomanTour. Of course, this was also after the tragedy at her concert in Manchester in May 2017, which understandably transformed the way Grande saw touring forever. She had been through unimaginable things that entire year.
There was certainly a difference from the Grande I had seen on the Dangerous Woman Tour.
What I loved about my particularSweetenerWorld Tour show was the support our crowd showed Grande when it all became too much. She couldn’t finish the “raindrops (an angel cried)” intro due to her emotions, so we sang it for her. Fast-forward to her performance of “thank u, next” to close out the show, when Grande again struggled to sing after namedropping “Malcolm.” We screamed the words for her and created a beautiful sense of community.
It was still an incredible show, but when I think back on it now,all I can remember is how Grande was struggling through somuch at the time. It’s amazing to think that she could still put on the show then, much less make it into something amazing and unforgettable for all of us, even if it wasn’t quite the same as it was during theDangerous WomanTour. It was a rollercoaster from start to finish for all of us.
Grande’s First Tour Was So Special, But She’s Grown So Much Since Then
It’s Now A Testament Of Her Growth
It was The Honeymoon Tour that cemented Grande’s status as one of my all-time favorite music artists, even if the show itself pales in comparison to what would come with theDangerous WomanandSweetenerTours. I had a floor seat for this show, which helped to make it so memorable for me, andit proved to me just how talented Grande truly was in so many different ways. Her smaller discography at the time also allowed for a more unique set.
For example, Grande had more room to cover other artists' music on this tour, such as Whitney Houston’s “I’m Every Woman” and Madonna’s “Vogue.” This fit into the overall aesthetic of The Honeymoon Tour that came together beautifully, which felt like something out of Old Hollywood. It was a transformative night for me as anAriana Grandefan, but now, it stands as a testmant to just how far she’s come as an artist ever since.
